Best Cybersecurity Degree Programs in Bellingham, Washington — 2026 Rankings

Bellingham is home to a growing cybersecurity education ecosystem with 2 accredited programs across 1 associate's, 1 master's degree levels within 50 miles. 2 of these institutions are physically located in Bellingham, with the remaining schools accessible via short commutes from surrounding communities in the Bellingham metro area.

1 school near Bellingham holds NSA Center of Academic Excellence (CAE) designation: Whatcom Community College. The CAE program, jointly sponsored by the NSA and DHS, certifies schools whose cybersecurity curricula meet rigorous federal standards aligned with the NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework. Students at CAE-designated schools may qualify for the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program, which covers full tuition plus a $25,000-$34,000 annual stipend in exchange for government service after graduation.

The Bellingham metro area cybersecurity job market is substantial, with an estimated 180 open positions and a median salary of $142,920 for information security analysts (BLS OEWS May 2024). The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +33% job growth for cybersecurity roles through 2033, making it one of the fastest-growing occupations in the U.S. economy. For students in Bellingham, this translates to strong local hiring prospects upon graduation.

Among the top-ranked programs, Western Washington University tops the master's programs. See our complete rankings below for detailed program comparisons across all degree levels.

Cybersecurity professionals in the Bellingham metro area earn a median salary of $142,920, which is 14% above the national median of $124,910 (BLS OEWS May 2024, SOC 15-1212: Information Security Analysts). This positions Bellingham as one of the highest-paying metro areas for cybersecurity talent in the country.

Entry-level security analysts in Bellingham can expect starting salaries around $125,770, making cybersecurity one of the highest-paying entry points in the tech sector. With 2-5 years of experience, penetration testers — who simulate cyberattacks to identify vulnerabilities — earn approximately $135,774. Senior technical roles like security engineers command $154,354, while security architects who design enterprise defense systems earn up to $174,362.

At the management level, cybersecurity managers and CISOs in the Bellingham metro area can earn $207,234 or more — a 65% premium over entry-level positions. This career trajectory from analyst to manager typically spans 8-12 years, with certifications like CISSP (82,494 openings nationally), CompTIA Security+ (70,019 openings), and CISA (52,337 openings) significantly accelerating advancement and salary growth.

Security clearances provide an additional salary boost of approximately $25,000 per year. Professionals with Top Secret/SCI clearances can earn between $104,000 and $185,000 nationally, making this a particularly lucrative path for graduates near Bellingham. For a deeper dive into cybersecurity compensation trends, see our Cybersecurity Analyst Salary Guide. You can also explore related fields like Information Security and Network Administration for adjacent career paths.

The Bellingham cybersecurity job market spans 3 major sectors, with employers actively recruiting for roles ranging from entry-level SOC analysts to senior security architects. Here are the key employers driving cybersecurity hiring locally:

Government

Western Washington University — Campus IT security and research operations serving the Bellingham region.

Bellingham Technical College — IT security programs and campus infrastructure protection.

Technology

Amazon — Regional operations and logistics network security presence in northern Washington.

Healthcare

Providence Health — Local healthcare cybersecurity operations protecting patient information systems.

These employers represent a cross-section of the Bellingham metro area area's cybersecurity hiring market. Many maintain partnerships with local universities for internships, co-ops, and direct hiring pipelines — making a degree from a Bellingham-area school particularly valuable for breaking into the field.

Cyber threats are not abstract risks for Bellingham — they have directly impacted local organizations, underscoring the urgent need for trained cybersecurity professionals in the Bellingham metro area:

Washington State Education System (2023) — phishing. Targeted credential harvesting attacks affecting multiple K-12 and higher education institutions statewide.

Western Washington University (2022) — data breach. Student and employee records exposed through vulnerable web application affecting campus community.

These incidents represent just a fraction of the cyber threats facing Bellingham-area organizations. According to CyberSeek data, the Bellingham metro area has an estimated 180 open cybersecurity positions, and the nationwide supply-to-demand ratio stands at just 74% — meaning roughly one in four cybersecurity roles goes unfilled. For students considering a cybersecurity degree, these real-world incidents demonstrate that the skills learned in programs near Bellingham directly translate to preventing and responding to threats that affect their own community.

The cybersecurity job market in the Bellingham metro area reflects a broader national talent crisis. Washington has approximately 12,500 open cybersecurity positions (CyberSeek, January 2026), with an estimated 180 concentrated in the Bellingham metro area. Nationally, there are 514,359 unfilled cybersecurity roles across the United States, and the workforce gap continues to widen — the global shortfall reached 4.8 million positions in 2024, a 41% increase since 2022.

The supply-to-demand ratio for cybersecurity talent nationally is approximately 74% — meaning for every 100 cybersecurity jobs posted, only about 74 qualified candidates are available. This ratio has been declining steadily (from 116% in 2020 to 74% in 2025), which means cybersecurity graduates face increasingly favorable job prospects. For Bellingham students specifically, this translates to strong local hiring demand and competitive starting salaries.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects +33% growth in information security analyst employment through 2033, compared to just 4% for all occupations. This makes cybersecurity the 6th fastest-growing occupation in the United States. Within Washington, the combination of growing digital transformation across industries is driving sustained demand for cybersecurity talent.

Most in-demand certifications that complement a cybersecurity degree from Bellingham schools include CISSP (82,494 job postings nationally), CompTIA Security+ (70,019 postings), and CISA (52,337 postings). Many of the top-ranked programs near Bellingham integrate certification preparation into their curricula, giving graduates a competitive edge in this seller's market. For statewide job market trends and additional programs, see our Washington Cybersecurity Rankings.

Cybersecurity degree programs near Bellingham range from $3,633/year at Whatcom Community College to $7,997/year at Western Washington University.

Return on investment is compelling: with a median cybersecurity salary of $142,920 in the Bellingham area versus a high school diploma median of $42,000 (BLS 2024), a four-year bachelor's degree at a typical tuition rate (approximately $23,260 total) can be recouped in roughly 0.2 years of the annual salary premium. Community college cybersecurity programs offer an even faster path — a two-year associate's degree for as little as $7,266 provides foundational credentials for entry-level SOC analyst or IT security roles paying $107,190+.

Ways to reduce costs: Federal financial aid (FAFSA), Washington state grants, institutional scholarships, and cybersecurity-specific funding like the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service program (full tuition + $25,000-$34,000 annual stipend). Many employers in the Bellingham area also offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing cybersecurity degrees — check with local employers listed in our employer section above.

Last Updated: February 18, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2023 institutional data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024 release. Job market data from CyberSeek (January 2026). NSA CAE designations verified as of February 2026.