Virginia·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1212

Best Information Security Analyst programs in Virginia, ranked by enrollment

Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. Assess system vulnerabilities for security risks and propose and implement risk mitigation strategies.

55 schools in Virginia run programs that feed this job, graduating 5,829 people a year. The job pays a median of $134,900 in Virginia across about 19,120 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork Security AnalystInformation Security OfficerInformation Systems Security Officer (ISSO)Information Technology Security Analyst (IT Security Analyst)CryptologistThreat HunterCyber OperatorRed Team Member
Graduates / yr
5,829
in Virginia
Median pay · Virginia
$134,900
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
19,120
people employed
Schools
55
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
52%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,933
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Virginia that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

8 programs in Virginia that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Virginia (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Virginia page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.1003In Virginia
2,137
36.7%
22$48,185$25,250
2
CIP 11.0103In Virginia
1,985
34.1%
16$57,986$24,286
3
CIP 11.0701In Virginia
1,045
17.9%
36$70,374$23,250
4
CIP 11.1001In Virginia
441
7.6%
2$48,185$25,250
5
CIP 43.0403In Virginia
136
2.3%
7$40,889$25,000
6
CIP 11.1005In Virginia
38
0.7%
2$48,185$25,250
7
CIP 11.0901In Virginia
35
0.6%
4$43,901$22,822
8
CIP 11.1002In Virginia
12
0.2%
1$48,185$25,250

Top 25 schools in Virginia

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 14 of the 55 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1Northern Virginia Community College
Annandale, VA Public · 3 feeder programs
1,460Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$54,74233%
2ECPI University
Virginia Beach, VA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
991Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$43,31442%$21,90975%
3George Mason University
Fairfax, VA Public · 5 feeder programs
631Information Technology$78,80068%87%
4Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
433Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$65,83846%90%
5Washington University of Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
356Information Technology67%7%
6Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
281Information Technology$56,25865%$28,91199%
7Strayer University - Virginia
Arlington, VA Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
218Information Technology$67,31536%
8Tidewater Community College
Norfolk, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
199Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance32%
9Marymount University
Arlington, VA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs
158Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance54%$25,80393%
10William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
141Computer Science$84,95689%34%
11University of North America
Fairfax, VA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
81Information Technology
12Germanna Community College
Locust Grove, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
77Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance46%
13Christopher Newport University
Newport News, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
70Computer Science$72,12872%86%
14Radford University
Radford, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
65Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance49%90%
15Laurel Ridge Community College
Middletown, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
63Computer Science45%
16Brightpoint Community College
Chester, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
48Computer Science38%
17University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
47Information Technology Project Management96%17%
18University of Fairfax
Salem, VA Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
41Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
19James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
39Information Technology$81,76180%72%
20Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA Public · 1 feeder programs
38Computer Science39%89%
21Regent University
Virginia Beach, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
37Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism57%$18,67738%
22Virginia Peninsula Community College
Hampton, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
33Information Technology34%
23American National University
Salem, VA Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
29Information Technology33%$20,666
24Shenandoah University
Winchester, VA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
28Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance67%$27,45577%
25Norfolk State University
Norfolk, VA Public · 2 feeder programs
27Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance38%88%

All 55 schools in Virginia

Every school in Virginia with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Virginia that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
Northern Virginia Community CollegeAnnandalePublic1,4603
ECPI UniversityVirginia BeachPrivate for-profit9913
George Mason UniversityFairfaxPublic6315
Old Dominion UniversityNorfolkPublic4332
Washington University of Science and TechnologyAlexandriaPrivate for-profit3562
Liberty UniversityLynchburgPrivate not-for-profit2812
Strayer University - VirginiaArlingtonPrivate for-profit2182
Tidewater Community CollegeNorfolkPublic1992
Marymount UniversityArlingtonPrivate not-for-profit1584
William & MaryWilliamsburgPublic1411
University of North AmericaFairfaxPrivate for-profit813
Germanna Community CollegeLocust GrovePublic771
Christopher Newport UniversityNewport NewsPublic701
Radford UniversityRadfordPublic652
Laurel Ridge Community CollegeMiddletownPublic632

What information security analysts earn in Virginia

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Virginia
$134,900
Mean annual
$141,360
Jobs in state
19,120
What the range looks like
10th pct$81,410Median$134,90090th pct$205,750
Versus the national median
+4.4%

U.S. median $129,180. Virginia pays above the national figure.

Job concentration
3.80×

Concentrated here: Virginia employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Virginia

Charlottesville, VA
$126,340median
210 jobs
Richmond, VA
$126,230median
1,690 jobs
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC
$126,030median
1,490 jobs
Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA
$127,860median
30 jobs
Roanoke, VA
$122,380median
110 jobs
Lynchburg, VA
$121,340median
90 jobs
Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford, VA
$115,980median
80 jobs
Winchester, VA-WV
$119,680median
150 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+28.5%
Much faster than average
Openings per year
16,000
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
52,100
182,800 → 234,900
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Information Security Analysts page.

How to become a Information Security Analyst

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree
Work experience needed
Less than 5 years

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingWritingMonitoring

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Virginia

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 9 majors mapped to Information Security Analysts9 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 11.0103Information Technology
  • 11.0701Computer Science
  • 11.0901Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications
  • 11.1001Network and System Administration/Administrator
  • 11.1002System, Networking, and LAN/WAN Management/Manager
  • 11.1003Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance
  • 11.1005Information Technology Project Management
  • 43.0403Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism
  • 51.0723Healthcare Information Privacy Assurance and Security

Common questions

Answers for people weighing information security analysts programs in Virginia.

What degree do you need to become an Information Security Analyst?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance, which awarded 2,137 degrees in Virginia in 2024-25, 36.7% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming an Information Security Analyst?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management, Computer and Information Sciences, Computer Science, Security Science and Technology, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 5,829 people a year in Virginia.

How much do information security analysts earn in Virginia?+

The median is $134,900 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 4.4% above the U.S. median of $129,180. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.

Is demand for information security analysts growing?+

BLS projects a +28.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 16,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Virginia?+

55 institutions in Virginia reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.

What other job titles do information security analysts work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Network Security Analyst, Information Security Officer, Information Systems Security Officer (ISSO), Information Technology Security Analyst (IT Security Analyst) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1212.

Information Security Analysts in other statesCaliforniaIllinoisNew YorkNorth CarolinaUtahTexasFloridaArizona

About the data on this page

Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).

  • BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics

    May 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.

  • IPEDS Completions

    2024-25 (provisional)

    Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.

  • College Scorecard, Field of Study

    2020-21 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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