ITCA

What ITCA does

ITCA-FEPADE is a private technical and engineering educational institution headquartered in Santa Tecla, El Salvador, operating five campuses nationwide (Santa Tecla, La Union, San Miguel, Santa Ana, and Zacatecoluca) and employing between 251 and 500 staff. It delivers roughly two dozen multi-year degree programs spanning industrial, mechanical, electrical, and systems engineering, computer science, and software engineering, alongside an extensive short-course professional development catalog that has been offered continuously since 1992.

Its core offering is a tuition-based education platform combining accredited Salvadoran degrees, internationally recognized certifications through CISCO Networking Academy and Autodesk Authorized Training Center affiliations, and modular short courses priced between $25 and $528. The institution implements the MEGATEC educational model in formal partnership with the Ministry of Education (MINED) under El Salvador's National Education Plan 2021, and supplements its curriculum with international cooperation (Korean technical experts, IEEE academic congresses, Salesian Institution affiliation) and donor-funded scholarship programs such as ESSOC.

Revenue mechanics are split across (i) degree-program tuition from individual students, (ii) per-module professional development fees from working adults, and (iii) corporate or institutional upskilling engagements routed through the CISCO/Autodesk certification tracks. No revenue, funding-round, or management-team data is publicly disclosed, which constrains financial benchmarking.

Name

ITCA

Legal name

Escuela Especializada en Ingeniería ITCA-FEPADE

Website

https://itca.edu.sv

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ITCA-FEPADE is a private Salvadoran technical and engineering educational institution operating five campuses nationwide, offering degree programs, CISCO/Autodesk certifications, and short professional courses to students and working adults under the MEGATEC framework.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical and Engineering Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Computer Training (61142)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAEANAA

Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.)

Business & Public Services/IT & Digital Services (Managed Services, Systems Integration)/IT Training & Technical Enablement Services

SECONDARYEDANAIAF

Information Technology & Cybersecurity Certification Prep (CompTIA, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, ISC2/ISACA)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

SECONDARYEDAAANAA

Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

SECONDARYEDABAFAH

Systems Administration & IT Operations (Windows/Linux, Monitoring, ITSM)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Technical & IT Skills Training

Keywords

• Technical engineering education
• Vocational training programs
• Professional development courses
• CISCO certification academy
• Technical career diplomas

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Tecla, Santa Tecla

HQ country

El Salvador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technical Career Programs: Tuition-based technical and engineering degree programs at the undergraduate level, offered across multiple campuses in El Salvador with varying program durations of 2-3 years.
2. Professional Development Courses and Diplomas: Short-term professional courses and diploma programs offered since 1992 for workforce development. Fees range from $25 to $528 per course/module, with programs in areas including technology, languages, gastronomy, electrical, automotive, construction, and mechatronics.
3. CISCO Academy Certifications: International certification preparation programs including IT Essentials, CCNA, CCNP, and CCNA Security through the CISCO Networking Academy partnership.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ITCA-FEPADE is a specialized engineering school delivering technical and engineering higher-education degree programs and short-format professional development courses across five campuses in El Salvador. It offers degree programs in software development, mechatronics, electronics, civil engineering, logistics, hospitality, automotive, renewable energies, and gastronomy, alongside CISCO and Autodesk international certification preparation and dual-formation workplace training.

Product overview

ITCA-FEPADE (Escuela Especializada en Ingeniería) is a technical and engineering educational institution in El Salvador offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products organized under its core academic programs and professional development services. The institution operates through a platform model consisting of: (1) Technical and Engineering Degree Programs - approximately 25+ programs spanning software development, electronics, mechatronics, civil engineering, logistics, hospitality, automotive, and renewable energies; (2) MegaTEC Model - an articulated educational model connecting secondary vocational education with higher technical education across five regional campuses; (3) Professional Development Courses and Diplomas - short programs in IT technologies, mechatronics, electrical trades, gastronomy, languages, and construction; (4) Certification Academies - Cisco Networking Academy and Autodesk authorized training center providing international certification preparation. The institution's products serve students from five regional campuses (Santa Tecla, Santa Ana, San Miguel, La Unión, and Zacatecas) with both in-person and semi-presidential modalities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Técnico en Logística y Cadena de Suministro Technical program in logistics and supply chain management, forming professionals in planning, execution, control and optimization of integral logistics processes under efficiency, quality, and digital technology standards. Targets students seeking logistics careers.
• Ingeniería en Desarrollo de Software Engineering program in software development covering software development for various platforms (console, desktop, web, mobile, APIs), database administration, cloud resource management, AI implementation, and data analysis. Targets students seeking software engineering careers.
• Ingeniería Electrónica Engineering program in electronics covering new technology research, electronic project design, system monitoring standards, and electronic sector enterprise administration. Targets students seeking electronics engineering careers.
• Ingeniería Mecatrónica Full engineering program in mechatronics covering automated process maintenance planning, machinery design, CNC simulation, and automated production line supervision. Targets students seeking mechatronics engineering careers.
• Ingeniería en Logística y Aduanas Engineering program in logistics and customs covering supply chain management, import/export operations, transportation modes, and global logistics standards (CTPAT, BASC, PBIP). Targets students seeking logistics engineering careers.
• CISCO Networking Academy (Academia CISCO) Authorized CISCO Networking Academy providing IT Essentials, CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNP Routing and Switching, and CCNA Security certification courses with international recognition. CCNA courses priced at $75 per module. Targets students and IT professionals seeking international certifications.
• Autodesk Authorized Training Center Authorized Autodesk training center providing courses in AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, and 3D Max with official certification preparation. Courses priced at $75 per module. Targets students and professionals in architecture, engineering, and design fields.
• MEGATEC Educational Model Educational model (Modelo Educativo Gradual de Aprendizaje Técnico y Tecnológico) that articulates technical and technological education from middle school to higher education, connecting regional development poles with vocational training. Targets secondary technical students transitioning to higher education.
• Técnico en Hostelería y Turismo Technical program in hospitality and tourism covering hotel administration, event planning, tourism product development, and travel agency services. Targets students seeking hospitality careers.
• Tecnologías Informáticas - Cursos y Diplomados Professional development courses in IT including office productivity, web design, database management, mobile app development, and business intelligence. Courses priced $32-$75 per module. Targets working adults and IT professionals seeking upskilling.
• Mecatrónica, Electrónica e Industria 4.0 - Cursos y Diplomados Professional development courses in mechatronics, electronics, and Industry 4.0 including PLC programming, hydraulics, pneumatics, and IoT. PLC Networks priced at $150-$156; Industry 4.0 courses at $90. Targets working professionals seeking technical upskilling.
• Idiomas - Cursos y Diplomados Language courses including English, French, TOEIC/TOEFL preparation, and corporate English programs using CEFR methodology. English levels priced $25-$70; TOEIC preparation $50; French courses $35-$45. Targets working adults and corporate clients.
• Gastronomía - Cursos y Diplomados Professional development courses in gastronomy including cooking, pastry, baking, bartending with flexible schedules and professional instructors. Targets working adults and culinary enthusiasts.
• Eléctrica, Automotriz, Mecánica Industrial, Civil y Construcción - Cursos Professional development courses in electrical, automotive, industrial mechanics, civil construction including welding, air conditioning, and automotive mechanics. Automotive repair diplomas priced $110-$120; welding $125; electrical preparation $90-$135. Targets tradespeople and working professionals.
• Dual Formation (Formación Dual) Workplace-integrated learning model combining academic study at ITCA with practical training at partner companies. Targets students seeking hands-on industry experience as part of their degree programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students receive internationally recognized certifications through CISCO Networking Academy

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MINED (Ministerio de Educación de El Salvador)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership implementing the MEGATEC educational model under the National Education Plan 2021. The Ministry of Education authorizes and supports the technical education programs and scholarship initiatives including MINEDUCYT for students from limited resources.
• IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with IEEE for student engagement activities including technical events and professional development. ITCA hosts IEEE activities as part of its commitment to engineering education and community formation.
• CISCO Networking AcademycoreTechnology or IntegrationAuthorized CISCO Academy providing internationally recognized certifications including CCNA, CCNP, and IT Essentials. Faculty are certified instructors with access to CISCO curriculum and laboratory equipment.
• Cleveland Donors / ESSOC Scholarship ProgramminorOthersInternational donors from Cleveland, Ohio visit to observe the impact of the ESSOC scholarship program benefiting students with limited resources for technical education.
• Salesian Institution of El SalvadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPILET (Proyecto de Integración Lineal de Estudios Técnicos) program articulation initiative connecting technical secondary education with higher education at Don Bosco University.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• INCAE Business School: Top-tier Central American business school with campuses in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Comparable as a high-end private higher-education institution serving Central American professionals, though focused on management rather than technical engineering.

Emerging players

• EC-Council: Specialized cybersecurity training and certification body (CEH, etc.). Comparable in delivering internationally recognized IT/cybersecurity credentials through authorized training-partner networks — intersecting ITCA's CISCO Academy cybersecurity tracks.

Direct peers

• Universidad Don Bosco: Salesian technical/engineering university in El Salvador with whom ITCA operates the PILET articulation program. Comparable in mission (technical higher education), student segment, and Salvadoran market footprint, making it the closest domestic peer.
• New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: Global IT training provider offering vendor-authorized certification courses (Microsoft, Cisco, CompTIA). Comparable as a CISCO/IT-authorized certification academy serving working-adult learners for corporate upskilling.
• Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá: Panamanian public technical university focused on engineering, IT, and industrial technologies. Comparable in technical-engineering mission and Central American student demographic.
• UNITEC (Universidad Tecnológica Centroamericana): Honduran private university with a strong technical and engineering focus. Comparable in Central American private technical-education model and target audience of working-adult and career-focused learners.
• Universidad Galileo: Private Guatemalan university with strong technical, engineering, and IT programs. Comparable in private technical-education model, Central American market positioning, and emphasis on technology-enabled curricula.

Others

• Coursera: Global online learning platform partnering with universities to offer IT, engineering, and certification content. Increasingly competitive adjacent channel for Central American learners seeking low-cost technical credentials.

Broad incumbents

• Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA): El Salvador's largest private university with broad academic offerings including engineering. Comparable in private-university status and Salvadoran market, though less specialized in technical/trade education.
• Tecnológico de Monterrey: Mexico's largest private technical and engineering university. While far larger and broader in scope, it is the dominant private technical-education incumbent in Latin America and a reference benchmark for program design and international certification partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/itcaa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ITCA