Friends University

What Friends University does

Friends University is a private, non-profit Christian university of Quaker heritage founded in 1898 in Wichita, Kansas, serving approximately 2,000 students across undergraduate, graduate, and adult-learning programs. The institution offers 60+ degree programs spanning business, STEM, education, fine arts, theology, and specialized fields such as Zoo Science and Christian Spiritual Formation, delivered through a 50-acre main campus, regional centers in Overland Park and Topeka, and an online platform branded Friends Flex. Supporting services include the FalconHub student portal, Handshake-powered career services, on-campus residence life, campus ministries, and wellness/therapy services through the Center on Family Living. The Apprentice Institute, launched in 2010, extends the spiritual formation mission into a distinctive continuing-education product.

The university generates primary revenue through tuition charged to traditional undergraduate, graduate, and FLEX (adult/online) students, supplemented by federal student aid (FAFSA code 001918), institutional scholarships (100% of traditional undergraduates receive scholarships), donations, and fundraising campaigns. Go-to-market is sales-led through dedicated admissions counselors and direct-to-consumer across the university website, social channels, email, and campus events including visit days and career fairs. Core technology infrastructure consists of Moodle for learning management, Banner/SSB for student information, and standard online course delivery tools; there are no proprietary AI/ML capabilities. The institution is governed by an independent Board of Trustees, has been HLC-accredited since 1915 (reaffirmed 2018-2019), and operates as a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Since 2014-2015, the university has been executing a Revitalization and Growth Plan under President Dr. Amy Bragg Carey (the 14th president), reversing a prior decline and expanding program and leadership capacity, including a 2026 appointment to chair the NAICU Executive Committee.

Name

Friends University

Legal name

Friends University

Website

https://friends.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Friends University is a private, non-profit Christian university of Quaker heritage founded in 1898 in Wichita, Kansas, serving approximately 2,000 students across 60+ undergraduate, graduate, and online (Friends Flex) degree programs through its Wichita campus, regional centers, and digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Christian Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Divinity Schools (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAKAC), Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Undergraduate degrees
• Graduate programs
• Christian university
• Online degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wichita

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Friends University generates primary revenue through tuition charged to undergraduate, graduate, and adult undergraduate students. The institution offers various tuition rates for traditional undergraduate, graduate, and FLEX (adult/online) programs.
2. Financial Aid and Scholarships: Revenue is supplemented through federal student aid (FAFSA code: 001918), institutional scholarships, and outside scholarships. All traditional undergraduate students receive scholarships.
3. Donations and Fundraising: The university receives donations through annual fund campaigns, capital campaign pledges, and specific program funds (Falcon Fund Scholarships, Athletics, Business, Education, Fine Arts, STEM, Theology & Humanities).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Friends University is a private Christian university of Quaker heritage that delivers accredited undergraduate, graduate, and online degree programs (60+ majors) to roughly 2,000 students through its Wichita residential campus, regional Kansas centers, and the Friends Flex online platform. It pairs academic instruction with explicit Christian spiritual formation, supports students with advising, career, residence life, and campus ministries services, and awards scholarships to all traditional undergraduates.

Product overview

Friends University is a Christian university of Quaker heritage offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offerings include traditional on-campus undergraduate degree programs across 40+ majors (including nationally recognized programs in Zoo Science, Christian Spiritual Formation, and Fine Arts), graduate programs at the Master's and Doctoral levels, and Friends Flex online undergraduate degree pathways for adult learners. Supporting the academic mission are the FalconHub student portal, academic advising and success coaching, career services through Handshake, on-campus residence life, Campus Ministries with spiritual formation programming, and wellness/therapy services. The university also offers a 4+1 accelerated degree program enabling students to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in five years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Apprentice Institute: A program created in June 2010 to promote higher-level thinking, deeper conversation, and creative track for growing closer to God, focusing on spirituality, evangelism, and spiritual formation.
• Friends Flex

Products and services

• Traditional Undergraduate Degree Programs Residential on-campus bachelor's degree programs across 40+ majors (business, STEM, fine arts, education, theology, and the nationally recognized Zoo Science program) for traditional college-age students, with mandatory first-year on-campus residency and guaranteed institutional scholarships.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's and doctoral degree programs including MBA-equivalents, Master of Education, Master of Science in Family Therapy, Health Care Leadership, Management Information Systems, Strategic Leadership, and the Doctor of Ministry in Formation and Soul Care, delivered on campus and at regional centers.
• Friends Flex Online Undergraduate Programs Fully online undergraduate degree pathways for adult learners in Business Administration, Cyber Security, Elementary Education, General Studies, Psychology, and Strategic Leadership, with discounted tuition for business partners, military, and other organizations.
• 4+1 Combined Degree Program Accelerated pathway that lets students from any participating undergraduate major earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years.
• Apprentice Institute Spiritual formation program equipping students and ministry leaders with deeper engagement in spirituality, evangelism, and spiritual formation as an integrated part of a Friends University education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 74 percent higher chance of graduating for students who live on campus
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Acadeum (formerly College Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends University participates in course sharing through Acadeum, allowing students to take online courses from other member institutions. The university engages in consortial relationships with the Kansas Independent College Association (KICA) and the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC), enabling students to access courses from mission-aligned campuses across the country.
• National Student ClearinghousecoreTechnology or IntegrationFriends University has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide enrollment and degree verifications. Transcript ordering is processed through the Clearinghouse's partner platform.
• FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends University participates in federal student aid programs. The university's FAFSA code is 001918, allowing students to apply for federal grants, loans, and work-study programs.
• American Association of Colleges and UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends University aligns its high-impact practices with AAC&U standards, providing undergraduate research, service learning, internships, diversity/global learning, and first-year seminars as recommended by the association.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tabor College: Private Christian college in Kansas affiliated with Mennonite Brethren. Comparable in scale, faith-based mission, residential liberal arts model, and Kansas regional footprint.
• Southwestern College (Kansas): Private Methodist-affiliated university in Winfield, KS offering undergraduate, graduate, and adult-completion programs. Closely comparable faith-affiliated model with similar program mix and Kansas regional reach.
• McPherson College: Private Church of the Brethren-affiliated college in McPherson, KS. Similar size, faith-rooted identity, residential undergraduate model, and small-college cost dynamics.
• Bethany College (Kansas): Small private liberal arts college in Lindsborg, KS with a Christian (Church of the Brethren) heritage. Comparable private, faith-affiliated, sub-2,000 student institution in the same regional market.
• Newman University: Private Catholic university in Wichita, KS offering undergraduate, graduate, and adult-completion programs. Most direct local competitor — same city, same private non-profit model, similar size and faith-based positioning.
• MidAmerica Nazarene University: Private Christian university in Olathe, KS affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Comparable in scale, faith-based mission, and Kansas City metro reach for adult and graduate learners.
• Sterling College: Private Christian college in Sterling, KS affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. Comparable faith-affiliated, sub-scale Kansas private institution competing for the same regional student pool.

Broad incumbents

• Wichita State University: Public R2 research university in Wichita, KS. Competes head-to-head for Wichita-area students on price and program breadth, anchoring the same local enrollment market that Friends depends on.
• Oklahoma Baptist University: Larger private Baptist university in Shawnee, OK with comparable faith-based mission, residential undergraduate model, and graduate programs. Operates in a broader geography and offers more scale.

Regional players

• Hesston College: Private two-year Mennonite college in Hesston, KS. Comparable faith-affiliated Kansas institution; smaller and more limited in program mix but competes for the same regional Christian-college segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/friendsu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FriendsUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/97957577132
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/friends-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsu
• Pinterestpinterest.com/friendsu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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 Friends University