FTCC recognized as a top 25 cybersecurity program in the nation

By Staff Report, posted Dec 3, 2025 on BizFayetteville.com

A student works in FTCC’s cyber lab. Photo by FTCC.

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) has been named as one of the top 25 institutions nationally to earn a cybersecurity associate degree.

The recognition comes from an independent research team at Cybersecurity Guide, which reviewed 199 associate degree programs in the United States.

FTCC ranks No. 23 on the list and is one of seven schools in North Carolina to be recognized. All N.C. colleges on the list are members of the Carolina Cyber Network, a 23-member collaborative co-founded by FTCC to help strengthen the state’s education-to-workforce pipeline in cybersecurity.

“We are proud to be named in the Cybersecurity Guide’s 2026 Top 25 Cybersecurity Associate Degree Programs, a direct result of our faculty, staff, and students’ outstanding dedication and hard work,” said FTCC President Dr. Mark Sorrells in a press release. “As a co-founder of the Carolina Cyber Network, a national cybersecurity workforce ecosystem model, we’re especially pleased that seven fellow CCN members also earned this recognition. Together, we’re strengthening the pipeline of skilled cyber professionals and assisting with hardening the security posture of our state and nation.”

The Cybersecurity Guide’s Top 25 designees were evaluated based on academic quality, student-to-faculty ratios, graduation and retention rates, admission selectivity and in-state tuition affordability.

TCC President, Dr. Mark Sorrells giving military leadership a tour of the FTCC Cyber Network Student Learning Class.
Photo by FTCC.

“FTCC is honored to be named one of Cybersecurity Guide’s 2026 Top 25 Cybersecurity Associate Degree Programs,” FTCC Dean of Computer Information Technology Dwayne Campbell said in a press release. “Our program combines hands-on training with industry certifications to ensure graduates are workforce-ready from day one. It further reflects the dedication and expertise of our faculty, as well as the drive and commitment of our students.”

FTCC is designated through 2028 as a Center of Academic Excellence in Cybersecurity by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.

FTCC’s selection to the Cybersecurity Guide Top 25 list underscores its commitment to cybersecurity workforce development, supported by CCN’s statewide model that emphasizes affordability, practical skills, industry alignment and support for diverse learners, including military-connected students, career changers and rural communities.

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