Best Online Cybersecurity Programs in Rockford, IL (2026)

Updated June 11, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Rockford, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs. Rockford has a population of about 147,649. Median household income is $53,328 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 23.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning cybersecurity-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $146,600 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Cybersecurity Schools to Rockford

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer cybersecurity programs near Rockford. Distances are calculated from Rockford 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 Rockford. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Cybersecurity Wages Near Rockford

Rockford is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation	Median Wage	Source	COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Information Security Analyst	$119,400	Rockford, IL	$129,501
Network and Computer Systems Administrator	$92,260	Rockford, IL	$100,065
Computer Network Architect	$97,540	Rockford, IL	$105,792
Computer Systems Analyst	$95,430	Rockford, IL	$103,503
Computer and Information Systems Manager	$146,600	Rockford, IL	$159,002
Computer Network Support Specialist	$62,020	Rockford, IL	$67,267
Computer User Support Specialist	$54,800	Rockford, IL	$59,436

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.

Rockford at a Glance

Metric	Value	Source
Population	147,649	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income	$53,328	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+	23.2%	Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)	92.2 (below U.S. average)	BEA RPP 2024
Cybersecurity-related employment in Winnebago County	565 workers, 49 establishments	BLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Rockford-Area Cities With Cybersecurity Programs

Loves Park, IL – 6.3 mi away (23,413 pop)
Machesney Park, IL – 7.7 mi away (22,873 pop)
Belvidere, IL – 10.2 mi away (25,070 pop)
Beloit, WI – 18.4 mi away (63,470 pop)
DeKalb, IL – 28.0 mi away (67,501 pop)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited cybersecurity schools are near Rockford, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering cybersecurity programs near Rockford. The closest is Rasmussen University-Illinois in Rockford, IL (1.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elgin Community College (41.5 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying cybersecurity roles near Rockford?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying cybersecurity-related roles near Rockford are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($146,600), Information Security Analyst ($119,400), Computer Network Architect ($97,540). 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 Loves Park instead of Rockford?

Loves Park, IL is 6.3 miles from Rockford 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 Rockford an affordable place to study cybersecurity?

Rockford’s median household income of $53,328 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Rockford 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 Rockford

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

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.

Back to Best Online Cybersecurity Programs in Illinois (2026)

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