What is Cyber Security?
Indiana is many things. Depending on who you ask, Indiana might be a great basketball state. Others might point out Indiana's prominent corn production or its other agricultural products. Still others may focus on Iowa's burgeoning tech sector and its role in the Silicon Prairie, even how they rival Silicon Valley in some respects. While it is all of these things, Indiana is also a terrific state in which to work as a cyber security expert.
A cyber security specialist is a computing professional who works to help protect digital assets from bad actors, also known as black hat hackers. There are many sorts of cyber security specialists, as well as many clients they may work with. For the most part, cyber security specialists work with private companies such as hospitals, banks, and more. Their careers may take the form of long-term employment with firms or law enforcement, but many also work as independent consultants who help out individuals and corporations to shore up their cyber security protocols.
A cyber security specialist is part criminal justice worker and part computer scientist. That is, they seek to thwart cyber-attacks but they also investigate successful cyber-attacks. Forensic cyber security professionals can work with law enforcement agencies, including the NSA and the Department of Homeland Security, but many also work with private companies, who in turn may collaborate with law enforcement to root out the black hat hackers.
After all, all of the state's top industries need their databases and networks secure from outside bad guys who seek to deplete accounts or steal keen ideas. Since the state's economy is led by manufacturing for the automotive sector, each factory needs top notch security to shore up all parts of the supply chain. Hackers might try to break into a facility's systems in order to install ransomware. This bit of malware will hijack a factory until millions are paid to gain entry back into their own systems. Without a cyber security expert on hand, those black hat hackers might get away with their crimes. Instead, they may either be thwarted in their attempts to crack a facility's firewall or they can be tracked by cyber forensics experts who can track bitcoin transactions.
Top Ranked Campus & Online Cybersecurity Programs in Indiana
Purdue University
Score: 86.21
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,992
- Out-of-State:$28,794
- Net Price: $12,576
- Acceptance Rate: 53%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 83%
- Total Enrollment: 51,528
- Undergrad Students: 38,593
- Graduate Students: 12,935
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
University of Notre Dame
Score: 85
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $62,693
- Out-of-State:$62,693
- Net Price: $28,474
- Acceptance Rate: 13%
- Retention Rate: 97%
- Graduation Rate: 96%
- Total Enrollment: 13,105
- Undergrad Students: 8,971
- Graduate Students: 4,134
- Grads Salary: $87,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Indiana University-Bloomington
Score: 77.41
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $11,790
- Out-of-State:$40,482
- Net Price: $16,234
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 90%
- Graduation Rate: 81%
- Total Enrollment: 47,005
- Undergrad Students: 35,660
- Graduate Students: 11,345
- Grads Salary: $76,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,449
- Out-of-State:$33,717
- Net Price: $11,462
- Acceptance Rate: 83%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 56%
- Total Enrollment: 25,979
- Undergrad Students: 17,727
- Graduate Students: 8,252
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Ball State University
Score: 70.91
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,758
- Out-of-State:$28,766
- Net Price: $12,615
- Acceptance Rate: 69%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 19,777
- Undergrad Students: 14,416
- Graduate Students: 5,361
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Evansville
Score: 70.21
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $42,676
- Out-of-State:$42,676
- Net Price: $19,301
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 2,017
- Undergrad Students: 1,717
- Graduate Students: 300
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
Indiana Wesleyan University
Score: 69.16
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $31,168
- Out-of-State:$31,168
- Net Price: $21,755
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 2,603
- Undergrad Students: 2,236
- Graduate Students: 367
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Valparaiso University
Score: 68.88
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $46,588
- Out-of-State:$46,588
- Net Price: $22,755
- Acceptance Rate: 94%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 70%
- Total Enrollment: 2,958
- Undergrad Students: 2,349
- Graduate Students: 609
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Taylor University
Score: 68.36
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $39,104
- Out-of-State:$39,104
- Net Price: $27,366
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 91%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 2,221
- Undergrad Students: 2,188
- Graduate Students: 33
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Purdue University Northwest
Score: 68.3
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,419
- Out-of-State:$15,620
- Net Price: $9,162
- Acceptance Rate: 73%
- Retention Rate: 64%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 8,911
- Undergrad Students: 8,176
- Graduate Students: 735
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
Anderson University-Indiana
Score: 66.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,640
- Out-of-State:$35,640
- Net Price: $21,459
- Acceptance Rate: 52%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 59%
- Total Enrollment: 1,290
- Undergrad Students: 1,129
- Graduate Students: 161
- Grads Salary: $68,000
- Student-to-faculty: 9:1
Indiana University-South Bend
Score: 65.38
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,179
- Out-of-State:$22,043
- Net Price: $8,785
- Acceptance Rate: 87%
- Retention Rate: 66%
- Graduation Rate: 36%
- Total Enrollment: 4,326
- Undergrad Students: 3,753
- Graduate Students: 573
- Grads Salary: $67,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
Indiana University-Kokomo
Score: 65.38
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $8,179
- Out-of-State:$22,043
- Net Price: $6,648
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 64%
- Graduation Rate: 42%
- Total Enrollment: 2,846
- Undergrad Students: 2,669
- Graduate Students: 177
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
Trine University
Score: 65.28
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,600
- Out-of-State:$35,600
- Net Price: $24,276
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 4,088
- Undergrad Students: 3,819
- Graduate Students: 269
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Indiana State University
Score: 64.95
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,992
- Out-of-State:$21,734
- Net Price: $12,688
- Acceptance Rate: 92%
- Retention Rate: 64%
- Graduation Rate: 44%
- Total Enrollment: 8,658
- Undergrad Students: 6,965
- Graduate Students: 1,693
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 16:1
Indiana Tech
Score: 64.93
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $30,446
- Out-of-State:$30,446
- Net Price: $22,179
- Acceptance Rate: 65%
- Retention Rate: 60%
- Graduation Rate: 37%
- Total Enrollment: 2,595
- Undergrad Students: 1,490
- Graduate Students: 1,105
- Grads Salary: $86,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
University of Indianapolis
Score: 64.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,136
- Out-of-State:$36,136
- Net Price: $22,283
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 61%
- Graduation Rate: 60%
- Total Enrollment: 5,018
- Undergrad Students: 3,715
- Graduate Students: 1,303
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Score: 64.32
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $9,254
- Out-of-State:$22,220
- Net Price: $11,951
- Acceptance Rate: 81%
- Retention Rate: 63%
- Graduation Rate: 36%
- Total Enrollment: 9,069
- Undergrad Students: 8,390
- Graduate Students: 679
- Grads Salary: $70,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
Purdue Global
Score: 60.03
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $10,110
- Out-of-State:$14,421
- Net Price: $6,785
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 17%
- Graduation Rate: 20%
- Total Enrollment: 45,125
- Undergrad Students: 33,510
- Graduate Students: 11,615
- Grads Salary: $83,000
- Student-to-faculty: 26:1
Vincennes University
Score: 57.83
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $6,886
- Out-of-State:$16,289
- Net Price: $9,637
- Acceptance Rate: 100%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 33%
- Total Enrollment: 16,773
- Undergrad Students: 16,773
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $62,000
- Student-to-faculty: 23:1
