Prescott College
Prescott College is a private, nonprofit higher education institution in Prescott, Arizona serving approximately 870 students through experiential on-campus, online, and graduate programs, with global field stations in Kenya and Mexico and a published tuition reset to $15,000 for Fall 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1966
- HeadquartersPrescott, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Prescott College does
Prescott College is a private, nonprofit higher education institution founded in 1966 and headquartered in Prescott, Arizona, serving approximately 870 students through on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate programs (MA, MS, MEd, EdS, and PhD). The college is differentiated by an experiential, field-based pedagogy supported by a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, wilderness and community-based orientations, and exclusive global field stations at the Dopoi Center in Kenya and the Kino Bay Center in Mexico. Programmatic strengths center on sustainability education, outdoor leadership, adventure-based and nature-based counseling, environmental studies, regenerative design, and social-justice organizing, with 65% of students enrolled in online or limited-residency formats and additional short-form offerings in microcredentials and certificates.
The institution runs on a tuition-driven nonprofit business model. Published on-campus undergraduate tuition is being reset from $33,960 in 2025–26 to $15,000 for Fall 2026, a 55.8% reduction; graduate program tuition ranges from $8,040 (MA in Social Justice & Community Organizing) to $31,152 (PhD in Sustainability Education), and online undergraduate tuition is $12,288. Substantial need-based aid (average gift aid $17,226; 100% of Fall 2021 freshmen received need-based grants) and the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans are core affordability features, indicating that net realized revenue per student is materially below gross tuition.
Distribution and go-to-market rely on a regional admissions counselor network (Pacific Northwest, Texas, general), Common App as a top-of-funnel channel, and partnership-based enrollment pipelines including the EcoLeague and CIEL exchange consortia, a guaranteed admission pathway with St. Lawrence University, and a teach-out arrangement for Hampshire College students. Operational and brand assets include HLC accreditation, AASHE STARS Silver, LEED-certified buildings, Zero Waste Bronze, Tree Campus Higher Education, Certified Wildlife Habitat, and Green Grounds Platinum certifications, alongside external rankings (Top 20 Best Colleges for Hikers; #6 affordable online education and #13 online education programs, BestColleges.com 2022). Leadership transitioned in January 2026 with Dr. Dan Garvey's reappointment as the 19th President.
Prescott College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Prescott College
- Legal name
- Prescott College
- Website
- https://prescott.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1966
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Prescott College is a private, nonprofit higher education institution in Prescott, Arizona serving approximately 870 students through experiential on-campus, online, and graduate programs, with global field stations in Kenya and Mexico and a published tuition reset to $15,000 for Fall 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Prescott College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)
Keywords
Where Prescott College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Prescott
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Prescott College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition charges for on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate degree programs. Tuition varies by program type with significant financial aid and scholarship programs offsetting costs for students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | On-campus undergraduate annual tuition reset to $15,000 for Fall 2026 |
| Subscription | Annual | Graduate program tuitions range from $8,040 to $31,152 |
| Subscription | Annual | Online undergraduate tuition $12,288 per year |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Prescott College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Prescott College is a private, nonprofit higher education institution that offers on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate degree programs (MA, MS, MEd, EdS, PhD) with an experiential, field-based learning model. Programs span sustainability education, outdoor leadership, clinical mental health counseling, regenerative design, transformative food systems, environmental studies, and teacher education, with global learning experiences at field stations in Kenya and Mexico. The college also delivers microcredentials, post-bachelor's certificates, and an accelerated master's pathway for current undergraduates.
Product overview
Prescott College is an experiential higher education institution offering a diverse portfolio of educational products and services. The college operates on a platform-plus-modules architecture with core offerings including on-campus undergraduate programs, online undergraduate programs, and graduate degree programs (MA, MS, MEd, EdS, PhD). These programs span specialized disciplines such as Sustainability Education, Outdoor Leadership, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Environmental Studies, Transformative Food Systems, and Regenerative Design. The portfolio includes microcredentials, professional certificates (Adventure-Based Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, Nature-Based Therapy), and access to global education centers in Kenya and Mexico. All programs emphasize experiential, field-based, and interdisciplinary learning approaches with 65% of students pursuing degrees in online or limited residency formats.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- On-Campus Undergraduate Programs Residential undergraduate bachelor's degree programs based at the Prescott, Arizona campus with experiential and field-based learning approaches, including Wilderness and Community-Based Orientation programs for incoming students.
- Online Undergraduate Programs Distance learning undergraduate bachelor's degree programs using a bioregional approach that allows students to apply coursework directly to their local communities and contexts.
- Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral degrees (MA, MS, MEd, EdS, PhD) offered in online or limited-residency formats for working professionals and specialized learners across multiple disciplines.
- Clinical Mental Health Counseling (MS) Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with optional certificates in Adventure-Based Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, and Nature-Based Therapy for graduate students pursuing counseling careers.
- Outdoor Leadership (MA) Master of Arts in Outdoor Leadership preparing graduate students for careers in outdoor education, adventure leadership, and field-based experiential programming.
- Sustainability Education (PhD) Doctoral program in Sustainability Education preparing researchers, educators, and leaders for environmental and social sustainability work.
- Regenerative Design (MA) Master of Arts in Regenerative Design focused on regenerative design principles and practice for sustainability-focused graduate students.
- Transformative Food Systems (MA) Master of Arts in Transformative Food Systems focused on sustainable food systems for graduate students interested in food systems transformation.
- Microcredentials Short, focused credential programs including Yoga Immersion on the San Juan River and Foundations of Community Journalism for non-degree learners seeking targeted skills.
- Graduate Certificates (Adventure-Based Counseling, Expressive Arts Therapy, Nature-Based Therapy) Post-bachelor's and graduate certificates in specialized areas, including Adventure-Based Counseling (with prerequisites such as wilderness first responder certification and 100 direct service hours), Expressive Arts Therapy (requiring a 12-15 piece creative art portfolio), and Nature-Based Therapy.
- Accelerated Master's Degree Program Program allowing current Prescott College undergraduate students to begin taking graduate-level courses while completing their bachelor's degree, accelerating time to a master's.
Quantifiable outcome
- 9:1 student to faculty ratio
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Prescott College
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Prescott College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Prescott College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- St. Lawrence UniversitycoreGuaranteed admission pathway partnership for students who complete St. Lawrence's Outdoor Leadership minor into Prescott College's Master's in Outdoor Leadership program. Builds on existing EcoLeague Exchange relationship. Eligible graduates must be in good academic standing, complete the minor, enroll within five years of graduation, and have no academic or behavioral violations. Aims to create professional pathways for outdoor leadership careers.
- EcoLeaguecoreExchange relationship with EcoLeague consortium of colleges enabling student exchange opportunities. Prescott College also partners with CIEL (Consortium for Interactive Environmental Learning) for additional exchange opportunities.
- Hampshire CollegeminorTeach-out partner for Hampshire College, supporting students as they explore Prescott College as one of their transfer options following Hampshire's closure announcement.
- Common AppcoreApplication platform partnership allowing prospective students to apply through Common Application, reaching millions of students through standard college application infrastructure.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Prescott College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Naropa University: A small private university in Boulder, Colorado with contemplative, experiential education and similar graduate program mix (counseling, sustainability, leadership) — overlapping student segments and similar pedagogy positioning.
- Bennington College: A small private progressive liberal arts college in Vermont with interdisciplinary, field-driven programs and graduate offerings — directly comparable in mission, size, and experiential curricular philosophy.
- Hampshire College: A small private liberal arts college in Massachusetts with a progressive, experiential pedagogy and self-directed curriculum — closely mirrors Prescott's student-driven, mission-focused model. Hampshire's recent teach-out dynamic with Prescott directly cements their positioning as comparable institutions.
- Unity College: A small private college in Maine rebranded around sustainability science and animal health with online program expansion — a direct comparable in the niche sustainability higher-ed space and in pricing/affordability repositioning.
- College of the Atlantic: A small Maine-based college focused exclusively on human ecology with an interdisciplinary, experiential curriculum — directly comparable in size, mission orientation toward sustainability, and small-class pedagogy to Prescott.
- Goddard College: A small progressive liberal arts college in Vermont with self-directed, experiential education and low-residency graduate programs — closely mirrors Prescott's adult-learner, low-residency graduate model despite its current operating challenges.
- Antioch College: A small private liberal arts college with a progressive, experiential co-op education model that has undergone multiple operational resets — directly comparable in mission, scale, and the challenges facing small progressive liberal arts institutions.
- Sterling College (Vermont): A small environmental liberal arts college in Craftsbury, Vermont with a work-and-experiential learning model, environmental stewardship focus, and similar enrollment scale — one of the closest operational analogues to Prescott's experiential sustainability positioning.
- New College of Florida: A small public honors liberal arts college with an individualized, contract-based curriculum and low student-to-faculty ratio — comparable in pedagogical model and small residential scale to Prescott.
Broad incumbents
- Evergreen State College: A public liberal arts college in Washington state with a similar progressive, interdisciplinary, seminar-based pedagogy without grades — a broader-scale public-sector analogue to Prescott's experiential model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Prescott College social profiles
Digital presencePrescott College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance9 records
Prescott College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Prescott College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Prescott College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Prescott College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Prescott College
What does Prescott College do?
Prescott College is a private, nonprofit higher education institution that offers on-campus undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate degree programs (MA, MS, MEd, EdS, PhD) with an experiential, field-based learning model. Programs span sustainability education, outdoor leadership, clinical mental health counseling, regenerative design, transformative food systems, environmental studies, and teacher education, with global learning experiences at field stations in Kenya and Mexico. The college also delivers microcredentials, post-bachelor's certificates, and an accelerated master's pathway for current undergraduates.
Is Prescott College a public or private company?
Prescott College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Prescott College founded?
Prescott College was founded in 1966. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Prescott College based?
Prescott College is headquartered in Prescott, United States, in the North America region.
How does Prescott College make money?
One revenue line is on record: tuition and Fees.
Who are Prescott College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Naropa University, Bennington College, Hampshire College, Unity College, College of the Atlantic, Goddard College, Antioch College, Sterling College (Vermont) and New College of Florida. Evergreen State College is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Prescott College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Prescott College.
What industry is Prescott College in?
Prescott College's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAK, Online Nonprofit Universities, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAD, Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.