Alabama State University

What Alabama State University does

Alabama State University is a public historically Black college or university (HBCU) founded in 1867 in Montgomery, Alabama, operating under SACSCOC accreditation to award baccalaureate through doctoral degrees. The university serves a multi-segment student body—including undergraduate, graduate, veteran/military-affiliated, youth pre-college, and continuing-education learners—through nearly 50 degree programs delivered both on-campus at 915 S. Jackson Street and globally via ASU Global Campus, its fully online division authorized under NC-SARA. Its core technology stack is built on Oracle PeopleSoft (HornetsWeb/Hornets Nest student information system), the Hornets Access SSO portal, BankMobile-powered student refund disbursements, and standard Office of Technology Services infrastructure.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: recurring tuition and fees (with a $30 application fee, $250 non-refundable housing deposit, and annual billing), philanthropic donations (anchored by a $38M MacKenzie Scott gift in November 2025, the largest in school history), federal grants (IMLS library preservation, NTIA Connecting Minority Communities), congressional earmarks (a $500K Senator Katie Britt appropriation for Mechanical Engineering), corporate philanthropy (Genesis/Genesis Inspiration Foundation $50K for STEM), and emerging transaction-fee revenue from a Scout NIL partnership that is the first of its kind in the SWAC conference. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer via online applications, campus tours, and Connection Day events, supplemented by community-led visibility through NCAA Division I FCS athletics and HBCU community engagement. Recent strategic moves include launching a new Mechanical Engineering program (fall 2024), joining Apple, Alabama Power, and Ed Farm in the ADEN rural digital education initiative (October 2025), and becoming one of eight HBCU institutional partners in the National Business League's Alabama national headquarters relaunch (February 2026).

Name

Alabama State University

Legal name

Alabama State University

Website

https://alasu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Alabama State University is a public HBCU founded in 1867 in Montgomery, Alabama, serving undergraduate, graduate, veteran, and continuing-education students through nearly 50 degree programs delivered on-campus and via the ASU Global Campus online division.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public HBCUs (State-Supported) (EDAHAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Graduate & Professional-Program HBCUs (e.g., law/education/business) (EDAHAMAK), Online & Distance-Learning HBCUs (EDAHAMAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Online degree programs
• Continuing education
• HBCU education
• NCAA athletics

Headquarters

HQ city

Montgomery

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, application fees ($30), and various student fees
2. Major Donations: Significant philanthropic contributions including the $38 million gift from MacKenzie Scott, the largest single donation in ASU history
3. Federal Grants: Government funding including IMLS grants for library preservation ($1,725,261 total FY2025 grants to HBCUs), NTIA connectivity grants, and congressional appropriations
4. Congressional Appropriations: Federal funding through Senator Katie Britt's $11.5 million package including $500,000 for Mechanical Engineering program equipment
5. Corporate Donations: Corporate philanthropy including $50,000 from Genesis/Genesis Inspiration Foundation for Mechanical Engineering scholarships and STEM summer programming
6. NIL Revenue Sharing: Revenue from Scout partnership providing revenue-share distribution for student-athletes under NIL regulations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Alabama State University is a public HBCU offering undergraduate, graduate, educational specialist, and doctoral degree programs across nearly 50 majors on its Montgomery, Alabama campus and through fully online programs via ASU Global Campus. It supplements degree education with non-credit continuing education certificates, NCAA Division I athletics, testing services, veteran and military student support, and youth STEAM programming.

Product overview

Alabama State University offers a portfolio of educational products and services centered around its core academic mission. The primary offerings include ASU Global Campus (fully online degree programs at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels across business, education, health sciences, and liberal arts), Continuing Education (non-credit career training and professional development programs including IT bootcamps), and SKYCAP youth programs. Supporting infrastructure includes Hornets Access (the student portal) and Testing Center services. The university operates as a traditional higher education institution rather than a technology product company, with its 'products' being educational programs and student services rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASU Global Campus Online Education The Division of Online Education and Programs offers fully online degree programs including Master's degrees in Education (Library Educational Media, Elementary Education, Early Education, Instructional Support, Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling), a Master of Science in Applied Technology, Doctor of Education and Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, Bachelor's degrees in Marketing and Psychology, and Master's degrees in Accounting, Business Administration, History, and Rehabilitation Counseling. Designed for working adults and remote learners seeking accredited advanced degrees.
• Continuing Education and Career Training Non-credit certificate programs for career advancement and personal enrichment, including Medical Billing and Coding, Freight Broker/Agent, CompTIA A+, Human Resources, Certified Paralegal, and IT Bootcamps in Cybersecurity, AI Machine Learning, and Web Development. Targeted at adult learners and career changers.
• SKYCAP Youth Programs Summer learning adventure programs supporting academic skills, STEAM awareness, and creative expression for students in grades 1-2 and beyond through the Kids Academy–Tiny Techies Camp extension. Intended for pre-college youth and their families.
• Testing Center Services Comprehensive testing services including entrance exams, university course placement exams, CLEP exams, and professional correspondence exams aligned with National College Testing Association (NCTA) professional standards. Available to ASU students and the broader community.

Quantifiable outcome

• First 10-win football season since 2004
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• HBCU Library AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 February 2026ASU participates in the HBCU Library Alliance receiving IMLS funding for preservation and digitization projects. The alliance collaborates with the American Institute of Physics on specific library preservation initiatives.
• National Business LeagueflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026The National Business League re-established Alabama as its national headquarters with Tuskegee and Montgomery as the central hub for economic development and global engagement. ASU is one of eight HBCU institutional partners in this initiative to build infrastructure for economic sovereignty across Black Belt communities and the global African Diaspora.
• Ed FarmcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025The State of Alabama, in collaboration with nonprofit Ed Farm, launched the Alabama Digital Education Network (ADEN) backed by over $16 million in funding to develop community learning hubs in rural areas including the Black Belt. ASU serves as a key partner providing curriculum and connectivity infrastructure alongside Apple and Alabama Power.
• ApplecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 October 2025Apple provides technology infrastructure as a key partner in the Alabama Digital Education Network (ADEN) initiative to develop community learning hubs in rural Alabama Black Belt communities.
• Alabama PowercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 October 2025Alabama Power provides connectivity infrastructure as a key partner in the Alabama Digital Education Network (ADEN) initiative supporting rural community learning hubs.
• ScoutcoreTechnology or Integration · 23 July 2025ASU became the first SWAC institution to partner with Scout, a financial technology company offering services for student-athletes including revenue-share distribution, cap management tools, financial literacy training, and a mobile wallet app. Student-athletes gain access to tools for managing taxes, savings, LLC formation, and investment planning under NIL regulations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tuskegee University: Tuskegee is a private HBCU also located in Alabama, sharing the same state-level HBCU ecosystem, federal funding pools, and Alabama-based recruitment market as Alabama State. Both are also National Business League HBCU partners.
• Alabama A&M University: Alabama A&M is a public HBCU in Huntsville competing for the same in-state student pool, federal appropriations, and SWAC/National HBCU positioning. Both schools share comparable size and state-supported governance.
• Florida A&M University: Florida A&M is a fellow SWAC public HBCU and direct athletic peer (ASU defeated FAMU in the 2026 SWAC Championship). They compete for HBCU student-athletes, federal grants, and similar recruitment markets in the Southeast.
• Southern University and A&M College: Southern University is a public HBCU and SWAC athletic peer, sharing similar governance, state appropriations model, and HBCU-specific grant pools as Alabama State.
• Jackson State University: Jackson State is a public HBCU and SWAC peer institution with comparable enrollment scale, doctoral programs, and Division I athletics. It represents one of ASU's closest comparables in size and mission.

Broad incumbents

• Howard University: Howard is a much larger and more established private HBCU offering a broader portfolio of graduate and professional programs. It represents the aspirational benchmark for HBCU brand and graduate outcomes.

Regional players

• Talladega College: Talladega is a private HBCU in Alabama with overlapping in-state recruitment competition. It shares similar undergraduate program offerings and state-level HBCU partnership opportunities.
• Miles College: Miles College is a private HBCU in Birmingham, Alabama, drawing from the same in-state Black Belt and Birmingham-metro recruitment pools that ASU targets for undergraduate enrollment.
• Stillman College: Stillman is a private HBCU in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, sharing geographic recruitment markets and competing for similar state and federal HBCU funding with Alabama State.

Others

• Ed Farm: Ed Farm is a nonprofit educational technology organization partnered with ASU in the Alabama Digital Education Network. It is a strategic ally rather than competitor, jointly delivering digital learning infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ASUHornetNation
• Facebookfacebook.com/149537805116515
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alabama-state-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Alabama State University