Walden University

What Walden University does

Walden University is a fully online, accredited higher education institution headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, founded in 1970 and currently operating as a private member of Covista. It targets working adults and other non-traditional learners through a direct-to-consumer model, offering more than 100 degree and certificate programs across bachelor's, master's, doctoral, education specialist, and graduate certificate levels, organized into eight colleges spanning business, education, nursing, health sciences, counseling, criminal justice, psychology, information technology, public policy, and social work. Students can choose between Tempo Learning, a self-paced competency-based platform approved by the Higher Learning Commission and available across 25+ programs, and a conventional course-based format with scheduled cohorts and weekly discussions.

The underlying platform combines a proprietary learning management system with multimedia simulations, the Doctoral Degree Coach support initiative, and integration with federal financial aid systems, ProQuest dissertation publication, and seven major programmatic accreditations (HLC, CSWE, CAEP, ACBSP, CEPH, CCNE, CACREP). Walden is the largest conferrer of doctoral degrees in education and the largest provider of doctoral research programs in nursing in the U.S., with more than 200,000 alumni.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees charged per quarter credit hour (approximately $565) or via Tempo Learning three-month subscription periods, supplemented by federal Title IV aid (Pell Grants, Direct Loans, Graduate PLUS) and employer-sponsored tuition assistance through 750+ corporate and association partnerships. Distribution is exclusively online via the waldenu.edu website, supported by dedicated Enrollment Specialists operating an inside sales motion, alumni referrals, employer-channel partnerships, and digital marketing across SEO, social media, and email.

Name

Walden University

Legal name

Walden University LLC

Website

https://waldenu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Walden University is a fully online accredited institution founded in 1970 that delivers 100+ degree and certificate programs to working adults, with category leadership in doctoral education and nursing and a competency-based Tempo Learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE), Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF), Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Distance learning programs
• Doctoral degree programs
• Competency-based education
• Professional certificates

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Walden generates revenue primarily through tuition charges for its degree and certificate programs. Tuition is charged per quarter credit hour or through subscription-based Tempo Learning periods. Additional fees include program fees.
2. Federal Financial Aid: Walden participates in federal grant and loan programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Students may receive Federal Pell Grants, Federal Direct Loans, and Graduate PLUS loans. Federal school code is 025042.
3. Employer Partnerships: Walden partners with 750+ employers and associations worldwide who may sponsor or partially fund employee education through tuition assistance programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Walden University is an accredited online university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, education specialist, and certificate programs to working adults entirely online. It offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs across business, education, nursing, health sciences, counseling, criminal justice, psychology, IT, public policy, and social work. Programs are delivered via two formats: a course-based schedule-driven model and a self-paced competency-based platform called Tempo Learning.

Product overview

Walden University is an accredited online university offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The core offering consists of a platform-plus-modules architecture with Bachelor's (13 programs), Master's (40+ programs with 175+ specializations), Doctoral (26 programs with 150+ specializations), Education Specialist, and Certificate programs (60+ programs) spanning business, education, nursing, health sciences, counseling, criminal justice, psychology, information technology, public policy, and social work. Students can choose between two learning formats: Tempo Learning (self-paced competency-based education in 25+ programs) and Course-Based Format (schedule-driven course-by-course progression). Additional offerings include the School of Lifelong Learning for non-degree courses and professional development. The institution also provides specialized credentials including Graduate Certificates in Public Health, Conflict Management and Negotiation, and Public Policy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tempo Learning®: A self-paced, competency-based learning option that allows students to set their own schedule and progress at their own speed with guidance from a personal academic coach. Available for 25+ select programs and specializations.
• Believe & Achieve Scholarship®
• AI Certificate Program

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs 13 online undergraduate programs spanning business, education, nursing, health sciences, criminal justice, communication, psychology, and social work, including BS in Business Administration, BS in Criminal Justice, BS in Elementary Education, BS in Special Education, BS in Healthcare Administration, BS in Public Health, RN-BSN, BS in Psychology, Bachelor of Social Work, and BS in Human Services. Targeted at working adults seeking career advancement or a first degree.
• Master's Degree Programs More than 40 master's programs with over 175 specializations across business and management, counseling, criminal justice, education, health sciences, information technology, nursing, psychology, public policy, and social work. Includes MBA, MS in Human Resource Management, MS in Leadership, MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and dual degrees. Aimed at professionals pursuing advanced credentials and career advancement.
• Doctoral Degree Programs 26 doctoral programs with over 150 specializations including PhD, EdD, DBA, DNP, DrPH, and PsyD tracks in business, counseling, criminal justice, education, health sciences, IT, nursing, psychology, public policy, and social work. Walden is the #1 conferrer of doctoral degrees in education and #1 provider of doctoral research programs in nursing in the U.S. Designed for practitioners pursuing terminal degrees.
• Education Specialist (EdS) Programs Online Education Specialist degree programs including EdS in Curriculum Instruction and Assessment, Early Childhood Education, Educational Administration and Leadership, Educational Technology, Learning Instruction and Innovation, Reading Literacy and Assessment, and Special Education. Targeted at educators seeking specialized graduate credentials beyond a master's degree.
• Certificate Programs Over 60 career-focused certificate programs including graduate certificates in business management, human resource management, leadership, criminal justice, education, public health, information systems, nursing specializations, applied behavior analysis, public policy, nonprofit management, and conflict management. Many credits can apply toward related master's or doctoral programs. Designed for professionals seeking focused credentials.
• School of Lifelong Learning Flexible online non-degree courses and for-credit courses drawn from the program catalog, plus professional development non-credit offerings. Courses available in education, counseling, business, IT, psychology, and healthcare for professional development, skills refresh, and licensure requirements. Targeted at working professionals seeking targeted skill updates without enrolling in a full degree program.
• Tempo Learning Self-paced competency-based education platform available in 25+ select programs and specializations. Students set their own schedules, take assessments when ready, and receive guidance from personal academic coaches, enrolling in unlimited classes within three-month subscription periods. Walden was the sixth institution approved by the U.S. government to offer direct assessment competency-based education. Targeted at learners seeking flexible, self-directed pacing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of alumni likely to recommend Walden
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Google CloudcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 October 2025Walden University (through parent company Adtalem Global Education) partnered with Google Cloud to launch an AI credential program for healthcare students and professionals, set to debut in 2026. The program will include hands-on training with Google Cloud's AI tools and coursework on ethical standards and applications in healthcare, aiming to prepare clinicians to use AI effectively in clinical practice.
• 750+ Employer and Association PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerWalden partners with more than 750 employers and associations from around the world. Employees of partner organizations may be eligible for tuition assistance benefits, and organizations can sponsor employee education through these partnerships. An employer assistance finder tool helps prospective students identify if their employer participates.
• CovistacoreOthersWalden University is a member of Covista (also known as Covista's Global Education Group). Covista is the parent company of Walden University and other educational institutions.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue University Global: The online arm of Purdue University, focused on adult learners and career-oriented degree and certificate programs. Competes with Walden across business, healthcare, and education verticals, leveraging the Purdue brand to attract similar working-adult and military/veteran segments.
• Capella University: An online university specializing in graduate and doctoral programs for working professionals, with FlexPath self-paced learning similar to Walden's Tempo Learning. Highly comparable in product mix, learner persona, and competency-based/direct-assessment positioning.
• Liberty University Online: A large private nonprofit university with a substantial online program portfolio covering associate through doctoral degrees. Comparable to Walden in scale, online-first adult learner focus, and breadth of doctoral offerings, particularly in education and business.
• American Public University System: An online university system serving military, veteran, and public-service working adults. Competes with Walden for the same military/veteran segment and shares a similar tuition, federal-aid, and employer-tuition-assistance revenue model.
• Strayer University: A for-profit online and hybrid university focused on working adults pursuing business, IT, and education degrees. Closely comparable to Walden in adult-learner targeting, online delivery, and reliance on employer-sponsored tuition and federal student aid.
• University of Phoenix: A long-established online university focused on working adults, with large enrollment in business, nursing, education, and IT programs. Closely comparable to Walden in target market, online-only delivery model, employer partnerships, and heavy reliance on tuition and federal aid.
• Southern New Hampshire University: One of the largest nonprofit online universities in the U.S., serving working adults with a broad portfolio of undergraduate and graduate programs. Highly comparable to Walden in target student (working adults), online-only delivery, and emphasis on tuition assistance and employer partnerships.
• Western Governors University: A nonprofit, fully online university and the founding pioneer of competency-based education with a large working-adult student base. Directly competes with Walden across bachelor's, master's, and credential programs, especially in nursing, education, business, and IT, and is the primary benchmark for Tempo Learning-style CBE models.
• Grand Canyon University: A large private university with a significant online division serving traditional and adult learners across healthcare, education, and business. Competes with Walden for online working adults and shares a similar emphasis on doctoral and professional programs in healthcare and education.

Broad incumbents

• Adtalem Global Education: A publicly traded higher education company that previously owned Walden and operates Chamberlain University and Ross University. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the same online and for-profit-adjacent higher education space and the most relevant peer for understanding Walden's economics as a Covista-owned asset.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/waldenu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WaldenUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/21102804224
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walden-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/waldenuniversity

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Walden University