Five routes into cyber security compared

Posted on November 11, 2026 12:59 pm

There’s no single right way into cyber security. The best route truly depends on personal circumstances, how much time you have, whether you can afford to stop earning and how much structure you need. So we’ve put together an honest comparison of five routes, including the ones we don’t offer.

The five routes at a glance

Route	Typical time	Cost to you	Best for
University degree	About 3 years full time	Fees up to £9,790 a year in England (2026/27)	School leavers and people who can study full time
Apprenticeship	Level 3: typically 18 months	No tuition fees, and you’re paid	People who can find an employer to take them on
Self-study	Open-ended	Low, but exam fees are extra	Highly self-motivated people on a tight budget
Career programme or bootcamp	Months rather than years	Self-funded, and prices vary	Career changers who want structure alongside work
Moving across from IT support	Varies	No tuition cost	People already in, or able to get, an IT support role

1. University degree

For years, this has been the standard route. A degree gives you a broad grounding and is widely recognised. Prospects notes that relevant undergraduate and Masters degrees include courses certified by the NCSC.

The thing to consider here to the trade-off is time and cost. In England, tuition fees are capped at up to £9,790 a year in 2026/27, rising to £10,050 in 2027/28.

You might be asking do I need a degree?

Adverts often ask: 77% of core cyber job postings in 2025 listed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent. But in practice, 65% of cyber businesses that had vacancies since January 2024 hired through non-degree routes, according to the government’s latest labour market report.

2. Apprenticeship

An apprenticeship lets you earn while you learn, with no tuition fees.

The Level 3 Cyber security technician apprenticeship is equivalent to an A level and typically takes 18 months to complete.. Its job titles include Junior SOC Analyst, Junior Security Analyst and Junior Penetration Tester.

Additionally, there are higher levels too. The National Careers Service lists Level 4 apprenticeships such as Cyber Security Technologist, and a Level 6 degree apprenticeship, Cyber Security Technical Professional.

The difficult part about this route is that you need an employer to take you on, and places are competitive. However, you can search for vacancies on the government’s ‘Find an apprenticeship service’.

3. Self-study

Self-study is the cheapest way to start your journey into the industry. We would recommend looking at the following:

a). NCSC- for free guidance
b). TryHackMe – for free beginners content
c). Cisco Networking Academy – for free beginners content

The downside to this route is that it lacks structure, proof and accountability. There’s no one to keep you on track, it’s easy to delay, and you’ll have to pay for certification exams separately. As employers will still want to see recognised certifications and evidence of hands-on work.

4. Career programme or bootcamp

A career programme gives you structure, support and certifications in months rather than years, usually part time around work. Quality varies a lot, so it’s important to reach and check what you’re paying for:

Which certifications are included, and are the exam vouchers part of the price?
Will you practise real tools in live labs?
Is there career support, such as a CV rebuild and interview preparation?
If there’s a guarantee, what are the conditions?
What’s the total cost, including any finance?

As an example, our Cyber Security Career Programme costs £2,995 and includes four certifications with exam vouchers: Microsoft Azure Fundamentals, CompTIA Security+ V8, CompTIA CySA+ V4 and Forescout FSCA.

Learners build 10 portfolio projects on real tools and finish with five days of work experience. You can pay upfront or spread the cost over up to 60 months, subject to finance agreement.

5. Moving across from IT support

Many security professionals start on the service desk. The National Careers Service puts IT support technician salary at £24,000 for a starter, rising to £36,000 with experience, and lists IT security co-ordinator as a role you can move into with further training.

You earn throughout and pay no tuition, and troubleshooting, logging tickets and handling frustrated users all build useful skills. The downside is pace: it’s usually slower, and it all depends on whether your employer has security roles to move into.

Whichever route you choose

There are two key factors to keep in mind here: recognised certifications and hands-on proof that you can do the work. Entry-level roles are a small share of the market. Only 16% of core cyber job postings in 2025 were open to people with less than a year’s experience, so arriving with evidence matters.

To choose, ask yourself three questions:
a). How many hours a week can you give to learning?
b). Can you afford to stop earning?
c). Do you need structure and support to keep going?

Next step:
Download our free Beginner’s Guide to a Career in Cyber Security, or book a free 15-minute chat with a career advisor to talk through which route suits you.