Overview

Launched in 2024, the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree (NCAD) is a national initiative created by Reach University that serves as a leading resource for institutions and other entities looking to build apprenticeship degree programs. These programs are designed to allow students to earn a degree while they complete their apprenticeship, typically in fields like teaching or healthcare.

NCAD's stated goal is to reach 3 million apprenticeship degree enrollments by 2035.

An apprenticeship degree is an accredited degree program delivered through a job-embedded model. Students are hired into paid, entry-level roles and pursue their degree alongside real-world work experience. Unlike traditional degrees that treat work experience as an add-on, apprenticeship degrees place work at the center of learning.

Structurally, apprenticeship degrees follow registered apprenticeship standards, requiring a minimum of one year and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training alongside at least 144 hours of related instruction.

NCAD provides structured technical assistance to institutions, systems, and employers through a three-phase capacity-building model:

• Foundations
  • This support is designed for institutions in early exploration or pilot planning.
  • Services include curriculum mapping and job-embedded learning design, recruitment and retention strategy development, initial employer engagement and mentorship frameworks, compliance and registration planning, introductory financial modeling, and internal systems setup.
• Implementation
  • Designed for institutions preparing to launch their first apprenticeship degree pathway.
  • Services include co-design of curriculum with faculty and employers, employer-led recruitment and talent pipeline support, mentor selection and training, compliance infrastructure, development of a sustainable funding model, and cross-departmental operations integration.
• Transformation
  • Designed for institutions or systems scaling across multiple programs or sectors.
  • Services include multi-pathway curriculum development, equity-driven retention strategies, advanced employer engagement and return on investment analysis, full-scale compliance monitoring, long-term financial sustainability strategy, and staff training.

ADNet is NCAD's membership network for institutions actively leading apprenticeship degree programs. Members receive exclusive tools, training, peer learning opportunities, and community of practice support.

NCAD also hosts the International Convening for the Apprenticeship Degree (ICAD), an annual gathering of experts in education, workforce, and policy to examine apprenticeship degree models from around the world.

Background

Reach University was established in 2006 and is a nonprofit accredited university headquartered in California. It launched its teacher apprenticeship degree program in 2020, partnering with school districts to train teacher aides and other school employees as credentialed teachers while they continue working. Because students earn while they learn, the program typically costs students approximately $75 per month. The model allowed students to pursue a degree without leaving their jobs or taking on significant debt.

As of 2025, Reach's teacher program operated across Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Texas, with approximately 2,600 students enrolled and a goal of reaching 10,000 over the next three years.

NCAD was created to extend the apprenticeship degree model beyond Reach University's own programs by equipping other institutions to develop and launch similar pathways. The model is particularly relevant in the United States, where the degree apprenticeship concept is significantly less established than in European countries.

New America compiled a list of over 500 degree apprenticeship programs operating in the U.S. as of 2025, spanning associate and bachelor's degree programs, with the majority originating from community colleges.

Partners

• Reach University
• Old Dominion University

Resources