UT San Antonio Earns NSA CAE-R Designation

The University of Texas at San Antonio (UT San Antonio) has once again been recognized as a national leader in cybersecurity after receiving the National Security Agency's (NSA) designation as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Research (CAE-R) for its doctoral programs. The designation acknowledges universities that demonstrate outstanding cybersecurity research while preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

The recognition highlights UT San Antonio's continued commitment to advancing cybersecurity innovation through research, education, and workforce development. The university first earned an NSA Center of Academic Excellence designation in 2002—the first institution in Texas to do so—and received its initial Cyber Research (CAE-R) designation in 2009. The newly renewed designation extends the university's recognition through 2031.

A major factor behind the university's success is its growing ecosystem of cybersecurity research. In 2025, UT San Antonio launched its College of AI, Cyber and Computing, bringing together expertise in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and computing under one academic unit. The university also supports nearly 30 cybersecurity-focused research laboratories and several specialized centers that conduct research in areas including cyber defense, infrastructure security, cloud computing, and data science.

Source: This article is based on information originally published by UT San Antonio. Read the original story here: https://news.utsa.edu/2026/02/ut-san-antonio-recognized-for-exceptional-research-in-cybersecurity