Security Policy and Strategy Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Security Policy and Strategy maps to BLS occupations averaging about $63,410, with roughly 251,940 workers nationwide in those roles. Median program completion runs near 66%; median in-state published tuition is about $9,024.
Key Statistics
Security Policy and Strategy: what the data shows
Common questions about security policy and strategy degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a security policy and strategy degree?
A Security Policy and Strategy program is classified under NCES CIP 00.2806 in the 00.0028 field family (00.28).
Types of security policy and strategy degrees and related programs
Other NCES program codes in the 00.28 family with pages on EDsmart Data:
- Air Force ROTC, Air Science and Operations (CIP 00.2801)
- Army ROTC, Military Science and Operations (CIP 00.2803)
- Military Science and Operational Studies (CIP 00.2805)
What do you learn in security policy and strategy?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Active Listening, Monitoring, Speaking, Coordination, Critical Thinking, Social Perceptiveness, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Security Guards (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%).
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a security policy and strategy degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Security Policy and Strategy to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Security Guards | 1,241,770 | $38,370 |
| Information Security Analysts | 179,430 | $124,910 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | 81,510 | $59,300 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | 46,340 | $63,360 |
| Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | 229,070 | $48,450 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a security policy and strategy degree worth it?
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $9,024 and median net price is $17,502.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Security Policy and Strategy and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$9,024 Median In-State Public
$20,621 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Security Policy and Strategy majors are, on average, $9,024 for in-state public colleges, and $20,621 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Security Policy and Strategy programs.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
N/A Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Security Policy and Strategy from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Security Policy and Strategy.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | 38,976 |
| 2 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | 13,407 |
| 3 | Excelsior University | NY | 12,701 |
| 4 | University of Charleston | WV | 2,083 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Security Policy and Strategy programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | $8,400 |
| 2 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $9,024 |
| 3 | University of Charleston | WV | $32,842 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Security Policy and Strategy programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | American Public University System | WV | $9,104 |
| 2 | Missouri State University-Springfield | MO | $17,502 |
| 3 | University of Charleston | WV | $22,012 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Security Policy and Strategy programs.
Graduation Rates
65.78% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
64.82% Average Graduation Rate
114 Institutions Reporting
55.09% - 76.80% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Security Policy and Strategy programs across institutions.
Related specializations
Other NCES program codes in the 00.28 CIP family with dedicated pages on EDsmart Data.
- Air Force ROTC, Air Science and Operations CIP 00.2801
- Army ROTC, Military Science and Operations CIP 00.2803
- Military Science and Operational Studies CIP 00.2805
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $63,410. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Security Policy and Strategy graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Security Guards | $47,277 | 1,241,770 |
| Information Security Analysts | $156,788 | 179,430 |
| Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers | $73,613 | 81,510 |
| Transportation Security Screeners | $68,936 | 46,340 |
| Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks | $58,299 | 229,070 |
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $88,062 | 136,390 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$58,537 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Security Policy and Strategy majors is $58,537.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Security Policy and Strategy majors.
Occupations by Share
251,940 2023 Workforce
The number of Security Policy and Strategy graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Security Policy and Strategy by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Security Policy and Strategy in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Security Policy and Strategy.
Age distribution for Security Policy and Strategy degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Gender distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Gender distribution of Security Policy and Strategy degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Race and ethnicity distribution data is not available for this degree program.
Racial and ethnic distribution of Security Policy and Strategy degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Security Policy and Strategy are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Security Policy and Strategy.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Security Policy and Strategy field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Security Policy and Strategy majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Security Policy and Strategy majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Security Policy and Strategy majors.
About
Security Policy and Strategy
In 2023, N/A degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Security Policy and Strategy.
CIP Code
00.2806 - Security Policy and Strategy
What the data shows
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $63,410. The largest mapped role by headcount is Security Guards (1,241,770 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $9,024 in-state at public colleges and $20,621 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.