Our Story

Excelsior College is an accredited, not-for-profit distance learning institution founded in 1971 focused on providing educational opportunity to adult learners.

The College initially achieved its mission to provide adult learners with a flexible and affordable pathway to a credential through the assessment of learning and the aggregation of credit earned from inside and outside the classroom. It soon added credit by examination, and students could study independently and take exams to validate their knowledge. Thirty years later, in the 2000s, the College was among the first institutions developing and offering online courses.

Our Promise
The College continues to grow and evolve to meet opportunities for delivering education and the changing needs of adult learners. Our focus on student success by meeting their learning needs has led to the concept of an ecosystem that integrates all our offerings: instructor-led and self-paced courses, independent study for credit by examination, prior learning assessment, and stackable credentials.

With our generous credit acceptance practices, learners can transfer academic credit from previous college experiences; receive credit for military and workforce training, professional licenses and certifications, CLEP, DANTES, and other approved exams; and undergo portfolio assessments of real-world experience. Undergraduate students take a Cornerstone course that equips them with the skills, resources, tools, and mindsets critical for academic and career success, and they engage with general education career competencies throughout their degree programs. The graduate experience includes core competencies that ensure students become effective and highly ethical leaders upon earning their degrees. All students complete a culminating capstone experience to demonstrate their achievement of program outcomes.

Programs
Excelsior offers 40 degree programs across six areas of study: business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. Dedicated academic advisors and faculty members foster and promote academic success as students work toward career advancement and achievement of life goals.

Schools
Excelsior comprises three schools: School of Undergraduate Studies, School of Graduate Studies, and School of Nursing.

Degree