National Board For Certified Counselors

What National Board For Certified Counselors does

National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC) is a not-for-profit, independent certification organization founded in 1982 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, with approximately 150 employees working in-office and remotely. It is the largest national counseling certification organization in the world, conferring the premier National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential and three specialty certifications (Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor, National Certified School Counselor, and Master Addictions Counselor) to more than 71,000 certificants across 40+ countries. NBCC also develops and administers the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE), which are accepted by all 50 states and the District of Columbia for state licensure purposes, and runs the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) for graduate programs through its affiliate Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE).

The organization's underlying technology comprises a web-based Credentialing Gateway (my.nbcc.org) that manages certification applications, recertification, continuing education tracking, examination registration, and score verification; the Counselor Find public directory for locating certificants; the Counselor Verify tool for credential confirmation by employers and the public; digital badge issuance; and partnerships with Pearson VUE for in-center and remote-proctored exam delivery. Supporting infrastructure includes The Professional Counselor peer-reviewed open-access journal (recognized with APEX Awards for Publication Excellence) and the Policy, Advocacy & Research in Counseling (PARC) center. NBCC also operates a CACREP accreditation grant program ($9,000 per institution across three phases), the NBCC Foundation's scholarship and Minority Fellowship programs, and the Counseling Compact for multi-state licensure portability.

NBCC's revenue model is diversified across four streams: recurring certification and recertification fees for NCC and specialty credentials (five-year cycle), continuing education provider application and maintenance fees (e.g., $800–$1,200 per ACEP application plus annual maintenance), transaction-based examination administration fees for NCE and NCMHCE (with additional charges for site switches and retakes), and affiliate referral revenue from a CM&F Group professional liability insurance partnership. Customer segments span individual counselors (primary), counselor education programs and faculty, continuing education providers, employers of counselors (agencies, schools, government), and the general public seeking verified practitioners. Go-to-market relies on a self-service online portal, campus-based testing at participating universities, state licensure board relationships, government affairs advocacy, and direct member engagement through newsletters, conferences, and grassroots advocacy networks.

Name

National Board For Certified Counselors

Legal name

National Board for Certified Counselors, Inc.

Website

https://nbcc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NBCC is a not-for-profit certification organization founded in 1982 that credentials professional counselors worldwide. It administers the premier National Certified Counselor credential and nationally required licensure examinations, serving 71,000+ certificants across 40+ countries through certification fees, examination administration, and continuing education provider programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification and Credentialing Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• Professional counselor certification
• Credentialing services
• Licensure examinations
• Continuing education approval
• Mental health advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Greensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Certification Fees: NBCC charges application fees for NCC, NCSC, CCMHC, and MAC certifications. Annual maintenance fees support certification, government affairs, advocacy efforts, ethics reviews, The Professional Counselor journal, the NBCC Foundation, and international operations. Recertification fees apply every five years.
2. Continuing Education Provider Fees: Fees charged for ACEP applications (single delivery format $800, both formats $1,200), Single Program applications ($300 small, $500 large, with rush options up to $700), and annual ACEP maintenance fees. University counselor education departments receive a $0 application fee for initial ACEP applications.
3. Examination Administration: NBCC administers the National Counselor Examination (NCE) and National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) for certification and state licensure purposes. Additional fees apply for site switches ($25), retakes, and score verification requests.
4. Liability Insurance Referrals: NBCC has partnered with CM&F Group to offer counselors professional liability insurance, providing counselors access to discounted rates through the partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NBCC is a not-for-profit certification organization that grants the National Certified Counselor (NCC) credential and specialty certifications (CCMHC, NCSC, MAC) to professional counselors who meet national standards in education, examination, supervision, experience, and ethics. It administers the NCE and NCMHCE examinations used for both certification and state licensure across all 50 states and DC, and oversees an Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) program serving 71,000+ counselors in 40+ countries.

Product overview

NBCC is a not-for-profit certification organization offering a portfolio of credentials, examinations, and professional development services for the counseling profession. Core offerings include the National Certified Counselor (NCC) certification, specialty certifications (CCMHC, NCSC, MAC), and associated examinations (NCE, NCMHCE). The Credentialing Gateway provides an online portal for certification management. Supporting services include ACEP authorization for continuing education providers, The Professional Counselor peer-reviewed journal, the PARC research center, counselor search/verification directories, CACREP accreditation grants, and counseling compact portability services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Certified Counselor (NCC): Flagship professional counseling certification credential
• Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC)
• National Certified School Counselor (NCSC)
• Master Addictions Counselor (MAC)
• National Counselor Examination (NCE)
• National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE)
• Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP)

Products and services

• National Certified Counselor (NCC) Certification NBCC's flagship professional counseling credential affirming a counselor has met national standards through a qualifying master's/doctoral degree, examination passage, ethics adherence, and continuing education.
• Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor (CCMHC) Certification Specialty certification demonstrating advanced clinical mental health counseling competencies beyond the NCC.
• National Certified School Counselor (NCSC) Certification Specialty certification for school counseling practice, demonstrating expertise in K-12 educational settings.
• Master Addictions Counselor (MAC) Certification Specialty certification for counselors specializing in substance use and addiction counseling.
• National Counselor Examination (NCE) A national examination required for counselor certification, also used by many states for licensure purposes.
• National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) A clinical examination for national certification in mental health counseling, accepted by some states for licensure.
• Credentialing Gateway Online portal for managing certification applications, continuing education tracking, fee payments, exam registration, and score verification for counselors.
• NBCC Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP) Authorization for organizations to offer NBCC credit for continuing education programs in live and/or home study formats.
• The Professional Counselor Journal Official NBCC peer-reviewed journal publishing research and scholarship in counseling, available open-access electronically.
• Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE) Exit examination for counselor preparation programs published by CCE (NBCC affiliate), consisting of 160 items across eight CACREP areas.
• CACREP Accreditation Grant Program Grant funding supporting institutions seeking initial CACREP accreditation for counseling programs ($9,000 total per institution across three phases).
• NBCC Foundation Scholarships Scholarship opportunities administered by NBCC Foundation supporting counseling students and professionals.
• Counseling Compact Services Services supporting counselor licensure portability across state lines through interstate compact agreements.
• Policy, Advocacy, & Research in Counseling (PARC) Center Center bringing together counselors, educators, and researchers to advance informed policy and advocacy efforts in counseling.

Quantifiable outcome

• 71,000+ National Certified Counselors in 40+ countries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CM&F GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBCC partnered with CM&F Group to offer professional liability (malpractice) insurance to counselors, supervisors, and students at discounted rates. This partnership ensures that NCCs and counseling professionals are adequately protected, allowing them to focus on serving clients and advancing mental health. The occurrence-based insurance is available as an NBCC member benefit.
• Center for Credentialing & Education (CCE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCE is an NBCC affiliate organization that administers NBCC examinations (NCE, NCMHCE), publishes the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE), and manages assessment and credentialing services. CCE also publishes the ACEP Quarterly bulletin and manages special examination accommodations.
• NBCC Foundation (NBCCF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBCCF is an NBCC affiliate dedicated to supporting the counseling profession through scholarships, grants, the Minority Fellowship Program, the Bridging the Gap Symposium and Virtual Summit, webinars, and career development initiatives. NBCC Foundation hosts the annual Mental Health Connections Conference.
• European Board for Certified Counselors (EBCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBCC is an NBCC affiliate focused on advancing counseling certification and professional standards in Europe, supporting NBCC's global expansion of counseling credentialing beyond the United States.
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling & Related Educational Programs (CACREP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBCC offers a grant program for institutionally accredited institutions seeking first-time CACREP accreditation for master's-level counseling programs. Funds are awarded in three phases totaling $9,000 per institution. NBCC also recognizes CACREP-accredited programs for abbreviated postgraduate experience requirements and participates in CACREP board leadership.
• Mental Health Academy (MHA)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMental Health Academy (MHA) partners with NBCC Foundation to present the annual Bridging the Gap Virtual Summit, an online conference where counselors can earn up to 10 NBCC continuing education credit hours. Proceeds benefit the NBCC Foundation.
• Pearson VUEcoreTechnology or IntegrationNBCC examinations (NCE and NCMHCE) are administered through Pearson VUE test centers across the United States. Pearson VUE also provides OnVUE remote proctoring for examinees who prefer or need to take exams remotely.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC): Independent nonprofit credentialing body for rehabilitation counselors; runs national certification examinations, recertification cycles, and ethics enforcement paralleling NBCC's model for professional counselors.
• American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP): Certifies psychologists through board certification and Continuing Education oversight; directly comparable counselor-adjacent behavioral health credentialing organization with similar exam-based governance.
• Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB): Independent nonprofit that certifies behavior analysts with multi-tier credentials, recertification, and CE requirements; comparable domain-adjacent behavioral health certification body of similar scale and structure.
• Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Develops and administers clinical and bachelor's-level licensure examinations used by US state boards for social workers; closely comparable exam-development-for-state-licensure business model.
• National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC): Independent nonprofit credentialing body for respiratory therapists using exam-based certification and recurring recertification; structurally similar to NBCC in mission, scale, and revenue model.
• International Coach Federation (ICF): Global credentialing organization for professional coaches offering tiered credentials, continuing education oversight, and a public directory - structurally aligned with NBCC's multi-credential, CE-provider ecosystem model.
• National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists (NBCRNA): Independent credentialing body for nurse anesthetists with similar rigorous examination plus recertification model; comparable nonprofit structure and continuing education requirements.
• Board of Certification for the Athletic Trainer (BOC): Independent national certifier for athletic trainers offering exam-based entry-level and continuing certification; operates a similar mission-driven credentialing nonprofit of comparable scope.

Broad incumbents

• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC): Large healthcare-focused credentialing organization offering specialty certifications and Magnet recognition; same credentialing and CE business as NBCC, but with significantly broader scope across the nursing profession.
• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA): Major healthcare professional association that awards the CCC credential and oversees continuing education for speech-language pathologists and audiologists; comparable structure at much larger membership scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Board For Certified Counselors