Claflin University

What Claflin University does

Claflin University is a private, nonprofit historically black university founded in 1869 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is the oldest and first HBCU in the state, currently serving approximately 1,900 students across 40 undergraduate majors, 6 graduate degrees, and 10 online degrees organized into four academic schools (Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, and Education). The institution maintains a 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio, with 83% of faculty holding terminal degrees, and serves a diversified student base spanning traditional undergraduates, graduate students, working adults in accelerated CPCS programs, and asynchronous online learners.

The technology platform is conventional enterprise education infrastructure: Canvas LMS (claflin.instructure.com) for course delivery, Office 365 for productivity, a YouVisit virtual tour for prospective students, Constant Contact for email marketing, and a bncollege.com-powered bookstore. Specialized offerings include the Honors College and Alice Carson Tisdale Honor College, the Visionary Leadership Institute, the Public Opinion and Social Behavior Research Institute (POSBRI), and the STEM Truck for community outreach. A new two-building Public Health Center is under construction in 2026 with HRSA federal grant funding. The institution maintains SACSCOC accreditation, Title IX compliance, and WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

Revenue is generated through tuition and fees (subscription-recurring, per-semester billing across undergraduate, graduate, and online tiers), annual alumni and donor giving via the Claflin Fund, federal grants (notably HRSA), and project-based grants such as the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through online applications at apply.claflin.edu, supported by a multi-channel recruitment infrastructure spanning social media, virtual tours, campus events (Panther Ready Day, Hilltop Experience), and high school counselor engagement. The institution markets to four customer segments (traditional undergraduates, graduate students, non-traditional/professional students, and online learners) and cites Top 10 Private HBCU status and the #1 alumni giving ranking among HBCUs as primary positioning claims.

Name

Claflin University

Legal name

Claflin University

Website

https://claflin.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Claflin University is a private nonprofit HBCU in Orangeburg, South Carolina, founded in 1869, serving approximately 1,900 students across 40 undergraduate majors, 6 graduate degrees, and 10 online degrees, with revenue generated primarily from tuition, alumni donations, and federal grants.

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

Honors Liberal Arts Colleges (Honors College/Program-Led) (EDAHACAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Online learning platform
• Continuing education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Orangeburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

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, along with associated fees for academic programs
2. Annual Giving and Donations (The Claflin Fund): Annual Alumni, Family, and Friends Campaign providing critical financial support for scholarships and university initiatives
3. Federal Grants (HRSA): Health Resources and Services Administration grant funding for public health center construction and healthcare programs
4. Grant Funding (Library of Congress): Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant for collaborative K-12 educational initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Claflin University is a private, nonprofit historically black university that delivers residential undergraduate education, graduate degree programs, and continuing education for working adults at its Orangeburg, South Carolina campus. Academic offerings are organized across four schools—Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Business, and Education—spanning 40 undergraduate majors, 6 graduate degrees, and 10 online degrees, with online delivery through the CUOnline platform built on Canvas. Specialized named offerings include the Visionary Leadership Institute, Honors College, Alice Carson Tisdale Honor College, and the Center for Professional and Continuing Studies (CPCS) for accelerated adult degree completion.

Product overview

Claflin University is a comprehensive historically black university offering undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs through multiple academic schools. The institution operates CU Online as its primary online education platform, complemented by the Center for Professional and Continuing Studies for working adults. Academic divisions include the School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics (with programs in Biotechnology, Cybersecurity, Nursing, Computer Science), School of Humanities and Social Sciences (Art, English, Political Science, Mass Communications), School of Business (Business Administration, MBA), and School of Education. The university provides specialized programs including the Visionary Leadership Institute, Honors College, Alice Carson Tisdale Honor College, and Office of Global Education for study abroad. Additional services include library resources, career development, academic coaching, and research institutes like POSBRI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CU Online
• Center for Professional and Continuing Studies (CPCS)
• School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
• School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Business
• School of Education
• Master of Science in Biotechnology
• Master of Science in Cyber Security
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
• Visionary Leadership Institute
• Honors College
• Alice Carson Tisdale Honor College
• Office of Global Education

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Orangeburg County School District (OCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Claflin University and OCSD partnership for the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources grant project. The initiative strengthens instructional practices, enhances curriculum development, and expands access to high-quality educational resources across seven OCSD high schools. Workshops provided educators with training and strategies to integrate Library of Congress resources into classroom instruction.
• Hyde Closet, Inc.minorOthersPartnership with Hyde Closet, Inc. for the Panther Closet professional attire program. Donors sponsor students to receive professional outfits, dry cleaning, and styling advice for career readiness and professional dress.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Allen University: Allen is a small private HBCU in Columbia, SC affiliated with the AME Church, offering undergraduate and graduate programs. As a similarly-sized, faith-affiliated HBCU in the same state, it competes with Claflin for South Carolina students in the HBCU market.
• Benedict College: Benedict is a private HBCU in Columbia, SC offering undergraduate and graduate programs with a liberal arts focus. As a like-sized regional HBCU located in the same state, it directly competes with Claflin for South Carolina students seeking HBCU experiences.
• South Carolina State University: SC State is a public HBCU in Orangeburg, SC — the same city as Claflin — offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. Geographic overlap makes it a direct local competitor for HBCU-bound students in the Orangeburg and Columbia markets.

Broad incumbents

• Howard University: Howard is a prominent private HBCU in Washington, DC offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Like Claflin, it serves the African American community with a liberal arts and STEM focus, and competes for the same demographic of high-achieving students seeking HBCU experiences.

Direct peers

• Tuskegee University: Tuskegee is a private HBCU in Alabama with strong STEM, engineering, and veterinary programs. As a similarly-sized private HBCU in the Southeast, it competes with Claflin for students interested in STEM, agriculture, and pre-professional tracks.
• Hampton University: Hampton is a private HBCU in Virginia offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs with a strong emphasis on STEM and liberal arts. It is similar in scale to Claflin and competes head-to-head for students across the Southeast seeking private HBCU education.
• Xavier University of Louisiana: Xavier is a private, Catholic-affiliated HBCU in New Orleans, distinguished by its STEM and pre-med programs. It competes with Claflin for STEM-oriented African American students and serves a similar student demographic seeking small, faith-rooted HBCU experiences.
• Morehouse College: Morehouse is a private, all-men HBCU in Atlanta focused on liberal arts education and leadership development. It competes with Claflin for traditional undergraduate students, particularly through overlapping value propositions around HBCU identity, mentorship, and alumni networks.
• Spelman College: Spelman is a private, all-women HBCU in Atlanta with a strong liberal arts focus, small student-to-faculty ratios, and robust alumni giving. It directly competes with Claflin for high-achieving African American women seeking residential HBCU liberal arts education.
• Fisk University: Fisk is a small private HBCU in Nashville with a strong liberal arts focus and high-achieving student profile. It competes with Claflin for academically-oriented students seeking intimate residential HBCU environments with strong research opportunities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ClaflinUniv1869
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCor6ta45JRtt1z1A5jZTjVQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/167665389946932
• Instagraminstagram.com/claflin1869
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/claflin-university

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors3 records

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 Claflin University