Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s computer science program has been ranked in the top 25 programs in the nation as a “best computer science with cybersecurity emphasis” program by Cybersecurity Guide.
IUP is one of only two universities in Pennsylvania selected for the ranking and the only public university in the commonwealth in the top 25 listing.
Cybersecurity Guide is an international, independent resource for cybersecurity professionals written by a team of professional cybersecurity writers.
The rankings are based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) and College Navigator, along with tuition and credit information from each university website.
To be considered for the ranking, a university must offer a computer science with cybersecurity emphasis program and be a Center for Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity. Student-to-faculty ratio, admission and graduation rates, and affordability are part of the ranking criteria.
“We are proud to be recognized for our consistent commitment to hands-on, high-quality cybersecurity education,” IUP Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences Chair Tim Flowers said. “We look forward to continuing to build our growing alumni network of cybersecurity professionals throughout the region.”
IUP is one of the first institutions in the nation to receive the Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense designation by the National Security Agency. The university has held that designation since 2002 and is one of only 16 universities in Pennsylvania with this designation.
The IUP cybersecurity program has more than 130 students enrolled, and about 25 students annually complete the program and receive their bachelor’s degree in the Computer Science/Cybersecurity track. IUP’s program also focuses on cybercrime detection, loss prevention, and how to collect evidence to prosecute cybersecurity offenders.
IUP’s Institute for Cyber Security at IUP was founded in 2005 to further encourage and promote cybersecurity at IUP and the surrounding community.
IUP has a longstanding commitment to research on all levels and in all disciplines. In 2021, IUP was one of only two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 93 public universities in the United States selected for the “High Research Activity” designation by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Institutions of Higher Education.
IUP’s computer sciences program is part of the Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences. Degrees in the computer sciences, in addition to cybersecurity, are computer science, software engineering, language and systems, and information technology and management information systems. Students can also complete a minor in computer science or in cybersecurity.
This recognition follows a number of national accolades for IUP and specific IUP programs, including Universities.com’s 2025 recognition of IUP’s safety, health, and environmental applied sciences bachelor’s degree program as number one in Pennsylvania and number two in the nation, and U.S. News & World Report’s ranking of IUP’s online criminology master’s degree program in the top 21 programs in the nation.
IUP has been selected for U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges Ranking 2024 and the Wall Street Journal and College Pulse’s “America’s Best Colleges 2024.” IUP is also included in The Princeton Review’s “2024 Best Colleges” guidebook, College Magazine’s “top 10 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, Washington Monthly’s national ranking of universities based on contributions to society, Forbes Magazine as one of “America’s Top Colleges,” as the number two most affordable college in Pennsylvania by Academic Influence, and in a number of rankings for excellence and affordability of online programs.
IUP offers 100 undergraduate majors and more than 60 graduate programs. In addition, students can complete more than 70 minors—including a unique teamwork minor—and scores of specialized tracks and certificate programs, including certificates in athletic coaching, preschool education, geospatial intelligence (drones), photography and digital imaging, popular music, and public history.