Two-year online college ‘Campus’ now offers cybersecurity track

Two-year online college Campus on July 9 launched a cybersecurity concentration that offers an associate degree that aims to prepare students for careers in cybersecurity.

Campus bills itself as the first college created in the AI era that’s geared to meet the needs of today’s students, many of whom have been frustrated by the slow pace and high costs of conventional colleges.

Tuition for the two-year college, that includes backing from the likes of Open AI’s Sam Altman and former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, costs $19,520. That’s on the high end of the national average of between $10,000 and $20,000 for a two-year degree.  

The cyber program promises to prepare students to work in IT support and security operations or transfer to one of the roughly 30 four-year colleges Campus partners with. Students will take a dedicated “AI in Cybersecurity” course that covers how AI has been reshaping threat detection, security operations, and incident response.

"In cybersecurity, AI means that the threats are getting smarter and the demand for people who can meet them is growing,” said Tade Oyerine, founder and chancellor of Campus. “This program is about giving young people a real on-ramp to a field that's critically important and urgently needs AI-native talent.”

According to the 2025 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, 95% of cybersecurity teams report at least one skills gap with professionals and cite skills deficits, not just headcount, as one of their most pressing challenges as AI rapidly reshapes both the nature of attacks and the expertise required to defend against them. It's also important to note that in the United States alone, there are now 4.8 million unfilled cyber positions, so the need for people with these skills is real.

Kevin Surace, chief executive officer at TokenCore, said affordable, career focused programs like Campus are essential because cybersecurity cannot solve its workforce problem by relying only on four-year degrees and experienced hires. The industry need practical pathways that move motivated students into real security roles quickly, especially as AI changes both the attacker and defender playbooks.

“Community colleges are often closer to employers, more accessible to students, and more focused on job-ready skills,” said Surace. “A graduate with hands on experience, certifications, and real exposure to identity, cloud security, phishing, incident response, and AI tools can be valuable on Day 1.”

Surace added that the industry should just stop talking about the talent shortage and help build the pipeline: that means internships, advisory boards, donated security tools, guest instructors, certification vouchers, lab environments, and clear hiring pathways for graduates.

“AI should be part of entry-level cybersecurity training because attackers are already using it for phishing, reconnaissance, social engineering, and faster exploitation,” said Surace. “Students need to understand how AI helps defenders move faster, but also how it makes attacks more convincing, more automated, and more scalable.”

Sumedh Thakar, president and CEO Qualys, said the future belongs to those who can deploy AI responsibly, minimize risk, and navigate the changing regulatory environment.

“We need professionals who understand how AI models behave in production environments, especially under adversarial conditions,” said Thakar. “You can't learn that from tutorials. However, dips in hiring at the junior level due to automation can result in fewer technologists reaching that long tenure. But as AI technology matures and improves, it will soon achieve complex tasks such that tenure alone will matter less. The human-in-loop approach to AI is here to stay, and that will separate those with the expertise to guide, shape, and govern AI from those who will be replaced by it.”

Margaret Cunningham, vice president of security and AI strategy at Darktrace, added that the cybersecurity workforce shortage creates opportunity, but today's students are understandably skeptical of educational promises: they've seen too many examples across industries where the cost of education outpaced the value received.

“It's encouraging to see more affordable and accelerated cybersecurity programs emerge, especially as AI reshapes both the threat landscape and the skills employers need,” said Cunningham. “However, the long-term success of these programs won't be measured by how many students enroll or graduate. It will be measured by placement rates, career progression, and whether graduates can continue adapting in a field that changes almost continuously.”

Cunningham pointed out that AI has changed the nature of entry-level cybersecurity work: many of the repetitive tasks that once served as a traditional on-ramp into the profession are increasingly being automated or augmented. As a result, Cunningham said employers are looking for candidates who can work effectively alongside AI, apply critical thinking, and understand when human judgment is needed to validate or challenge automated outputs.

“In evolving disciplines like cybersecurity and AI, education can no longer be viewed as a one-time credential,” said Cunningham. “The strongest programs will be those that equip students with foundational technical skills, practical experience, and the ability to continuously learn as technology evolves. Ultimately, the cybersecurity industry needs more pathways into the profession, not fewer. The real test will be whether these programs consistently translate affordability and accessibility into workforce readiness and successful career outcomes.”