Elon University

What Elon University does

Elon University is a private, non-profit liberal arts university founded in 1889 and located in Elon, North Carolina, operating on a 700-acre botanical garden campus with 7,000+ undergraduate and graduate students and 1,001–5,000 employees. It delivers degree programs through six schools — Elon College of Arts & Sciences, the Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, the School of Communications, the Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, the School of Health Sciences, and Elon Law — plus a newly launched School of Engineering and Computing (2026) and Roberts Academy, a private K-6 school for children with dyslexia opening August 2026. Academic delivery is anchored on five signature "Elon Experiences" (study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, leadership, and service), a Student Professional Development Center, and supporting platforms including OnTrack (student portal) and Canvas LMS (transitioning from Moodle in 2026). Institutional accreditations span ABA, AACSB, ACEJMC, NCATE, ABET, and Phi Beta Kappa.

The business model is tuition-driven: revenue derives from undergraduate and graduate enrollment across main campus plus five national campuses (Charlotte, Greensboro, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C.), supported by gifts, auxiliaries, and research grants. Go-to-market relies on a multi-channel admissions funnel (institutional website, organic social, email/newsletter, campus visits, and an MSBA Flex Program targeting working professionals in Charlotte). The customer base is highly fragmented across individual undergraduate and graduate students and their families, with three persona segments — undergraduate, graduate, and international students — and no meaningful enterprise concentration.

Strategically, Elon is in active expansion mode: it is absorbing Queens University of Charlotte via merger (announced 2023, SOAR integration committee ongoing into 2026), launching the engineering school and Roberts Academy, modernizing its LMS to Canvas, and adding an AI-focused graduate business pathway. Brand positioning is anchored in five consecutive years of the #1 U.S. News & World Report ranking for excellence in undergraduate teaching, 96% placement or grad school outcomes, 83% internship participation, and a $74K median graduate salary. AI capability is concentrated in research, teaching, and curriculum adoption (Imagining the Digital Future Center, AI Play camp, MSBA AI pathway) rather than proprietary AI products.

Name

Elon University

Legal name

Elon University

Website

https://elon.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Elon University is a private, non-profit liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina, founded in 1889, serving 7,000+ undergraduate and graduate students across six schools plus a new engineering school, with signature experiential learning programs and tuition-driven enrollment distributed across main and national campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Architecture, Built Environment & Design Engineering (EDAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Private higher education
• Liberal arts university
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate professional schools
• Experiential learning programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Elon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Elon University is a private nonprofit liberal arts university in Elon, North Carolina operating a 700-acre residential campus and delivering undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across multiple academic schools (arts & sciences, business, communications, education, health sciences, law, and a newly announced school of engineering). It bundles every degree with its signature "Elon Experiences" — study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, leadership, and service learning — as a required part of the curriculum. The institution also operates satellite academic centers in several U.S. cities and an affiliated K-8 academy for students with dyslexia.

Product overview

Elon University is a higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs across multiple academic divisions including Elon College (Arts & Sciences), Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, School of Communications, Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education, School of Health Sciences, and School of Law. The university's product portfolio consists of educational degree programs complemented by experiential learning components known as the Elon Experiences (study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, leadership, service), support services including the Student Professional Development Center, and administrative platforms such as OnTrack, Moodle (being replaced by Canvas), and regional campuses in Charlotte, Greensboro, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington D.C. Research centers include the Imagining the Internet Center, Imagining the Digital Future Center, Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, and Roberts Academy for dyslexia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences: The primary undergraduate college within Elon University offering liberal arts and sciences programs.
• Martha and Spencer Love School of Business
• School of Communications
• Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education
• School of Health Sciences
• School of Law (Elon Law)
• School of Engineering and Computing
• Roberts Academy
• Slattery Center

Products and services

• Elon College, the College of Arts & Sciences The university's foundational undergraduate college, enrolling the majority of Elon students in liberal arts and sciences majors across humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts.
• Martha and Spencer Love School of Business Accredited business school offering undergraduate majors, the MBA, and the Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA), with programs delivered on the main campus, online, and at the Charlotte Center.
• School of Communications One of the largest and most recognized programs at Elon, offering majors in journalism, strategic communications, media analytics, cinema & television production, and sport management, supported by studios and student media outlets.
• Dr. Jo Watts Williams School of Education Accredited school preparing undergraduate and graduate students for initial teacher licensure, educational leadership, and higher-education administration careers.
• School of Health Sciences School offering undergraduate and graduate programs in nursing, physician assistant studies, physical therapy, and other allied health professions, with clinical placements.
• Elon University School of Law ABA-accredited law school offering the Juris Doctor (JD) with concentrations and dual-degree pathways, focused on experiential legal training through clinics and residencies.
• School of Engineering and Computing Newly announced undergraduate engineering and computing school created through the Queens University of Charlotte merger, expected to begin enrolling students in engineering programs in Fall 2026.
• Elon Experiences Signature five-pillar experiential learning requirement built into every undergraduate degree, covering study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, leadership development, and service learning.
• Roberts Academy Affiliated tuition-based K-5 (extending to grade 8) academy on the Elon campus serving students with language-based learning differences such as dyslexia, launching August 2026.
• Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) - Flex Program Hybrid graduate business analytics degree offered primarily at Elon's Charlotte Center for working professionals, featuring an AI-focused analytics concentration.

Quantifiable outcome

• 96% of graduates employed, in grad school, or service within 9 months
• +4 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Instructure (Canvas)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 February 2026Elon University announced it will transition from Moodle to Canvas by Instructure as its learning management system next academic year, following a campuswide evaluation that identified improvements in gradebook and grading, course analytics, mobile interface, uninterrupted upgrades, and course communication tools.
• Queens University of CharlottecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2026Elon University and Queens University of Charlotte formed the SOAR Strategic Planning Committee to explore a long-term merger. The committee is working on academic and co-curricular possibilities for the combined institution, with representatives from both campuses envisioning enhanced student success. A preliminary list of ideas is expected to be presented to both boards of trustees at spring meetings, with a final compendium due by July 1, 2026.
• Ohio UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025As part of Ohio University's Teaching and Transformation (T1) initiative, an August 2025 peer gathering at Ohio University's Athens campus involved Purdue University, Elon University, and Georgetown University exploring common challenges in faculty support and student learning.
• Epic GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpic Games designated Elon University's game design minor as an 'Unreal Academic Partner' following an application process that evaluated curriculum structure, facilities, hardware resources, faculty qualifications, and student work examples. The recognition highlights the university's program alignment with industry-standard game development tools.
• Eugene Lang FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElon University initiated Project Pericles in 2002 when it became one of 10 universities to accept a challenge from the Eugene Lang Foundation to provide a learning experience that would instill social responsibility and civic concern in students.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Marquette University: Private mid-sized Jesuit university with multiple professional schools and experiential learning emphasis; comparable size and program mix to Elon.
• Wake Forest University: Private North Carolina university of similar size and selectivity with multiple professional schools; competes with Elon for the same regional applicant pool and employer pipelines.
• Furman University: Private Southeastern liberal arts university with comparable undergraduate focus, signature experiential programs, and similar applicant demographics in the Carolinas.
• High Point University: Private North Carolina university similar in size and growth profile, targeting similar undergraduate segments and competing in the same regional talent market.
• Quinnipiac University: Private mid-sized comprehensive university with strong professional schools (business, law, health sciences) and career-outcomes orientation comparable to Elon.
• Rollins College: Private liberal arts college of similar scale emphasizing engaged learning and career outcomes; competes with Elon in private liberal arts undergraduate rankings.
• Creighton University: Private mid-sized Jesuit university with law, business, health sciences and education schools; similar scale, accreditation breadth, and career-focused positioning.
• Loyola Marymount University: Private California comprehensive university with strong undergraduate teaching reputation and multiple professional schools; comparable size and program breadth.
• Butler University: Private mid-sized Indiana university known for undergraduate teaching quality and professional programs; similar selectivity, size, and program mix to Elon.
• Bryant University: Private mid-sized university with strong business and analytics programs and experiential learning focus; comparable scale and career-outcomes orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elonuniversity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/elonuniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/104046759631367
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/163601
• Instagraminstagram.com/elonuniversity

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Elon University