Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s computer science program has been ranked seventh in the nation by Cybersecurity Guide in its 2026 Cybersecurity Guide.
IUP’s program is the only program at a Pennsylvania college or university selected for the ranking of “best computer science with cybersecurity emphasis” program.
Cybersecurity Guide is an international, independent resource for cybersecurity professionals written by a team of professional cybersecurity writers. The evaluators consider student-faculty ratio; graduation, retention, and admission rates; and cost.
This recognition follows IUP’s selection for inclusion in the 2025 Cybersecurity Guide at twenty-first in the nation.
The information for the rankings is based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics, specifically the Integrated Postsecondary Data System and College Navigator, along with tuition and credit information from each university’s website.
To be considered for the ranking, a university must offer a program in computer science with cybersecurity emphasis and be a Center for Academic Excellence in cybersecurity.
“We are very proud of this recent recognition, especially as it reflects the opinions of external experts in the field,” IUP Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences Chair Tim Flowers said. “We have an ongoing commitment to new and innovative teaching and learning, including hands-on, high-quality classroom and real-life experiences,” Flowers said.
“IUP is extremely fortunate to have an outstanding and growing alumni network of cybersecurity professionals throughout the region, state, and nation, who routinely offer networking and other career opportunities for our students and graduates,” he said.
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 the 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 and the Wall Street Journal and College Pulse’s “America’s Best Colleges.” IUP is also included in The Princeton Review’s 2026 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 national 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.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.