Top 25 online cybersecurity degrees = 2 of the Big 3

[Life Long Learning]

Excelsior College Ranked #10
COSC Ranked #25

http://www.bestcolleges.com/features/top...rsecurity/

[dfrecore]

WGU was ranked 7th.

[sanantone]

I don't think TESU has a graduation rate yet because their program is very new. I'm surprised that COSC already has a graduation rate. Has the program been around for four years already? Excelsior has a graduation rate of 42% vs. COSC's 10%. WGU has a 4% graduation rate. I wonder how they calculated these.

I'm questioning the accuracy of their information. How are Excelsior, COSC, and WGU all in the same cost category? Excelsior is pretty expensive. COSC is cheap for in-state students, so it's only somewhat comparable to Excelsior when looking at non-resident tuition. WGU is a lot cheaper than both of them.

I looked at the methodology, and some of this stuff is useless. Also, COSC's cybersecurity program hasn't even been around for six years. How can it have a 6-year graduation rate? 

Some more problems: What is with the percentage of programs offered online? Other than some non-degree courses, all of COSC's programs are online. COSC would get points off for not having a lot of online programs, but what does that have to do with the quality of the cybersecurity program? What a stupid ranking factor. COSC and Excelsior accept everyone who applies, so there's no difference in admissions rate. WGU does have pre-requisites. COSC loses points for the number of graduates because it's a very small school. 

Ranking Factors
All eligible institutions are ranked on a 100 point scale. A perfect score of 100 is earned by ranking #1 for all ranking factors.
ACADEMIC QUALITY - 50% OF TOTAL SCORE

• Admissions Rate - 25%
  
  
• Enrollment Rates - 15%
  
  
• Retention Rate - 15%
  
  
• 6-Year Graduation Rate - 25%
  
  
• Number of Cyber Security Degree Graduates - 20%
  

AFFORDABILITY - 25% OF TOTAL SCORE

• Average Net Price - 40%
  
  
• Percentage of Enrolled Students Taking Federal Loans - 20%
  
  
• Loan Default Rate - 40%
  

ONLINE PROGRAMMING - 25% OF TOTAL SCORE

• Number of Online Programs Offered - 50%
  
  
• Percentage of Enrolled Students Taking Online Courses - 50%
  

[jsd]

Often times only "first time students" are calculated in grad rates, meaning no prior college credit. As we know, The Big 3+WGU don't really cater to first time students, so it skews the grad rate.

[dfrecore]

WGU's Cybersecurity degree has only been around for maybe 6 months? I can't remember exactly, but not very long.

[jsd]

They just started their pilot class in July believe, so even less.

But this ranking is using their BS IT-Security program. Which has been transformed recently into the more appropriately titled BS Network Operations and Security

[cookderosa]

I don't know how that website calculated their list, but graduation rate calculation is required and follows a prescribed formula per the Higher Education Act (HEA),
as amended (2008)

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017046.pdf

[jsd]

I don't know how that website calculated their list, but graduation rate calculation is required and follows a prescribed formula per the Higher Education Act (HEA),
as amended (2008)

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017046.pdf

Thanks, this is what I was thinking of

 IPEDS Graduation Rates
IPEDS data are collected at the institution level, not at the
student level. IPEDS graduation rates (GR) are reflective of
full-time, first-time, degree-/certificate-seeking students who
started and finished at the same institution. Students included in
graduation rates do not represent all of the students at an institution
(e.g., GR excludes part-time and transfer students). Refer to the IPEDS
Outcome Measures survey component for data on other student
populations and outcomes.

There goes most of our experiences, haha

[sanantone]

Often times only "first time students" are calculated in grad rates, meaning no prior college credit. As we know, The Big 3+WGU don't really cater to first time students, so it skews the grad rate.

But, Excelsior's is far higher than COSC's. I still don't know how they got a 6-year graduation rate from a program that's less than six years old.

[Life Long Learning]

Often times only "first time students" are calculated in grad rates, meaning no prior college credit. As we know, The Big 3+WGU don't really cater to first time students, so it skews the grad rate.

But, Excelsior's is far higher than COSC's. I still don't know how they got a 6-year graduation rate from a program that's less than six years old.

I could be wrong, but Excelsior opened a center in Washington DC for the School of Public Safety.  That and 45% military maybe be two reasons? EC and COSC cater two very different populations.