This is the guide to online master’s programs in information security and information assurance: the governance, risk, compliance, audit, and policy side of protecting information, and a genuinely different degree from a cybersecurity master’s.
Our team analyzed 17 accredited online information assurance programs for tuition, CAE designation, and GRE policy; the average cost is $34,271, and the most affordable accredited option is $9,393 at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
If your goal is hands-on technical or offensive-defensive security work, you want a cybersecurity master’s instead: see our online master’s in cybersecurity guide for the remote technical track or our campus master’s in cybersecurity [/programs/masters-in-cybersecurity/] for an in-person program.
But if you are aiming at a GRC analyst, IT auditor, information systems security officer, compliance or risk manager, or a federal assurance role, this assurance-focused degree is the better fit, and the sections below cover the rankings, real costs, the GRC and federal career paths, and the assurance frameworks that define the field.
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Featured Online Masters in Information Security Programs
| School Name | Program | More Info |
|---|---|---|
| UC Berkeley School of Information | Online MS in Cybersecurity | No GRE/GMAT Required | website |
| Wake Forest University | Online MS in Cybersecurity Leadership | website |
| Purdue Global | Master's in Information Technology | website |
| Southern New Hampshire University | Master's in Information Technology | website |
QUICK ANSWER
An online master’s in information security or information assurance focuses on the governance, risk, compliance, audit, and policy side of protecting information, which makes it distinct from the more technical cybersecurity master’s.
Across the 17 U.S. programs we analyzed, average tuition is $34,271, with the most affordable at $9,393 (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona) and the highest at $86,400 (Carnegie Mellon).
Most run 30-36 credits over 18-24 months and increasingly waive the GRE. Prioritize NSA/DHS CAE-designated programs if you are targeting federal, GRC, or audit roles.
Information security vs. cybersecurity master’s: which should you choose?
The two degrees overlap, but they are not the same, and choosing on the label rather than the emphasis is the most common and most costly mistake in this decision.
An information security or information assurance master’s centers on assurance: governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), IT audit, security policy, and the frameworks that prove an organization is protecting its information, work rooted in the federal ‘information assurance’ tradition.
A cybersecurity master’s centers on the technical craft: network defense, offensive and defensive operations, secure engineering, and applied security.
If your target role is GRC analyst, IT auditor, information systems security officer, compliance or risk manager, or a policy or federal assurance position, the assurance track fits and its CAE heritage is a direct advantage.
If you want to be a penetration tester, security engineer, or SOC lead, choose the cybersecurity path: compare our online master’s in cybersecurity guide for the remote technical option or the campus master’s in cybersecurity if you prefer in-person study. Read the actual curriculum, not the diploma title, since some programs blend both.
Information assurance careers: GRC, audit, and federal roles
An information assurance master’s is built for the governance and compliance side of the field, and its career paths reflect that. The most common destinations are GRC analyst and manager, IT auditor, information systems security officer (ISSO), compliance officer, and risk manager, alongside the information security analyst role that both tracks share and that BLS reports at a median of $124,910.
Governance-heavy roles such as IT auditor and compliance manager typically run in the mid-five to low-six figures, depending on sector and clearance, and the assurance track is one of the more reliable routes into security management and, ultimately, a CISO role through the governance rather than the engineering path.
Federal and defense employers particularly value this degree: the term ‘information assurance’ comes from that world, and CAE-designated IA programs feed directly into agency and contractor hiring. Against the $34,271 average tuition, a graduate moving into a GRC or audit management role typically recovers the cost within a few years.
What information assurance covers: frameworks and CAE heritage
The clearest way to understand what separates this degree from a cybersecurity master’s is the material at its core. Information assurance is organized around protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and, crucially, proving it, through structured frameworks.
Expect coursework built around the NIST Risk Management Framework, ISO/IEC 27001, and, for federal-facing programs, FISMA and the controls in NIST SP 800-53.
These frameworks are the working language of GRC, audit, and federal security, and they are where an assurance program spends its depth, while a cybersecurity program spends more of its time on offensive and defensive techniques.
The ‘information assurance’ name itself is federal in origin, which is why so many of these programs carry NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence designations and align to national workforce standards. If a federal, defense, or regulated-industry assurance career is your goal, that framework fluency and CAE alignment is exactly what employers screen for.
How we ranked these programs
The 2026 ranking weighs the factors that matter for an assurance degree: NSA/DHS CAE designation, tuition and cost per credit, delivery flexibility, GRE policy, and the depth of the program’s governance, risk, and compliance curriculum. Programs without an active CAE designation were excluded.
The Cybersecurity Guide research team looked at all 17 online master’s in information security programs available in the United States. We used that information to compile tuition information (based on out-of-state tuition rates). Here’s the breakdown:
$9,393 is the most cost-effective program, and it is available at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.
$34,271 is the average cost of an online master’s program (based on 17 programs).
$86,400 is the most expensive online information security master’s program and is from Carnegie Mellon University.
More details about these programs can be found below in the school listings.
The best online information security programs for 2026
University of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, Kentucky
Program: Master's in Information Systems Security
Tuition: $11,005
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $355
Credits: 31
Learn more: Program detailsCarnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaProgram: Master's Degree: Information Security & Assurance
Tuition: $86,400
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R, CAE-CO
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,800
Credits: 48
Learn more: Program detailsBoston University
Boston, MassachusettsProgram: Master of Science in Computer Information Systems
Tuition: $28,956
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $905
Credits: 32
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of South Carolina
Columbia, South CarolinaProgram: MS in Information Security and Cyber Leadership
Tuition: $17,168
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $572
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of Denver
Denver, ColoradoProgram: Master’s Concentration Information Systems Security
Tuition: $41,232
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $859
Credits: 48
Learn more: Program detailsAugusta University
Augusta, GeorgiaProgram: Master of Science, Information Security Management
Tuition: $25,140
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-CO
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $236 in-state | $838 out-of-state
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsFerris State University
Big Rapids, MichiganProgram: Information Security and Intelligence (MS)
Tuition: $26,301
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $797
Credits: 33
Learn more: Program detailsMurray State University
Murray, KentuckyProgram: Master of Science in Information Systems with a concentration in Information Security
Tuition: $18,180
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $606
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsNiagara University
Niagara Falls, New YorkProgram: M.S. Information Security and Digital Forensics
Tuition: $34,710
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $890
Credits: 39
Learn more: Program detailsSANS Technology Institute
North Bethesda, MarylandProgram: Master of Science in Information Security Engineering (MSISE)
Tuition: $54,000
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,500
Credits: 36
Learn more: Program details
These rankings were compiled from data accessed in May 2026 from the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator (both services of the National Center for Education Statistics). Tuition data was pulled from individual university websites and is current as of May 2026.
2025 ranking
Tuition, scholarships, and funding
Our team reviewed the 17 online information assurance master’s programs available in the United States and compiled tuition using out-of-state rates.
The most affordable accredited program is $9,393 at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; the average across the 17 programs is $34,271; and the most expensive is $86,400 at Carnegie Mellon University. That is a wide spread for a comparable credential, so cost belongs in your decision.
Field-specific funding can offset much of it: the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service funds tuition and a stipend in exchange for federal service, a natural fit for the federal-assurance careers this degree targets, and additional awards are available through professional bodies and individual schools. See broader cybersecurity scholarships for more.
Frequently asked questions
They overlap, but the emphasis differs. An information security or information assurance master’s centers on governance, risk, and compliance, IT audit, policy, and the assurance frameworks (NIST RMF, ISO 27001, FISMA) used to prove information is protected, with a strong federal heritage.
A cybersecurity master’s centers on the technical craft: network defense, offensive and defensive operations, and secure engineering. Choose information assurance for GRC, audit, ISSO, compliance, or federal roles; choose cybersecurity for technical roles and compare our online master’s in cybersecurity guide or campus master’s in cybersecurity. Read the curriculum, not just the degree title.
Information assurance is the practice of protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and demonstrating that protection through structured frameworks and controls. It is broader than technical defense: it includes governance, risk management, audit, policy, and compliance.
Cybersecurity is often used as the umbrella term today, but ‘information assurance’ specifically emphasizes the assurance and governance dimension, and the term originates in federal and defense practice. In a degree context, an assurance program spends its depth on GRC and frameworks, while a cybersecurity program spends more on offensive and defensive technique. The two share a large common core.
The degree is built for governance and compliance roles: GRC analyst and manager, IT auditor, information systems security officer (ISSO), compliance officer, and risk manager, plus the information security analyst role, which they all share.
It is also a reliable route into security management and, via the governance path, a CISO role. Federal and defense employers particularly value it, since the ‘information assurance’ tradition is federal and CAE-designated IA programs feed agency and contractor hiring.
For a governance, audit, compliance, or federal security career, yes. Against a $34,271 average tuition, the assurance track leads to GRC, audit, and security-management roles that typically recover the cost within a few years, and it is the better-fit credential than a cybersecurity master’s for those specific paths.
It is less suited to hands-on technical roles, where a cybersecurity master’s or targeted certifications return more. Prioritize accredited, CAE-designated programs for the strongest federal and GRC positioning.
Most programs on this list have dropped the GRE requirement, weighing professional experience, GPA, and a statement of purpose instead, and many hold an NSA/DHS CAE designation that matters for federal and GRC hiring. Confirm each program’s current GRE policy and CAE status before applying, since both change from year to year.
A list of online master’s in information security programs
The following list of online degree programs for master’s in information assurance/information security includes up-to-date information.
It is not a ranking of any sort. It is instead offered to provide education options to those interested in seeking a master’s degree from online programs and to give a basis for comparison among the choices.
Augusta University
Augusta, GeorgiaProgram: Master of Science, Information Security Management
Tuition: $25,140
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-CO
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $236 in-state | $838 out-of-state
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsBoston University
Boston, MassachusettsProgram: Master of Science in Computer Information Systems
Tuition: $28,956
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $905
Credits: 32
Learn more: Program detailsCalifornia State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CaliforniaProgram: Master of Science - MSIS | Information Security
Tuition: $9,393
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $303
Credits: 31
Learn more: Program detailsCapella University
Minneapolis, MinnesotaProgram: MS in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity program
Tuition: $41,040
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $465 - $855
Credits: 48
Learn more: Program detailsCarnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaProgram: Master's Degree: Information Security & Assurance
Tuition: $86,400
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R, CAE-CO
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,800
Credits: 48
Learn more: Program detailsDavenport University
Grand Rapids, MichiganProgram: Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cyber Security
Tuition: $34,224
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,104
Credits: 31
Learn more: Program detailsEast Carolina University
Greenville, North CarolinaProgram: Master of Science in Information and Cybersecurity Technology
Tuition: $31,320
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $277 in-state | $1,044 out-of-state
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsFerris State University
Big Rapids, MichiganProgram: Information Security and Intelligence (MS)
Tuition: $26,301
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $797
Credits: 33
Learn more: Program detailsMurray State University
Murray, KentuckyProgram: Master of Science in Information Systems with a concentration in Information Security
Tuition: $18,180
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $606
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsNiagara University
Niagara Falls, New YorkProgram: M.S. Information Security and Digital Forensics
Tuition: $34,710
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $890
Credits: 39
Learn more: Program detailsSam Houston State University
Huntsville, TexasProgram: Master of Science Information Assurance and Cybersecurity
Tuition: $24,341
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $811
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsSANS Technology Institute
North Bethesda, MarylandProgram: Master of Science in Information Security Engineering (MSISE)
Tuition: $54,000
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,500
Credits: 36
Learn more: Program detailsSt. John's University-New York
Queens, New YorkProgram: Cyber and Information Security, Master of Science (M.S.)
Tuition: $49,200
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,640
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of Denver
Denver, ColoradoProgram: Master’s Concentration Information Systems Security
Tuition: $41,232
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $859
Credits: 48
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of South Carolina
Columbia, South CarolinaProgram: MS in Information Security and Cyber Leadership
Tuition: $17,168
CAE designation: CAE-CD, CAE-R
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $572
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of Texas at Austin
Austin, TexasProgram: Master of Science in Information Security and Privacy
Tuition: $50,000
Delivery method: Online & campus
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $1,667
Credits: 30
Learn more: Program detailsUniversity of the Cumberlands
Williamsburg, KentuckyProgram: Master's in Information Systems Security
Tuition: $11,005
CAE designation: CAE-CD
Delivery method: Online
2025/2026 Cost per credit: $355
Credits: 31
Learn more: Program details