Benedict College
Benedict College is a private HBCU in Columbia, South Carolina, serving enrolled college students through technology-focused academic programs, including a ServiceNow-backed Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and Tech Center aimed at building digital skills and tech industry career pathways.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1870
- HeadquartersColumbia, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Benedict College does
Benedict College is a private historically Black college and university (HBCU) founded in 1870 and located in Columbia, South Carolina, serving enrolled college students seeking technology-focused education and career pathways. Its core academic offering has expanded through a $1 million ServiceNow-backed partnership announced in November 2021 to include the Tech Scholars Program, the NextGen Academy, and a dedicated Tech Center, collectively designed to enhance digital literacy, deliver industry-aligned training, and provide internship pathways aimed at increasing diversity in technology fields. The institution has subsequently broadened its technology curriculum through an Interledger Foundation partnership integrating open payments and Interledger Protocol (ILP) coursework, and has secured additional federal funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in 2023 and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2024.
Benedict College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Benedict College
- Legal name
- Benedict College
- Website
- https://benedict.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1870
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Benedict College is a private HBCU in Columbia, South Carolina, serving enrolled college students through technology-focused academic programs, including a ServiceNow-backed Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and Tech Center aimed at building digital skills and tech industry career pathways.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Benedict College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)
Keywords
Where Benedict College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Columbia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Benedict College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Benedict College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Benedict College is a private historically Black college and university that provides higher education with an emphasis on technology-focused programs. Its core offerings include the ServiceNow-funded Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and a dedicated Tech Center that deliver digital skills training, technology career preparation, and internship opportunities for enrolled students.
Product overview
Benedict College offers a portfolio of technology-focused educational programs designed to prepare students for careers in the tech industry. The core offerings include the Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and a dedicated Tech Center established through a $1 million ServiceNow partnership. Additionally, the college participates in an open payments curriculum initiative with the Interledger Foundation, integrating the Interledger Protocol into its programs to develop fintech expertise. These programs collectively aim to enhance digital skills, provide internship opportunities, and increase diversity in technology fields.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Tech Scholars Program A ServiceNow-backed technology education initiative that prepares Benedict College students for careers in the tech industry through specialized training, mentorship, and internship opportunities, with a focus on increasing diversity in technology fields.
- NextGen Academy An educational academy within the ServiceNow partnership aimed at developing next-generation technology skills among Benedict College students, complementing the Tech Scholars Program.
- Tech Center A dedicated technology center established through the $1 million ServiceNow investment to enhance digital skills training and provide hands-on learning facilities for Benedict College students.
- Open Payments Curriculum A curriculum partnership with the Interledger Foundation integrating the Interledger Protocol (ILP) into Benedict College's educational programs, enabling students to build and prototype interoperable fintech solutions through practical courses, internships, and hackathons.
Quantifiable outcome
- Students prepared for tech industry careers with digital skills and internship experience
Companies that use Benedict College
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Benedict College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Benedict College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Interledger FoundationminorThe Interledger Foundation partnered with over 10 universities including Benedict College to integrate open payments curriculum focused on interoperability and the Interledger Protocol (ILP). This initiative aims to develop future leaders capable of building a more integrated global payments ecosystem through practical courses, internships, hackathons, and research.
- ServiceNowcoreServiceNow invested $1 million to establish a Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and a new Tech Center at Benedict College. The partnership aims to enhance digital skills among students, prepare them for careers in the tech industry, and provide internship opportunities with a focus on increasing diversity in technology fields.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Benedict College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Dillard University: Private, faith-affiliated HBCU liberal arts college in the same small-college peer cohort, sharing the same operating-model constraints.
- Wilberforce University: Small, private, faith-affiliated HBCU with a comparable enrollment and financial profile, sharing the same small-private-HBCU operating model and risk profile.
- Xavier University of Louisiana: Private, Catholic-affiliated, HBCU with comparable enrollment and strong STEM/health-sciences positioning, directly comparable as a small private HBCU peer.
- Clark Atlanta University: Private HBCU in the same enrollment band, sharing the small-private-college operating model and competing for similar students in the Southeast.
- Spelman College: Private HBCU liberal arts college with similar enrollment scale, mission, and emphasis on underrepresented student outcomes in STEM and professional fields.
- Morehouse College: Private, Baptist-affiliated, HBCU liberal arts college in Atlanta. Most directly comparable to Benedict in mission, faith affiliation, size, and student demographic.
- Tuskegee University: Private, faith-affiliated HBCU with comparable enrollment size and a strong engineering/technology track, directly competitive for STEM-focused minority students.
- Fisk University: Small, private, faith-affiliated HBCU liberal arts college with similar financial scale and exposure to small-college enrollment risk.
- Hampton University: Private HBCU with similar enrollment scale, faith heritage, and growing STEM/tech program emphasis, a direct competitor for tech-oriented Black students.
Broad incumbents
- Howard University: Larger, more established private HBCU with broader program portfolio and stronger brand in producing Black talent for tech and professional industries, an aspirational benchmark rather than a like-sized peer.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Benedict College social profiles
Digital presenceBenedict College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Benedict College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Benedict College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Benedict College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Benedict College
What does Benedict College do?
Benedict College is a private historically Black college and university that provides higher education with an emphasis on technology-focused programs. Its core offerings include the ServiceNow-funded Tech Scholars Program, NextGen Academy, and a dedicated Tech Center that deliver digital skills training, technology career preparation, and internship opportunities for enrolled students.
Is Benedict College a public or private company?
Benedict College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Benedict College founded?
Benedict College was founded in 1870. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Benedict College based?
Benedict College is headquartered in Columbia, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Benedict College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Dillard University, Wilberforce University, Xavier University of Louisiana, Clark Atlanta University, Spelman College, Morehouse College, Tuskegee University, Fisk University and Hampton University. Howard University is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Benedict College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Benedict College.
What industry is Benedict College in?
Benedict College's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHACAF, Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.