National Association of Colleges and Employers

What National Association of Colleges and Employers does

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a US-based nonprofit professional association founded in 1956 and headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It serves as the connective layer between higher education career services and employers hiring college-credentialed talent, with a stated network of more than 17,600 individual professionals across 10,000+ member organizations including universities, employer recruiting teams, and business-solution providers. The organization's core assets include the standardized Career Readiness Competencies framework, proprietary national benchmarking datasets (Job Outlook, Internship & Co-op Report, Salary Survey, Career Services Benchmarks), a Coaching Certification program with a recurring 30-Hour Career Coaching Institute, the NACE Competency Assessment Tool, and the annual NACE Conference & Expo. Distribution is anchored by a direct-to-member model — tiered organizational membership ranging from $485 (1-2 individuals) to $5,800 (26+ individuals) per year — supplemented by event registrations, webinars, certification fees, and report sales through the NACE Store.

The revenue model is diversified across three streams: recurring membership dues (subscription), transactional product and publication sales (one-time licenses for research reports, webinars, and certifications), and event/conference registration fees. GTM is primarily direct membership sales and event registration via naceweb.org, with no disclosed third-party distribution; marketing relies on a multi-channel mix including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and Pinterest, weekly webinars, the NACE Community platform, and email/newsletter outreach. Recent product activity signals incremental platform consolidation (NACE Learning Platform as a centralized LMS), a new Custom Research service, and a new AI Bootcamp for Career Services category. Operations remain US-centric despite global membership claim, and the organization is governed independently as a nonprofit with no disclosed parent or private-equity ownership, operating separately from the four regional NACE affiliates (EACE, MWACE, MPACE, SoACE).

Name

National Association of Colleges and Employers

Legal name

National Association of Colleges and Employers

Website

https://naceweb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) is a US nonprofit professional association founded in 1956 that connects higher education career services with employers hiring early career talent, serving 17,600+ professionals across 10,000+ member organizations through tiered membership, benchmarking research, certifications, and conferences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAANAE

Human Resources (HR) & Talent (SHRM/HRCI) Certifications

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Certification Programs

Keywords

• Career services membership
• Early talent recruiting
• Career readiness competencies
• Professional development certification
• Salary benchmarking research

Headquarters

HQ city

Bethlehem

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees structured in tiered pricing based on number of individuals covered, ranging from $485 for Tier 1 (1-2 individuals) to $5,800 for Tier 7 (26 or more individuals). Membership provides access to member-exclusive resources, discounts on publications and events, and professional development benefits.
2. Products and Publications: Sale of research reports, webinars, certification programs, coaching institutes, and publications through the NACE Store. Products include the NACE Competency Assessment Tool, internship and co-op reports, salary surveys, and career coaching certification courses. Pricing varies with member vs non-member rates.
3. Events and Conferences: Registration fees for conferences, roundtables, workshops, and webinars. Includes the NACE Annual Conference + Expo, Competency Symposium, HBCU Summit, MLI events, and weekly webinars. Some events are free for members while others have registration fees.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NACE operates as a membership-based professional association providing career services and recruiting resources to colleges, universities, and employers. Its core offerings include tiered organizational membership, proprietary research reports (Salary Survey, Job Outlook, Internship & Co-op Report), professional development certifications, the NACE Coaching Certification program, and the NACE Conference & Expo. The association stewards the NACE Career Readiness Competencies framework used across higher education and industry.

Product overview

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) operates as a membership-based professional association offering a unified platform of products and services centered around connecting higher education career services with early talent recruiting. The core offerings include tiered NACE Membership providing access to all resources, the NACE Learning Platform hosting professional development content, and the NACE Coaching Certification program with its 30-Hour Career Coaching Institute. Key research products include the annual Internship & Co-op Report, Guide to Compensation, and Salary Survey with interactive dashboards. NACE also provides the Competency Assessment Tool, Faculty & Staff Fellows Program, AI Bootcamp, and hosts the annual NACE Conference & Expo. The portfolio also includes the NACE Job Network, Mentor Program, Quick Polls, and Buyers Guide—all designed to support career services professionals and employers in workforce development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NACE Membership Annual membership program with 7 tiered pricing levels ($485–$5,800) based on number of individuals covered, providing access to professional development, research reports, webinars, mentoring, community resources, and the NACE Competency Assessment Tool for career services and employer professionals.
• NACE Learning Platform Online learning management system providing access to professional development courses, webinars, certification programs, and educational content for career services and employer professionals.
• NACE Coaching Certification Comprehensive certification program for career coaching professionals, including multiple courses such as Orientation to Coaching, Coaching Fundamentals, Assessments & Coaching, and Capstone: Career Coaching Intensive.
• https://naceweb.org/NACE-Professional-Development/Staff/Product%20Images/10719-30-hour-coaching-institute-virtual-august-2026-825x515-xlarge%20(2).png Intensive virtual career coaching certification program delivered over 30 hours, offered multiple times per year in virtual and in-person formats ($2,500 for nonmembers).
• https://naceweb.org/images/default-source/2026/feature/nace-competency-assessment-tool-store-825x515.png Assessment instrument for evaluating career readiness competencies, available with free access for members and companion workshops for employers and higher education professionals ($750 for nonmembers).
• NACE Research Reports Annual and periodic research publications including Salary Survey, Job Outlook, Recruiting Compensation Reports, Student Surveys, Career Services Benchmarks, and Internship & Co-op Reports with interactive dashboards ($265–$510 for member/non-member rates).
• NACE Conference & Expo Annual flagship conference event bringing together career services professionals and employers for networking, professional development, and industry insights.
• NACE Job Network Online job posting and career connection platform facilitating recruitment between employers and college-educated job seekers at naceweb.careerwebsite.com.
• NACE Mentor Program Free mentoring program connecting members with experienced professionals in the career services and early talent recruiting field.
• https://naceweb.org/NACE-Professional-Development/Staff/Product%20Images/10804-faculty-and-staff-fellows-fall-2026-xlarge.jpg Professional development program for higher education faculty and staff focused on career readiness competencies and experiential learning integration.
• https://naceweb.org/NACE-Professional-Development/Staff/Product%20Images/10790-ai-bootcamp-for-cs-2026-27.png Intensive bootcamp program designed to educate career services professionals on AI tools, applications, and implications for the career development field.
• NACE Buyers Guide Directory of vetted business solutions, vendors, and technology providers for career services and early talent recruiting professionals.
• NACE Webinars Weekly live webinars and on-demand recordings covering topics such as AI in recruiting, internship programs, career readiness, and emerging workforce trends ($89 per webinar for nonmembers; many available free to members).
• https://naceweb.org/images/default-source/2026/research/2026-internship--co-op-report-825x515.png Annual research report with interactive dashboard providing national benchmark data on internship and co-op hiring, compensation, and conversion rates.
• https://naceweb.org/images/default-source/2026/research/2026-guide-to-compensation-840x500.png Annual compensation guide providing detailed salary data and compensation benchmarks for intern and co-op positions across industries and regions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88.3% average intern-to-full-time offer acceptance rate
• +1 more outcomes

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 12twentyminorOthers12twenty is listed as a NACE member organization and sponsor of research reports, providing data and sponsorship for NACE's national survey on internship and co-op benchmarks. The partnership supports NACE's research initiatives and data collection efforts.
• YellominorOthersYello sponsors the Early Career Recruiting Roundtable event in Chicago, IL. The partnership provides event support and visibility for Yello as a talent acquisition solutions provider serving NACE's employer membership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the largest HR professional association with tiered membership, professional certifications (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP), and extensive research. Directly comparable to NACE as a membership-based professional association in the HR/talent space, though significantly larger and broader in scope.
• ACE (American Council on Education): ACE is a major higher education membership association representing college and university presidents and leaders. Comparable to NACE as a higher education association with research and advocacy roles, though operating at a much more senior institutional level.

Direct peers

• NASPA (Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education): NASPA is a membership association serving higher education student affairs professionals with conferences, research, and professional development. Comparable to NACE in structure and membership model, though focused on broader student affairs rather than the specific career services niche.
• AAC&U (Association of American Colleges and Universities): AAC&U is a membership-based higher education association providing research, professional development, and advocacy to colleges and universities. Comparable to NACE as a higher ed membership association delivering research and professional development, with a broader liberal education focus.
• Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers (EACE): EACE is one of NACE's four regional affiliate associations serving college career services and early talent recruiters. Directly comparable in mission and member base, but operates at regional (Eastern US) scope rather than national.
• MPACE (Mountain Plains Association of Colleges and Employers): MPACE is another NACE regional affiliate serving career services and employer members in the Mountain Plains region. Directly comparable in mission and structure, with regional geographic scope.
• National Career Development Association (NCDA): NCDA is a membership association providing professional development, credentialing, and resources for career development professionals. Comparable to NACE in serving career services practitioners with certifications and training, with a broader career development focus extending beyond college-to-career.

Emerging players

• Handshake: Handshake is a leading technology platform connecting college students with employers for jobs and internships. Comparable to NACE in serving the same college-to-career ecosystem, but operates as a venture-backed technology platform rather than a membership association.
• 12twenty: 12twenty is a university career services and early talent recruiting platform providing analytics and job-matching tools. NACE lists 12twenty as a research sponsor. Directly comparable in serving the same customer base, though as a software vendor rather than a membership association.
• Yello: Yello is a talent acquisition platform focused on early career and campus recruiting. NACE lists Yello as an event sponsor. Comparable in serving employer early talent recruiters, though as a SaaS company rather than a membership association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NACEOrg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationalassociationofcollegesandemployers
• Instagraminstagram.com/NACEOrg
• Pinterestpinterest.com/naceorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Association of Colleges and Employers