Name

National Society for Histotechnology

Legal name

National Society for Histotechnology, Inc.

Website

https://nsh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership and Continuing Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Anatomic Pathology (Histopathology & Cytopathology) (HLAFAMAA)

Keywords

• Professional membership organization
• Histology continuing education
• Medical laboratory certification
• Laboratory webinar series
• Histotechnology annual convention

Headquarters

HQ city

Ellicott City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: NSH generates primary revenue through annual membership dues at four tiers: Enhanced Education Membership at $139/year offering unlimited on-demand CE webinars plus all Core benefits; Core Education Membership at $80/year providing admission to community, resources, and publications; Student Membership at $40/year for those currently enrolled in school; and Retired Membership at $40/year. Membership starts immediately upon purchase and runs for 365 days.
2. Laboratory Webinar Program: NSH sells its Laboratory Webinar Series with a Full Series Subscription at $899 or Individual Webinars at $99 each. The series provides histology continuing education to laboratories with one registration price covering entire lab access to live sessions and recordings for one year.
3. Awards and Scholarships Sponsorships: NSH generates revenue through industry sponsorships for its annual Awards and Scholarship Program, with sponsors like Inova supporting initiatives such as the Peggy Wenk Histology Program Scholarship. Contributions are used to strengthen and expand histology education programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The National Society for Histotechnology is a nonprofit professional membership organization that sells tiered annual memberships, histology continuing education, an annual convention, a Laboratory Webinar Series, and the peer-reviewed Journal of Histotechnology to histotechnicians, histotechnologists, pathologists, and laboratory managers. Its core delivered services combine recurring subscriptions (Enhanced, Core, Student, and Retired memberships), accredited continuing education webinars approved by ASCP/PACE/CE Broker, in-person and virtual events, certification exam preparation, and a member community platform.

Product overview

The National Society for Histotechnology operates a platform-based membership organization with multiple service tiers. The core offering consists of tiered memberships (Enhanced Education at $139/yr, Core Education at $80/yr, and Student/Retired at $40/yr) that provide access to continuing education, professional resources, and community platforms. The primary digital product is the elearn.nsh.org learning management system, which hosts on-demand webinars, exam prep courses, and certificate programs. Supporting products include the Journal of Histotechnology peer-reviewed publication, Fixation on Histology blog, Under the Microscope newsletter, and the NSH CE Tracker for continuing education management. The organization also operates The Block community platform and NSHCollaborate topic-specific communities. Annual programming includes the Histotechnology Convention, Laboratory Webinar Series, and Histotechnology Professionals Day. Career services encompass a job board, salary surveys, and certification preparation resources for HT, HTL, QIHC, and QLS credentials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Block: NSH's virtual community platform for histology professionals to discuss topics, share experiences, and foster professional relationships.
• Fixation on Histology
• Journal of Histotechnology
• Under the Microscope
• elearn.nsh.org
• NSHCollaborate

Products and services

• Enhanced Education Membership Premium individual membership tier at $139/year offering unlimited access to over 70 on-demand ASCP/PACE/CE Broker-approved histology continuing education webinars, plus all Core Education benefits including early convention registration and complimentary live webinar invitations for individual histology professionals.
• Core Education Membership Entry-level individual membership at $80/year providing admission to the NSH community, access to The Block, free member-only resources, discounts on education through elearn.nsh.org, and reduced pricing on webinars and exam prep courses.
• Student and Retired Memberships Student Membership ($40/yr with current-semester transcript required) and Retired Membership ($40/yr) providing affordable access to networking, mentorship, exam-prep discounts, and $25 off all webinars for current students or retired histology professionals.
• eLearn.nsh.org On-Demand Learning Platform Self-service e-learning platform providing on-demand continuing education webinars, exam preparation courses, certificates of completion, quizzes and journal tests, and Florida licensure CEU courses for histology professionals.
• Exam Prep Courses and Histology Exam Simulator Self-paced exam preparation courses for ASCP Board of Certification HT, HTL, and QLS certifications, complemented by a Histology Exam Simulator and Image Bank for practice and assessment.
• Laboratory Webinar Program Annual series of 12 histology-focused webinars covering workplace discrimination, quality in histology, laboratory safety, RNAScope, digital pathology, spatial biology, EDTA molecular yield, IHC basics, stain games, H&E science, and urate preservation. Available as a Full Series Subscription ($899 covers entire lab access for one year) or Individual Sessions ($99 each).
• Journal of Histotechnology Peer-reviewed professional journal aimed at advancing understanding of complex biological systems and improving patient care through histotechniques, available in print and online to NSH members at no additional cost.
• Fixation on Histology Blog Blog featuring quick, easy-to-read articles on histology techniques, troubleshooting tips, staining methods, laboratory safety, immunohistochemistry, and molecular topics, published every other Friday as part of the NSH publications portfolio.
• Under the Microscope Weekly Newsletter Weekly e-news brief delivering the most relevant content in the histology field directly to subscribers' inboxes as part of the NSH publications portfolio.
• NSH CE Tracker Free tool for members to track histology continuing education hours, submit CEUs, and print CEU certificates for certification maintenance.
• NSH Career Center Jobs Board Job board and career resources platform for histology professionals with current histotechnician and histotechnologist listings, salary surveys, and career advancement guidance; free for job seekers, paid employer postings.
• NSHCollaborate Topic-Specific Communities Virtual communities bringing histology professionals together for topic-specific discussions across Contract Research Organization, Research Core Laboratory, Bone and Resin, Digital Pathology, Spatial Omics, and Mohs specialties, with free access for NSH members via The Block.
• The Block Community Platform NSH's virtual community platform for histology professionals featuring an open forum for questions, troubleshooting discussions, peer-to-peer networking, and host for NSHCollaborate topic-specific communities.
• Annual NSH Histotechnology Convention Annual convention offering histology-focused education, scientific poster showcase, networking, and the largest histology-focused exhibit hall in the United States, scheduled for September 25-29, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas.
• Histotechnology Professionals Day Annual Celebration Annual celebration on March 10 honoring histology professionals and raising awareness about the histology field, featuring the Art of the Stain image competition with international winners.
• NSH Awards and Scholarships Program Program honoring outstanding contributions to histotechnology including the Luminary Lifetime Achievement Award, President's Award, Histotechnologist of the Year, Excellence in Histology Laboratory Management, the Jules Elias Excellence in Immunohistochemistry, Journal of Histotechnology Editor of the Year, Excellence in Whole Slide Scanning and Image Analysis, Molecular Histotechnology Advancement Scholarship, professional scholarships, student scholarships, and Histotechnologist of the Decade recognition.
• Lena Spencer Scholarship Fund Scholarship program covering HT/HTL exam application fees up to $250, awarding three scholarships each quarter to current NSH members in support of certification achievement.
• NSH HistoQIP Quality Improvement Program Quality improvement program developed in partnership with the College of American Pathologists that provides laboratories with a standardized method to evaluate and improve the quality of their microscopic stains, serving thousands of labs worldwide.
• Histology Certification Preparation Resources Resources and preparation materials for ASCP Board of Certification exams including Histotechnician (HT), Histotechnologist (HTL), Qualification in Immunohistochemistry (QIHC), and Qualification in Laboratory Safety (QLS), supported by exam prep courses, the Histology Exam Simulator, and the Image Bank.
• Histology Training Program Structured histology training program offered by NSH for new entrants and laboratory staff pursuing competency in histotechnology techniques.
• Laboratory Management Certificate Program Certificate program delivered through NSH for histology laboratory supervisors and managers covering operational, quality, and leadership competencies.
• Digital Pathology Certificate Program Certificate program offered by NSH for histology professionals pursuing competency in whole-slide imaging, digital pathology workflows, and image analysis.

Quantifiable outcome

• Enhanced Education members save $2,981 compared to individual course pricing
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Biological Stain Commission (BSC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2026NSH and BSC announced a collaborative partnership bringing the BSC 45th Annual Meeting to the 2026 NSH Histotechnology Convention as an official companion meeting. The joint event will take place September 25-29, 2026, at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas. BSC attendees will have access to the NSH Scientific Poster Showcase and the largest histology-focused exhibit hall in the United States, creating a more integrated educational experience for histotechnologists, pathologists, and researchers.
• College of American Pathologists (CAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSH partnered with CAP to develop the NSH/CAP HistoQIP Program (Histology Quality Improvement Program) which provides laboratories with a standardized method to evaluate and improve the quality of their microscopic stains. This initiative, championed by former NSH President Lena Spencer, now serves thousands of labs worldwide.
• Medical and Public Health Laboratory Workforce CoalitionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNSH is a member of the Medical and Public Health Laboratory Workforce Coalition—a coalition of 23 national and regional laboratory, pathology, and other healthcare associations formed to work toward building a robust, more diverse medical laboratory workforce. Medical and public health laboratory professionals are critical to quality patient care.
• Henry B. González Convention CenterminorOthersThe joint NSH/BSC 2026 Convention will be held at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas from September 25-29, 2026.
• Anthem Blue Cross Blue ShieldminorOthersNSH sent a letter to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in November 2019 asking them to reconsider cuts to laboratory testing reimbursement rates. In January 2020, NSH and ASCP met with Anthem to further discuss concerns about detrimental cuts to laboratories and patients.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS): NAACLS accredits clinical laboratory and histotechnology education programs, including those NSH supports through scholarships (e.g., the Peggy Wenk Histology Program Scholarship at Inova). It is an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor for individual members.
• Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL): APHL represents governmental public health laboratories and supports laboratory workforce development — overlapping with NSH's workforce coalition advocacy. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct individual-membership competitor.

Direct peers

• American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP): ASCP is a primary professional society for clinical and anatomic pathology laboratory professionals and administers the Board of Certification (BOC) exams that NSH members prepare for. NSH and ASCP have jointly advocated on payer issues, making them closely allied but competing for the same member/CE audience.
• Biological Stain Commission (BSC): BSC sets standards for biological dyes used in histology and is integrating its 45th Annual Meeting into NSH's 2026 Convention. It is a niche peer organization addressing stain quality — the same subject matter that anchors NSH's HistoQIP program.
• American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science (ASCLS): ASCLS is a national professional society for clinical laboratory scientists with overlapping membership, CE programs, advocacy, and annual meetings. It addresses similar workforce-development and continuing-education needs as NSH but from a broader clinical-lab perspective.
• American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB): AAB is a professional association offering board certifications for clinical laboratory professionals, including histotechnicians and molecular diagnostics. It competes with NSH-aligned ASCP certifications as a credentialing pathway for the same member base.

Broad incumbents

• College of American Pathologists (CAP): CAP is a much larger established society for pathologists and is NSH's partner on the NSH/CAP HistoQIP Program. It also offers CE, accreditation programs (CAP inspections), and advocacy that overlap with NSH's histology focus, but it serves a broader pathologist membership base.

Emerging players

• American Society for Investigative Pathology (ASIP): ASIP is a research-oriented pathology society that publishes the Journal of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry. It overlaps with NSH's Journal of Histotechnology audience (academic/research histotechnologists) but focuses on investigator-pathologists rather than bench histotechnologists.
• Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA): CLMA serves laboratory managers and leaders with education, certification (CLMA's CMOLM body of knowledge), and networking — a slice of NSH's audience (e.g., NSH Excellence in Histology Laboratory Management awardees) but with a management-only focus.
• Digital Pathology Association: DPA is a focused community advancing digital pathology adoption through education, working groups, and an annual conference. Its mission overlaps with NSH's digital pathology webinar content and certificate programs, serving a subset of NSH's forward-looking members.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ns4histotech
• Facebookfacebook.com/NS4Histotech
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-society-for-histotechnology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Society for Histotechnology