·01 — What is NCAE-C?
The gold standard in cyber education designation.
The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber (NCAE-C) program is managed by National Security Agency (NSA) National Cryptologic School and overseen by CAEO. It designates community colleges and universities across four tracks — Cyber Defense (CAE-CD), Cyber Operations (CAE-CO), Cyber Research (CAE-R), and Cyber AI (CAE-CAI) — that meet rigorous standards for cyber curriculum, faculty development, and research. With 490+ designated institutions nationwide, NCAE-C identifies schools with nationally verified cyber programs for students, supports faculty development and community outreach, and establishes the national benchmark for academic cyber excellence.
·01
Designation tracks
Cyber Defense, Cyber Operations, Cyber Research, and Cyber AI — choose the right fit.
·02
Curriculum mapping
Map your programs to CAE Knowledge Units and cyber job requirements.
·03
Community access
Once designated, join the CAE Community for resources, grants, and convenings.
·02 — Related programs
Other ways into build ecosystem.
Programs in the same sub-service — Enable Academic Institutions.
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Enable Academic Institutions
CAE Community
National center supporting and empowering 490+ CAE-designated institutions through centralized resources, technical support, and strategic workforce development initiatives.
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Enable Academic Institutions
CLARK Resources
Cybersecurity Labs and Resource Knowledge Base — developing and compiling CAE Knowledge Unit-aligned curriculum and lab resources for 2-year and 4-year institutions.
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Grants
NCAE-C Grants
Institutional grants available to all CAE-designated schools to develop curriculum, build lab capacity, hire cyber faculty, and expand programs aligned to CAE Knowledge Units.
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