National Cybersecurity Institute

Higher Education Cybersecuritynationalcybersecurityinstitute.org

The National Cybersecurity Institute is an academic and workforce development center within Excelsior University offering NSA/DHS-designated BS and MS Cybersecurity programs, cybersecurity competitions, a peer-reviewed journal, and career fairs serving government, military, industry, and academic sectors.

Company typePrivate
Founded1971
HeadquartersAlbany, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What National Cybersecurity Institute does

The National Cybersecurity Institute (NCI) is an academic, training, and research center operating as a unit within Excelsior University (formerly Excelsior College, rebranded 2022), headquartered at 7 Columbia Circle, Albany, NY. NCI delivers NSA/DHS-designated BS and MS degree programs in Cybersecurity (CAE-CD designation held by the BS program) and runs adjunct activities including the biannual National Cyber League competition program, a peer-reviewed National Cybersecurity Institute Journal, CAE Tech Talks and Forums, and an annual National Cybersecurity Virtual Career Fair co-hosted with the NCyTE Center. NCI serves four primary vertical segments — government, industry, military, and academia — and explicitly targets workforce development, diversity, and clearance pathways for the cybersecurity talent gap.

NCI generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees collected at the university level for its BS and MS programs (specific NCI-level pricing is not separately disclosed). Go-to-market is hybrid: event-driven (competitions, career fairs, webinars) layered with community-led engagement (National Cybersecurity Student Association chapter, CAE Community participation, industry and government partnerships). Key distribution assets include Excelsior's established online learning platform (enabling fully online MS delivery), hybrid in-person components for the BS program, transfer credit and prior learning assessment mechanisms, and a secondary educational site in St. Petersburg, FL.

NCI does not operate as an independent commercial entity; it is wholly owned by Excelsior University, a private non-profit founded in 1971, and lacks standalone funding rounds, subsidiaries, or M&A activity. Operational scale signals include 51-100 employees, 4,000+ organizations served across sectors, 1,100+ students/alumni in the 2023 career fair, and 400+ CAE institutions in the broader ecosystem NCI operates within. No revenue, headcount trend, or independent financial figures are disclosed for NCI.

National Cybersecurity Institute firmographics

Firmographics

Name: National Cybersecurity Institute
Legal name: National Cybersecurity Institute
Website: https://nationalcybersecurityinstitute.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1971
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: The National Cybersecurity Institute is an academic and workforce development center within Excelsior University offering NSA/DHS-designated BS and MS Cybersecurity programs, cybersecurity competitions, a peer-reviewed journal, and career fairs serving government, military, industry, and academic sectors.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

National Cybersecurity Institute industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education Cybersecurity
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Computer Training (61142), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro primary industry: Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB)
akta.pro secondary industries: Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications (EDAAANAA), Cybersecurity Technical Skills (Security Engineering, SOC, Pen Testing) (EDABAFAF), Cyber Defense & Information Security (National Security) (BPAIAHAE), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH)

Keywords

Cybersecurity education
Workforce development
Cyber defense degrees
Academic training programs
Professional certification training

Where National Cybersecurity Institute is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Albany
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

National Cybersecurity Institute business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: As an academic unit of Excelsior University, NCI generates revenue through student tuition and fees for its BS in Cybersecurity and MS in Cybersecurity degree programs. Excelsior is a regionally accredited institution founded in 1971 offering online and hybrid learning options.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	BS in Cybersecurity - Undergraduate tuition rates
Subscription	Annual	MS in Cybersecurity - Graduate tuition rates

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

National Cybersecurity Institute product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The National Cybersecurity Institute (NCI) provides accredited cybersecurity higher education through BS and MS degree programs aligned with NSA/DHS Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) standards. It supplements degree programs with workforce development resources including a peer-reviewed journal, biannual cyber competitions, CAE Tech Talks, and a virtual career fair connecting students with employers from over 400 CAE-designated institutions.

Product overview

The National Cybersecurity Institute (NCI) at Excelsior University is an academic and workforce development center offering cybersecurity education programs, professional development, and community engagement. The core portfolio consists of two degree programs (BS and MS in Cybersecurity), a peer-reviewed journal focused on cybersecurity education and workforce development, and a student association chapter that provides competitive opportunities through the National Cyber League. NCI collaborates with public and private industry to build a diverse cybersecurity workforce, targeting sectors including healthcare, finance, critical infrastructure, and national defense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity

Quantifiable outcome

Consistent Top 100 rankings in National Cyber League (2018-2021)
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use National Cybersecurity Institute

Customer profile

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

National Cybersecurity Institute technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

National Cybersecurity Institute partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

(ISC)²coreStrategic or Co-development Partner(ISC)² is offering free Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) online self-paced training and exams through NCI as part of its One Million Certified in Cybersecurity initiative. Participants receive free exam access and course materials covering security concepts tested in the certification exam.
National Cybersecurity Training and Education (NCyTE) CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCyTE Center co-hosts the annual National Cybersecurity Virtual Career Fair with CAE institutions, including NCI. The 2024 event is the eighth annual fair, connecting employers from industry, government, and academia with cyber talent from over 400 CAE-designated institutions.
Centers of Academic Excellence (CAE) in Cybersecurity CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCI participates in the CAE Community administered by caecommunity.org. This ecosystem includes institutions designated as CAE-R (Research), CAE-CD (Cyber Defense), and CAE-CO (Cyber Operations), providing shared resources, CAE Tech Talks, forums, and collaborative events.
National Cyber League (NCL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCI participates in the National Cyber League, a biannual cybersecurity competition for high school and college students. Excelsior has participated since 2017 and consistently ranked in the Top 100. Students can practice real-world cybersecurity skills through challenges.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

National Cybersecurity Institute competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

SANS Institute: SANS Institute is the leading global provider of cybersecurity training, certifications (GIAC), and degree pathways. It is the dominant private-sector competitor in cybersecurity technical skills training, serving government, military, and industry professionals with similar audiences to NCI.

Direct peers

EC-Council: EC-Council offers cybersecurity certifications (CEH, ECSA) and academic partnerships, including university-affiliated programs. It competes directly with NCI in preparing students for industry-recognized credentials and cybersecurity careers.
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC): UMGC is a public university with a NSA/DHS CAE-CD designation offering online BS and MS in Cybersecurity programs, plus a strong military and federal workforce focus. It is one of the most direct comparables to NCI given its online delivery, federal alignment, and military student base.
Western Governors University: WGU is a nonprofit online university offering BS and MS in Cybersecurity and IT programs at scale, with competency-based pricing. It competes with Excelsior/NCI for adult, military, and career-switching learners seeking affordable cybersecurity credentials.
Norwich University: Norwich University is a private military college designated as a NSA/DHS National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. It competes with NCI in cybersecurity degree programs and has a similar focus on military-affiliated students and government career pathways.
Champlain College Online: Champlain College is a NSA/DHS CAE-CD designated institution offering online BS and MS in Cybersecurity programs. It is a direct competitor in serving adult online learners seeking accredited cybersecurity degrees with similar NSA-aligned curriculum.
Dakota State University: Dakota State University is a NSA/DHS CAE-CD and CAE-R designated public university offering BS and MS in Cyber Operations and Cyber Defense. It competes with NCI for students seeking government-aligned cybersecurity degrees with strong technical depth.

Emerging players

(ISC)²: (ISC)² is a major cybersecurity certification body (CISSP, CC) and a partner of NCI through the One Million Certified in Cybersecurity initiative. While primarily a certification body rather than a degree provider, its CC certification and training offerings overlap with NCI's professional development offerings.
Cybrary: Cybrary is an online cybersecurity training platform offering courses, hands-on labs, and certification prep. It represents the lower-cost, asynchronous alternative to NCI's degree programs, particularly attractive to career-switchers and self-paced learners.

Others

National Cyber League: The National Cyber League is a biannual cybersecurity competition for high school and college students, in which NCI/Excelsior actively participates. While not a direct competitor, NCL is a critical ecosystem partner and a primary student engagement and recruitment channel for NCI.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

National Cybersecurity Institute compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

National Cybersecurity Institute financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

National Cybersecurity Institute leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

National Cybersecurity Institute funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

National Cybersecurity Institute M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about National Cybersecurity Institute

What does National Cybersecurity Institute do?

Is National Cybersecurity Institute a public or private company?

National Cybersecurity Institute is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was National Cybersecurity Institute founded?

National Cybersecurity Institute was founded in 1971. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is National Cybersecurity Institute based?

National Cybersecurity Institute is headquartered in Albany, United States, in the North America region.

How does National Cybersecurity Institute make money?

One revenue line is on record: tuition and Fees.

Who are National Cybersecurity Institute's main competitors?

SANS Institute is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are EC-Council, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), Western Governors University, Norwich University, Champlain College Online and Dakota State University. Emerging players are (ISC)² and Cybrary. National Cyber League is listed as an others.

Does National Cybersecurity Institute have an API?

No public API is recorded for National Cybersecurity Institute.

What industry is National Cybersecurity Institute in?

National Cybersecurity Institute's product category is Higher Education Cybersecurity. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAIAB, Cybersecurity (General), with a secondary code of EDAAANAA, Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.