Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science: Which Is Right for You?

Cybersecurity and computer science are two degree options that you can pursue on your way to a career in technology. While these programs share some similarities, they represent different paths that can lead to very different career outcomes.

If you’re choosing between the two, it’s important to understand how each one fits with your background, interests, and professional goals. This guide compares the coursework, career paths, and salaries associated with each degree, along with the factors worth weighing as you decide which one is right for you.

Bachelor’s Degree in Cybersecurity

If you want to make a career out of protecting sensitive data and information from hackers, a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and information assurance can put you on the right path. In this program, you’ll learn how network operations and software systems work so they can be secured against potential attacks, and you’ll build the skills to identify vulnerabilities, protect systems and data, and respond to security risks as they emerge.

Most cybersecurity programs include courses that cover scripting and programming, data management, network security, information assurance fundamentals, best practices in systems and services, and the business of IT. These subjects prepare you for the real work of protecting data and organizations. The degree program also teaches you about current cyber systems while preparing you to learn new ones as they’re developed.

Due to the recent spike in information leaks, data breaches, and attacks by hackers and other cybercriminals, cybersecurity experts are needed now more than ever. In fact, there are more than 514,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions in the U.S., according to 2025 data from CyberSeek.

What Is Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting systems, networks, applications, and data from unauthorized access, attacks, and other security risks. It covers everything from the tools that detect a breach to the policies that determine how an organization responds to one.

Why does this matter so much right now? Every day, hackers and cybercriminals launch new attacks that threaten the data people and organizations rely on. Cybersecurity Ventures projected that cybercrime cost the world $10.5 trillion in 2025 alone, a figure that’s expected to keep climbing in future years. Cybersecurity professionals are trained to defend against these attacks so personal information and organizational data stay safe.

Job growth in cybersecurity remains strong. According to CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce 2026” report, cybersecurity analysts and engineers are projected to grow by 346% over the next decade, making it one of the fastest-growing tech occupations tracked in the report. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) paints a similarly strong, if more measured, picture for one closely related occupation: The employment of information security analysts is projected to grow by 21% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 14,100 openings projected each year. Some of the most in-demand cybersecurity jobs include:

• Information security analyst: Median annual salary of $129,180 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role keeps watch for cyber threats, monitors network activity, and analyzes reports for unusual behavior.
• IT security specialist: Average annual salary of $123,579 in 2026, according to Indeed. This role defends an employer’s systems from cyberattacks while working to close off vulnerabilities before they’re exploited.
• Computer forensic analyst: Average annual salary of $92,476 in 2026, according to Payscale. This role investigates security incidents, data breaches, and other cybercrimes to determine what happened and how.
• IT auditor: Average annual salary of $117,793 in 2026, according to Indeed. This role reviews an organization’s security measures to confirm they’re as efficient and secure as possible.
• Security systems administrator: Average annual salary of $97,112 in 2026, according to ZipRecruiter. This role installs, maintains, and troubleshoots an organization’s security systems and tools.
• Penetration tester: Average annual salary of $126,061 in 2026, according to Indeed. This role simulates real-world attacks to find the vulnerabilities in a system before actual hackers do.
• Cryptographer: Average annual salary of $84,991 in 2026, according to Payscale. This role designs and analyzes the encryption methods used to keep sensitive data secure.

Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science

A bachelor’s degree in computer science involves the study of computers and programming languages. If you want a future working in complex code, new technologies, and computer software, this degree path will teach you the technical skills to develop software, design websites, manage databases, and more.

As a computer science student, you’ll dive into topics like algorithms, data structures, programming languages, artificial intelligence, robotics, and human-computer interaction, which is valued knowledge in today’s job market.

Compared to a cybersecurity degree program that concentrates on computer vulnerabilities and how to defend them, computer science is more focused on the building blocks of computers, such as programming and theory. Programs like this one are part of WGU’s School of Technology, alongside adjacent options.

What Is Computer Science?

Computer science is the study of computation, algorithms, programming, and software, along with the principles used to design and develop computing systems. It’s a broader discipline than cybersecurity, one that touches nearly every corner of modern technology.

According to the BLS, employment of computer and information research scientists is projected to grow by 22% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations, with about 2,900 job openings projected each year, on average, over the decade. Some of the most in-demand computer science jobs include:

• Data scientist: Median annual salary of $120,230 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role interprets and manages data to help organizations solve complex problems and guide decisions.
• Web developer: Median annual salary of $92,650 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role builds the look and technical functions of a website, including its code, navigation, and content.
• Systems analyst: Median annual salary of $105,850 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role determines how well a business’s computer systems are serving the company and what can be done to make them more effective.
• Network architect: Median annual salary of $134,050 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role lays out the IT and communication infrastructure for a company so employees can access the internet and communicate with each other.
• Software developer: Median annual salary of $135,980 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role builds solutions such as mobile apps, video games, desktop applications, and more.
• Database administrator: Median annual salary of $104,620 in 2025, according to the BLS. This role helps companies store and organize data, granting access to users when needed and keeping everything secure from unauthorized access.
• Mobile application developer: Average annual salary of $82,863 in 2026, according to Payscale. This role creates and troubleshoots the apps that help mobile users get things done more efficiently.

Cybersecurity vs. Computer Science: Key Differences

Use the following cybersecurity and computer science comparison points to quickly see where the two paths overlap and where they diverge:

• Primary focus: Cybersecurity centers on protecting systems, networks, and data. Computer science centers on designing and building the systems and software those protections run on.
• Typical coursework: Cybersecurity programs emphasize network security, information assurance, risk management, and ethical hacking. Computer science programs emphasize algorithms, data structures, software design, and computing theory.
• Common technical skills: Cybersecurity relies heavily on threat detection, vulnerability assessment, and incident response. Computer science relies heavily on programming languages, software architecture, and computational problem-solving.
• Types of problems addressed: Cybersecurity professionals ask how a system could be attacked and how to stop it. Computer science professionals ask how a system should be built and how to make it work efficiently.
• Common career directions: Cybersecurity graduates often move into roles like information security analyst or penetration tester. Computer science graduates often move into roles like software developer or data scientist.
• Areas of overlap: Both fields require a foundation in computer systems, networks, programming languages, and math. Is cybersecurity part of computer science? In a sense, yes: Cybersecurity is often taught as a specialization within computer science departments, even though WGU and many other schools offer cybersecurity as its own dedicated degree. Can you get a cybersecurity job with a computer science degree? Often, yes, especially for more technical security roles, though employers may expect you to supplement your degree with security-specific certifications or experience.

Which Degree Should I Choose?

Ultimately, that decision comes down to your career goals. The curricula in computer science and cybersecurity degree programs do have some intersections: Both require an understanding of computer systems and networks, analysis, programming languages, and math. But each program prepares you for a different career direction, and both bachelor’s degrees are typically respected by employers building out their technology teams.

Picture yourself on your career path. Consider whether you see yourself doing the following on a day-to-day basis:

• Developing software, algorithms, or computing systems? Computer science is likely the better fit.
• Working with programming, mathematical reasoning, or emerging technologies? Computer science is likely the better fit.
• Protecting systems and data? Cybersecurity is likely the better fit.
• Investigating threats or vulnerabilities? Cybersecurity is likely the better fit.
• Managing security risks or responding to incidents? Cybersecurity is likely the better fit. 

Is cybersecurity harder than computer science? Difficulty is subjective and depends on your strengths. Computer science tends to demand more abstract mathematical and theoretical reasoning, while cybersecurity demands constant vigilance and up-to-date knowledge of a fast-moving threat landscape. Neither is inherently easier, and your background will affect which one feels more natural to you.

Which degree offers more job opportunities? Both fields build skills that employers want across nearly every industry, and the right answer depends more on the type of work you want to do than on which path has a larger number of job openings.

Graduate Degree Options and Career Advancement

Earning these bachelor’s degrees can open the door to master’s degrees and further career advancement. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree or you’re currently working in IT or security and want to move up in your field, graduate study can build on your current skills and prepare you for higher-level technology roles. Depending on your direction, that might mean a master’s degree in cybersecurity and information assurance, a master’s degree in computer science, or, for those more interested in leadership and information technology management than hands-on technical work, an information technology master’s program.

The roles below are examples of the kind of advanced technology and security positions graduates often move into, not guaranteed outcomes of any specific program:

• Cybersecurity engineer
• Security architect
• Cybersecurity manager (information security manager)
• Application security engineer
• Network security engineer
• Vulnerability research engineer
• Chief information officer
• Chief information security officer
• Product manager

Explore Cybersecurity and Computer Science Degrees at WGU

Explore WGU’s bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and information assurance and bachelor’s degree in computer science to compare the programs side by side and choose the path that best fits your interests and career goals.