by our College Data Analytics TeamCritical Infrastructure Protection was the 444th most popular major in the 2020-2021 school year. Colleges in the United States reported awarding 978 degrees in this year alone. This 28 less than the prior year, a decrease of 2.9%.
This year's Best Critical Infrastructure Protection Schools ranking compares 10 of them to identify the best overall programs in the country. Explore this or one of our many other custom critical infrastructure protection rankings further below.
One of the most important skills you will need for a career in critical infrastructure protection is talking to others to convey information effectively. Required skills include using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
A high school diploma or equivalent is typically required for most critical infrastructure protection degree programs and many students will need a minimum GPA and SAT/ACT score depending on the school. Once you obtain your degree, additional critical infrastructure protection certifications required to pursue a career in this field.
There are many different critical infrastructure protection degree levels. You can spend many years getting as high as a in critical infrastructure protection to something that takes less time like a . The time it takes to complete a critical infrastructure protection degree varies depending on the program.
| Degree | Credit Requirements | Typical Program Length |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Degree | 60-70 credits | 2 years |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 120 credits | 4 years |
| Master’s Degree | 50-70 credits | 1-3 years |
| Doctorate | Program required coursework including thesis or dissertation | At least 4 years |
A bachelor's degree is the most common level of education achieved by those in careers related to critical infrastructure protection, with approximately 53.1% of workers getting one. Find out other typical degree levels for critical infrastructure protection workers below.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 45.7% |
| High School Diploma | 14.1% |
| Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 12.4% |
| Master’s Degree | 10.5% |
| Some College Courses | 9.0% |
About 68.8% of workers in careers related to critical infrastructure protection obtain at least bachelor's degrees. View the chart below to get an idea of what degree level most of those in critical infrastructure protection careers have.
This of course varies depending on which critical infrastructure protection career you choose.
Want a job when you graduate with your critical infrastructure protection degree? Critical Infrastructure Protection careers are expected to grow 7.9% between 2016 and 2026.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to critical infrastructure protection.
| Occupation Name | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Managers | 1,071,700 | 8.0% |
| Police and Detective Supervisors | 111,600 | 6.6% |
| Emergency Management Directors | 10,900 | 7.9% |
As you might expect, salaries for critical infrastructure protection graduates vary depending on the level of education that was acquired.
Salaries for critical infrastructure protection graduates can vary widely by the occupation you choose as well. The following table shows the top highest paying careers critical infrastructure protection grads often go into.
| Occupation Name | Median Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Managers | $115,590 |
| Police and Detective Supervisors | $93,100 |
| Emergency Management Directors | $82,570 |
With over 45 different critical infrastructure protection degree programs to choose from, finding the best fit for you can be a challenge. Fortunately you have come to the right place. We have analyzed all of these schools to come up with hundreds of unbiased critical infrastructure protection school rankings to help you with this.
Critical Infrastructure Protection is one of 4 different types of Homeland Security programs to choose from.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Homeland Security | 3,012 |
| Crisis/Emergency/Disaster Management | 2,709 |
| Other Homeland Security | 228 |
| Terrorism & Counterterrorism Operations | 213 |
View All Critical Infrastructure Protection Related Majors >
