Best Online Cybersecurity Programs in North Chicago, IL (2026)

North Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs. North Chicago has a population of about 30,772. Median household income is $56,815 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 19.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $173,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Cybersecurity Schools to North Chicago

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer cybersecurity programs near North Chicago. Distances are calculated from North Chicago city center.

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 North Chicago. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL 8.2 miles from North Chicago BOC Score47.4
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL 17.7 miles from North Chicago BOC Score57.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Gateway Technical College

Kenosha, WI 20.0 miles from North Chicago BOC Score56.0
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#4

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 24.3 miles from North Chicago BOC Score66.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College

Chicago, IL 25.0 miles from North Chicago BOC Score59.5
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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


Cybersecurity Wages Near North Chicago

North Chicago is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analyst$125,310Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$120,956
Network and Computer Systems Administrator$103,170Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$99,585
Computer Network Architect$143,800Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$138,803
Computer Systems Analyst$103,490Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$99,894
Computer and Information Systems Manager$173,760Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$167,722
Computer Network Support Specialist$73,340Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$70,792
Computer User Support Specialist$60,730Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$58,620

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.


North Chicago at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population30,772Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$56,815Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+19.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in Lake County3,179 workers, 650 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other North Chicago-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near North Chicago, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near North Chicago. The closest is College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL (8.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College (25.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near North Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near North Chicago are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($173,760), Computer Network Architect ($143,800), Information Security Analyst ($125,310). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Waukegan instead of North Chicago?

Waukegan, IL is 3.7 miles from North Chicago 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 North Chicago an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

North Chicago’s median household income of $56,815 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in North Chicago while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois 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 North Chicago

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

Data verified: June 11, 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.