Best Cybersecurity Schools Near Lakeland, FL (2026)

Updated September 6, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Lakeland, Florida has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs, with tuition ranging from $6,410 to $49,329 per year for indexed programs. Lakeland has a population of about 117,030. Median household income is $60,947 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $161,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Cybersecurity Schools to Lakeland

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer cybersecurity programs near Lakeland, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Lakeland city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Lakeland. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Strayer University-Florida

Tampa, FL 25.1 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,092
Avg net price $16,064/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 19

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo, FL 26.8 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
32.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,364
Avg net price $21,293/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 28.0 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hillsborough Community College

Tampa, FL 31.7 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 34%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,782
Avg net price $3,861/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 88

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

The University of Tampa

Tampa, FL 32.0 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
58.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 40%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,436
Avg net price $36,211/yr
Tuition
In‑state$34,408
Out‑of‑state$34,408
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Pasco-Hernando State College

New Port Richey, FL 44.8 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $39,903
Avg net price $5,203/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 43

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

St Petersburg College

St. Petersburg, FL 46.0 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,557
Avg net price $1,471/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Full Sail University

Winter Park, FL 54.5 miles from Lakeland
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
22.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,219
Avg net price $38,875/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 59%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida cybersecurity page.

Cybersecurity Wages Near Lakeland

Lakeland is part of the Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL metro area (BLS area code 29460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analyst $100,470 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $103,471
Network and Computer Systems Administrator $95,160 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $98,002
Computer Network Architect $139,150 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $143,306
Computer Systems Analyst $85,820 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $88,383
Computer and Information Systems Manager $161,180 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $165,994
Computer Network Support Specialist $59,320 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $61,092
Computer User Support Specialist $51,080 Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL $52,606

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Lakeland at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 117,030 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $60,947 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.1 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in Polk County 708 workers, 259 establishments BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lakeland-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near Lakeland, FL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near Lakeland. The closest is Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL (2.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hillsborough Community College (31.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near Lakeland?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near Lakeland are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($161,180), Computer Network Architect ($139,150), Information Security Analyst ($100,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Plant City instead of Lakeland?

Plant City, FL is 10.5 miles from Lakeland and has its own set of local cybersecurity programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lakeland an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

Lakeland’s median household income of $60,947 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lakeland while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Cybersecurity Programs

Other Programs Available in Lakeland

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lakeland:

Data verified: September 6, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Cybersecurity Schools in Florida: Online Programs (2026)