Name

Aspen University

Legal name

Aspen University Inc.

Website

https://aspen.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Degree programs
• Nursing education
• Distance learning
• Graduate degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue - Degree Programs: Core revenue stream from tuition payments for associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs. Students pay either full program cost or through monthly payment plans. Revenue is recognized as programs are completed.
2. Certificate Program Tuition: Revenue from certificate programs offered at $375/month payment plan or $18,825 total program cost.
3. Monthly Payment Plan Interest: Monthly payment plans operate at 0% APR with no down payment, generating revenue through total program cost collection over extended periods.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aspen University is an accredited online higher education institution that delivers certificate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs through three academic schools: Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences. Programs are delivered via the D2L Brightspace online classroom platform in 8-week courses starting twice per month, with affordable monthly payment plans at $325–$450 per month at 0% APR.

Product overview

Aspen University is an online higher education institution offering accredited degree programs through three academic schools: Business & Technology, Education, and Nursing & Health Sciences. The institution operates a platform-plus-services model with its core offerings being online degree programs (Certificates, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees) delivered via the D2L Brightspace Online Classroom platform. Supporting infrastructure includes the Student Portal for academic management, Payment Portal with monthly payment plans ($325-$450/month), and the Altitude Blog for student content. Programs span nursing (RN to BSN, MSN, DNP), business (BBA, MBA, Project Management Certificate), education (Ed.D, Ed.S, Master's), and computer science (DSCS). The university serves 17,000+ students and has announced a merger with sister institution United States University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursing & Health Sciences Degree Programs CCNE-accredited online nursing programs for working nurses and healthcare professionals, including RN to BSN, RN to MSN bridge, Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with specializations in Forensic Nursing, Informatics, Administration and Management, Nursing Education, and Public Health, Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Master of Public Health. Total tuition ranges from $22,400 to $37,380 depending on program.
• Business & Technology Degree Programs Online business and technology programs for working professionals, including Bachelor of Business Administration, MBA with specializations in Finance, Information Management, and Project Management, Master's in Technology and Innovation, and a Project Management Certificate. Tuition ranges from $16,275 to $37,125 depending on program.
• Education Degree Programs Online graduate education programs for K-12 educators and education administrators, including Master of Education (M.Ed) with specializations in Curriculum Development and Outcomes Assessment, Educational Technology, eLearning Pedagogy, and Transformational Leadership; Education Specialist (Ed.S) degrees in Leadership and Learning; and Doctor of Education (Ed.D) degrees in Higher Education Leadership, K-12 Educational Leadership, Organizational Leadership, Organizational Psychology, and Health Care Administration and Leadership.
• Doctor of Science in Computer Science (DSCS) Online Doctor of Science in Computer Science (DSCS) program aimed at advanced computing professionals pursuing terminal-level credentials in the computer science discipline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Third consecutive quarter of profitability (Q2 Fiscal 2026)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and general.

• United States University (USU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAspen Group Inc., parent company of both institutions, is pursuing a merger between Aspen University and United States University. The merger has been approved by governing boards of both institutions, pending regulatory approval from the Department of Education. Once complete, Aspen will become part of USU. Students will be automatically enrolled at USU with tuition honored from original PEAs.
• D2L (Desire2Learn)coreTechnology or IntegrationD2L powers Aspen University's online classroom platform used by students for course delivery, assignments, and classroom activities.
• Text, Inc. (LiveChat)generalTechnology or IntegrationThird-party live chat and automated chat service provider used on Aspen University's website for real-time enrollment support and customer service.
• Facebook/Meta (Meta Pixel)generalGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook Meta Pixel tracking technology used for behavioral tracking, targeted advertising, and conversion attribution across the Aspen University website.
• Google (Google Analytics)generalGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle Analytics tracking technology used to collect website usage data including device type, browser, navigation patterns, and conversion tracking.
• HotJar Ltd.generalGTM or Marketing PartnerHotJar behavioral analytics tool used for tracking user navigation paths, clicks, and engagement metrics on the Aspen University website.
• Student ClearinghousegeneralTechnology or IntegrationThird-party service for ordering official transcripts, accessed through secure.studentclearinghouse.org.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Capella University: Online university owned by Strategic Education offering flexible competency-based and guided-pathway degree programs to working adults. Comparable in for-profit online model, FlexPath/self-paced delivery, and working-adult target market.
• University of Phoenix: Pioneer online for-profit university focused on working adults with associate through doctoral programs. Directly comparable in for-profit online model, adult learner targeting, and similar pricing/financing structure.
• Purdue University Global: Online university affiliated with Purdue, targeting working adults and military-affiliated learners with affordable, accelerated programs. Directly comparable in adult-learner focus, online delivery, and value-based pricing.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit, fully online university serving working adults with competency-based degree programs at affordable tuition. Directly comparable in target market (adult learners), delivery model (100% online), and value proposition (low-cost degree pathways).
• Walden University: Online university owned by Adtalem with strong nursing, education, and psychology programs serving working professionals. Comparable in for-profit online model, advanced-degree focus, and practitioner-oriented student base.
• National University: Private nonprofit university with extensive online offerings, four-week courses, and a focus on adult learners and military-affiliated students. Comparable in accelerated online format, adult-learner segment, and tuition/financial aid model.
• Liberty University Online: Large private university with substantial online enrollment across associate through doctoral programs, with strong military and adult-learner recruitment. Comparable in online scale, broad program portfolio, and direct-to-consumer enrollment motion.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Major online university with extensive Bachelor's, Master's, and certificate programs targeting adult and military learners. Closely comparable in scale, online-only delivery, and affordable tuition positioning.
• United States University: Sister institution under Aspen Group Inc., currently merging with Aspen University. Directly comparable in online nursing-heavy degree offerings, adult-learner focus, and pricing structure; the merger will subsume Aspen into this peer.
• Grand Canyon University: Phoenix-based for-profit university with large online division serving traditional and adult learners across healthcare, education, and business. Comparable in geography, online degree portfolio, and program mix (especially nursing and education).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aspenuniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/114167941938872
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aspen-university

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aspen University