Biola University

What Biola University does

Biola University is a private, nonprofit Christian university headquartered in La Mirada, California, operating nine specialized academic schools plus the Torrey Honors College and the Biola LEARN online platform. It delivers 250+ academic programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online levels across business (Crowell), psychology (Rosemead), theology (Talbot), cinema and media arts (Snyder), education, fine arts and communication, humanities and social sciences, and science, technology, and health. The Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts is anchored by a newly opened 45,463-square-foot media studio featuring a 3,000 sq ft soundstage and a 285-seat theater, with curriculum integrating virtual production and AI tools. The university serves four primary student segments: undergraduate, graduate, online, and international students, recruited via a direct-to-consumer admissions funnel including on-campus tours, an Apply Now portal, Hello Biola admitted-student events, and a $1,000 visit scholarship.

Biola generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees across program tiers, supplemented by donor contributions and endowment distributions. It awards more than $70 million annually in scholarships and grants, including academic scholarships up to $24,500 per year. Major donor funding has been material, exemplified by Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson's record-setting contribution to the media studio. The university maintains an active Office of University Communications and Marketing and a multi-channel digital presence (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, TikTok, YouTube, and the biola.edu site) for top-of-funnel student acquisition. Operationally, it employs 1,001-5,000 staff and faculty, complies with Title IX, FERPA, ADA, Section 504, and Clery Act, and is governed by a Board of Trustees under California nonprofit law with no parent company or external equity ownership. The institution also runs an Office of Innovation that hosts an annual startup competition awarding $27,000 in seed funding to student ventures, layering entrepreneurial programming onto the core academic mission.

Name

Biola University

Legal name

Biola University, Inc.

Website

https://biola.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Biola University is a private, nonprofit Christian university in La Mirada, California, offering 250+ undergraduate, graduate, and online programs across nine academic schools, serving faith-seeking students nationwide and internationally.

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

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK), Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Christian university
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Theological education

Headquarters

HQ city

La Mirada

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including online programs. Students pay tuition based on enrollment status and program.
2. Financial Aid Distribution: The university distributes over $70 million annually in scholarships and grants to students, partially funded by donors and endowment.
3. Donor Contributions: Major donor funding for facilities and programs, exemplified by Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson's significant contribution to the media studio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Biola University is a private Christian university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs through 8 academic schools, the Torrey Honors College, and the Biola LEARN online platform. The university also operates an affiliated media studio and maintains additional campus locations, including a New York site.

Product overview

Biola University is a private Christian university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services across eight academic schools, online education, and specialized programs. The university provides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees through its Crowell School of Business, Rosemead School of Psychology, School of Education, School of Fine Arts and Communication, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Science Technology and Health, Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts (featuring a new 45,463 sq ft media studio), and Talbot School of Theology. Additionally, Biola offers the Torrey Honors College for enhanced liberal arts education, Biola LEARN for online education, academic scholarships (up to $24,500/year, $70M+ total annual aid), and the Office of Innovation which hosts an annual startup competition with $27,000 in seed funding. The institution positions itself as the most comprehensively Christian university in North America with over 250 academic programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crowell School of Business: School of business at Biola University
• Rosemead School of Psychology
• Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts
• Talbot School of Theology
• Torrey Honors College
• School of Education
• School of Fine Arts and Communication
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Science, Technology and Health

Products and services

• Biola LEARN

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% alumni satisfaction rate with Biola experience
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Point Loma Nazarene University: Private Christian (Nazarene) university in San Diego offering undergraduate and graduate programs with faith integration. Comparable size and faith-based positioning serving the same regional California recruitment market.
• Wheaton College: Highly-ranked private evangelical Christian liberal arts college and graduate school in Illinois with similar comprehensive faith-integration positioning. Comparable in selectivity, mission, and program portfolio to Biola.
• Dallas Baptist University: Private Christian university in Texas offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with faith integration. Similar profile as a mid-sized comprehensive faith-based university competing for the same student segment.
• Calvin University: Private Christian (Reformed) comprehensive university in Grand Rapids, Michigan offering undergraduate and graduate programs with faith integration. Comparable size, mission, and program mix to Biola.
• Oral Roberts University: Private charismatic Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma offering undergraduate through doctoral programs across multiple schools. Direct peer in faith-affiliated comprehensive university category with comparable program breadth.
• Azusa Pacific University: Private Christian (interdenominational) university in the greater Los Angeles area with undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across multiple schools. Direct competitor for Southern California faith-based students seeking similar program breadth.
• Pepperdine University: Private faith-affiliated (Churches of Christ) research university in Malibu, California, with comparable doctoral programs, multi-school structure, and similar Southern California recruitment market. Directly competes for the same conservative-Christian student demographic in the same geography.
• Regent University: Private Christian university headquartered in Virginia Beach with a strong online program portfolio (similar to Biola LEARN). Comparable faith-affiliated positioning with significant online distribution across law, business, and communication.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: One of the largest private Christian universities in the US with a massive online program and broad program portfolio. Competes for the same faith-affiliated students nationwide but at substantially larger scale.
• Grand Canyon University: Large for-profit Christian university in Arizona with extensive online programs. Competes for the same faith-affiliated student pool with a substantially larger online and overall enrollment footprint than Biola.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/biolau
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/BiolaUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/Biola
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biola-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/biolauniversity
• TikToktiktok.com/@biolau

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments4 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Biola University