National College Credit Recommendation Service

What National College Credit Recommendation Service does

The National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) is a government educational advisory service established in 1973 by the New York State Board of Regents, operating as a program of the University of the State of New York. NCCRS evaluates noncollegiate learning experiences—corporate training programs, labor union courses, military training, government certifications, and other non-degree learning—and issues college credit recommendations that over 1,300 cooperating colleges and universities may accept, modify, or reject based on their own policies. Its core products include the CCRS Online Directory (a searchable web-based platform), a Course and Program Evaluation Service conducted by panels of three college faculty per evaluation, a College and University Directory, a five-year revalidation service, and student advocacy for transfer credit issues. Revenue is generated through annual membership fees scaled by the number of learning experiences posted to the directory, plus one-time fees for initial course evaluations.

The organization uses a sales-led go-to-market motion, proactively reaching out to colleges and universities to encourage adoption while accepting inbound evaluation requests from member organizations. Marketing relies on the online directory, a quarterly NCCRS News newsletter, a LinkedIn group with 3,764+ members, Facebook presence, and direct outreach at higher education conferences such as AHEA and AACRAO. Operating geographies span the United States, Canada, Guam, and Puerto Rico. NCCRS is a 1-10 employee operation housed in Albany, NY, with no external investors and no venture or private equity ownership, functioning as a public service of state government rather than a commercial enterprise.

Name

National College Credit Recommendation Service

Legal name

National College Credit Recommendation Service

Website

https://nationalccrs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCCRS is a 1973-founded program of the New York State Board of Regents that evaluates noncollegiate learning experiences and issues college credit recommendations accepted by over 1,300 U.S. colleges and universities. It serves member organizations and adult/nontraditional students through subscription fees and per-evaluation charges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Credit Evaluation Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Transfer, Articulation & Credit Evaluation (EDALAAAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Curriculum & Learning Outcomes Compliance Reviews (EDADAGAF), National/State Examination Boards & Testing Agencies (EDADAFAA)

Keywords

• College credit recommendations
• Prior learning assessment
• Noncollegiate education evaluation
• Credit transfer services
• Workforce training accreditation

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Organization Fees: Annual fees based on the number of learning experiences posted to the NCCRS website. New member organizations pay a prorated portion of the Annual Fee assessed at the same time as fees for initial evaluation. The Annual Fee is due in January of each year with notices mailed in November.
2. Course Evaluation Services: Fees charged to organizations for the initial academic evaluation of their learning experiences and courses. Organizations arrange for NCCRS to evaluate their courses on a voluntary basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCCRS evaluates noncollegiate learning experiences—including corporate training, labor union programs, government agency courses, professional certifications, and military training—against college-level standards to issue credit recommendations. Teams of three college faculty who teach similar courses review textbooks, syllabi, exams, and instructional materials for each submission. These recommendations are then accepted (or modified) by more than 1,300 cooperating colleges and universities across the United States that may grant actual college credit to students for the evaluated learning.

Product overview

The National College Credit Recommendation Service (NCCRS) is a program of the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York that operates as a college credit recommendation and evaluation service. The core offering consists of evaluating noncollegiate learning experiences (courses, programs, and training from corporations, labor unions, government agencies, and other organizations) against college-level standards. Key products include the CCRS Online Directory (containing all credit recommendations), the Course and Program Evaluation Service (the academic review process), the College and University Directory (over 1,300 cooperating institutions), the Evaluator Network (college faculty who conduct reviews), Five-Year Revalidation Service (re-certification process), and Transfer Credit Assistance (student advocacy). The service translates workplace and nontraditional learning into college credit recommendations that students can use at participating colleges and universities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CCRS Online Directory
• Course and Program Evaluation Service
• College and University Directory
• Five-Year Revalidation Service
• Transfer Credit Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10 academic credits for 1,700-hour service roles and 9 credits for 1,200-hour roles
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• International Training Institute (ITI)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 8 July 2026NCCRS member organization that received funding from Google to support skilled trades training. ITI's training programs have been evaluated and recommended for college credit by NCCRS.
• City YearflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026City Year, in partnership with the State University of New York, announced that AmeriCorps service learning has been recognized for college credit by NCCRS. Student success coaches can earn up to 10 academic credits for 1,700-hour service roles and 9 credits for 1,200-hour roles. The initiative aims to reduce higher education costs and shorten time to degree completion while strengthening pathways to career readiness.
• State University of New York (SUNY)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2026Partnership with City Year involving SUNY institutions. SUNY serves as the higher education system partner facilitating the credit recommendation process and expanding pathways to higher education through NCCRS credit recognition.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• StraighterLine: StraighterLine offers low-cost online courses that are recommended for college credit by ACE and accepted by a network of partner colleges. While it does not run its own credit recommendation service, it sits in the same prior-learning-to-credit pathway and competes for the same adult learner segment NCCRS member organizations serve.
• Sophia Learning: Sophia Learning offers self-paced general education and workforce courses recommended for college credit through ACE and accepted at partner institutions. It is an emerging alternative path to college credit from noncollegiate learning, overlapping with NCCRS's value proposition for adult students.

Regional players

• Charter Oak State College (Connecticut): Charter Oak is a Connecticut-based institution focused on adult learners that awards credit for noncollegiate training and prior learning. It operates primarily within Connecticut's ecosystem but competes nationally for adult students seeking credit for noncollegiate learning experiences.

Broad incumbents

• Excelsior University (formerly Excelsior College): Excelsior University is a nonprofit institution specifically built around evaluating prior learning, credit-by-exam, and credit from noncollegiate sources. While broader than NCCRS (it is itself a degree-granting institution), it competes for the same adult/nontraditional learner credit-evaluation market and accepts external credit recommendations.

Direct peers

• Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL): CAEL is a national nonprofit focused on prior learning assessment (PLA) and adult learner success, including operating LearningCounts, a fee-based PLA service that evaluates noncollegiate learning into college credit. CAEL overlaps directly with NCCRS's mission of converting workplace and nontraditional learning into college credit.
• LearningCounts: LearningCounts, administered by CAEL, provides portfolio-based prior learning assessment that translates work and life experience into college credit recommendations accepted by a network of institutions. It is the closest head-to-head competitor to NCCRS for adult learner credit recommendations outside of ACE.
• American Council on Education (ACE): ACE operates the most directly comparable service to NCCRS: the ACE CREDIT program, which evaluates military training, corporate courses, and other noncollegiate learning and issues college credit recommendations accepted by thousands of institutions. Both organizations translate workplace and nontraditional learning into transferable college credit.

Others

• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO): AACRAO is the professional association for college registrars and admissions officers and shapes transfer-credit practice, including guidance on accepting noncollegiate credit recommendations. NCCRS actively engages AACRAO through conferences and uses its frameworks, making AACRAO an ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NCCRS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-college-credit-recommendation-service-national-ccrs

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 College Credit Recommendation Service