Excelsior University is an accredited, not-for-profit online university founded in 1971 that provides flexible online and hybrid degree programmes for working adults and other non-traditional students. Its technical work sits in online education, distance learning and hybrid learning, supporting programmes designed to allow students to earn degrees without interrupting careers, family or military service.
The institution grew out of the Regents External Degree Program, the original external degree programme established by the Board of Regents of The University of the State of New York. Excelsior describes itself as a national leader in adult education and has worked to remove barriers to degree completion since its founding. Its students include working professionals, veterans and military-affiliated learners, and first-generation students.
Excelsior University operates from a main campus in Albany, New York, with an additional educational site in St. Petersburg, Florida, and reaches students across the United States. Its stated guiding principles, known as Excelsior CARES, comprise Compassion, Agility, Respect, Excellence and Service, and the institution describes a collaborative working environment of professionals focused on a supportive experience for a diverse student community.
