Cisco · Professional Certification · Professional
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center
Crydd Score 70
Demand Growing
Career Value Strong
Recognition High
CCNP Data Center at a glance
- Provider
- Cisco
- Credential type
- Professional Certification
- Exam required
- Yes
- Category
- Networking
- Level
- Professional
- Cost
- $400 core + $300 concentration exam
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to earn
- 6–12 months
- Validity
- 3 years
- Format
- Two exams: a core (350-601 DCCOR) plus one concentration
- Prerequisites
- None formally; CCNA-level knowledge and data-center experience recommended
What is CCNP Data Center?
The professional-level Cisco certification for data-center networking — Nexus switching, ACI fabric, and storage networking. It sits a rung below the CCIE and validates the specialist skills behind large compute and virtualization environments.
Skills it covers
- Data-center networking
- Nexus and ACI
- Storage networking
- Automation
Is CCNP Data Center worth it? The Crydd Verdict
CS 70Choose it if
You work in or want to move into data-center infrastructure and need a professional credential that speaks specifically to fabric, ACI, and the plumbing behind cloud and virtualization.
Consider alternatives if
Your work is campus, WAN, or general enterprise networking — CCNP Enterprise is the more broadly-requested professional track for those roles.
Why we say so
Data-center capacity keeps expanding behind cloud and AI workloads, Cisco hardware remains widespread in that layer, and the specialist CCNP is a credible route into well-paid infrastructure roles.
Market demand
Data-center and infrastructure engineering roles frequently list Nexus/ACI experience; the CCNP Data Center is the recognised professional credential mapping to that specialisation.
Where CCNP Data Center takes you
- Network Engineer
- Data Center Engineer
- Network Architect
Career roadmaps show where this certification fits in each path. See the roadmaps.
Related certifications
Curated connections from the catalog — each labelled with how it relates to CCNP Data Center, so you know why it’s here.