What Carroll University does

Carroll University is a private, independent higher-education institution founded in 1846 as Wisconsin's first college and operated as a single legal entity from its 50-acre main campus in Waukesha, Wisconsin, with a Presbyterian Church (USA) affiliation dating to 1850. The institution delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional-education programs across four academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Sullivan School of Business, Engineering and Technology, and School of Education and Human Services, offering more than 95 areas of study plus doctoral, master's, and certificate programs including a direct-admit six-year BS-to-Doctor of Physical Therapy pathway and a top-three-in-Wisconsin nursing program. Technology infrastructure centers on the carrollu.edu platform, a proprietary application portal, the MyCarrollU student portal, ZeeMee social app integration, Transferology credit-evaluation tooling, 360° photo campus tours, and a fall-2020 eSports Center, with all instruction delivered primarily on-campus.

The business model is tuition-driven: undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees are the primary revenue stream, supplemented by auxiliary services (dining, bookstore, housing, parking, facility rentals), donor contributions and annual fundraising, and a smaller professional-education revenue line offering customized corporate training, coaching, consulting, and drone services to the local business community. Pricing is structured as annual subscription tuition with credit-hour billing for part-time enrollment; there is no application fee and 100% of students receive some form of financial assistance, with over $41 million in aid awarded annually against an average 2.5-5% annual tuition increase. Customers are segmented across first-year undergraduates, transfer/adult learners, graduate students, international students from 36 countries, part-time enrollees, and military/veteran students, with the GTM motion running direct-to-consumer through the university's own portal, the Common Application, virtual and on-campus visits, and information sessions rather than through any third-party distribution partner.

Name

Carroll University

Legal name

Carroll University

Website

https://carrollu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1846

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Carroll University is a private, independent four-year institution in Waukesha, Wisconsin, founded in 1846 as Wisconsin's first college. It serves more than 3,500 undergraduates plus graduate and professional students through 95+ areas of study across four academic colleges, with a tuition-driven business model, no application fee, and 100% of students receiving financial aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukesha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with various financial aid packages offered to offset costs. The university awards over $41 million annually in financial aid.
2. Donor Contributions and Fundraising: Annual giving campaigns including Pio Week, The Carroll Fund, planned giving programs, and crowdfunding initiatives supporting student scholarships and university programs.
3. Auxiliary Services: Revenue from campus dining services, bookstore and Pioneer Shop merchandise, housing fees, parking permits, and campus facility rentals.
4. Professional Education and Training: Customized training, coaching and consulting services, graduate certificate programs, and drone services offered to businesses and professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Carroll University delivers higher education through undergraduate programs (95+ areas of study), graduate degree programs (doctoral, master's, certificates), and professional education/training. The university is organized into four academic units covering Arts and Sciences, Health Sciences, Sullivan School of Business/Engineering/Technology, and Education and Human Services, supported by campus life facilities including residence halls, dining, athletics, and the Campus Center.

Product overview

Carroll University is Wisconsin's first college, founded in 1846, offering a comprehensive higher education portfolio comprising undergraduate programs (95+ majors/minors), graduate programs (doctoral, master's, and certificates), and professional education. The institution is organized into four academic units: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Sullivan School of Business/Engineering/Technology, and School of Education and Human Services. Unique offerings include the Pioneer Core general education program, Honors Center, Center for the Humanities, and campus facilities like the Campus Center, Dining Services, and eSports Center. The university serves over 3,500 undergraduates and emphasizes experiential learning through community partnerships, cross-cultural experiences, and career-focused curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pioneer Core: Carroll University's general education requirement program - an innovative curriculum featuring foundational experiences, distribution courses, and cross-cultural experiences
• Honors Center
• Center for the Humanities
• Pioneer Pete

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs Over 95 undergraduate areas of study across liberal arts, sciences, business, health sciences, and education, offering majors, specializations, minors, and associate degrees for prospective first-year, transfer, and part-time students.
• Graduate Programs Graduate-level degree programs including doctoral, master's, and certificate programs across health sciences (DPT, MSN, MOT, MS in Physician Assistant Studies), education, business (MBA), and behavioral health psychology.
• Professional Education and Training Non-degree professional development offerings including graduate certificate programs in business, customized training, coaching and consulting services, and drone services delivered to the business community through University Services.
• College of Health Sciences College offering health science programs including Nursing (BSN, RN-to-MSN, Direct Entry MSN), Doctor of Physical Therapy (direct admit 6-year program), Occupational Therapy, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, and other healthcare professional programs.
• Sullivan School of Business, Engineering and Technology College offering business majors (Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Business Analytics, Healthcare Management), technology programs (AI, Computer Science, IT), and engineering (Drone Engineering), plus MBA and graduate certificates.
• College of Arts and Sciences College providing majors in liberal arts, sciences, and humanities including Art + Design, Freshwater Sciences, and Pre-Professional Law programs with associated minors.
• School of Education and Human Services School offering undergraduate education majors (Elementary, Secondary, Special Education), graduate programs (MS Behavioral Health Psychology, Educational Leadership, MA in Teaching, Organizational Development), and doctoral programs.
• Campus Dining Services On-campus dining facilities including Gert Ullsperger Main Dining Room, Pioneer Indoor Terrace, Crave at Carroll, Stone Creek Coffee, and Gert's Grab 'n Go with various meal plan options for students.
• eSports Center Dedicated gaming space in the Campus Center where students can compete, practice, and watch the latest video games.
• Pioneer Core General Education Program Carroll University's general education requirement featuring first-year experience courses, writing seminars, communication courses, distribution courses, and a cross-cultural experience component.
• Honors Center Academic enrichment program including the Honors Program for motivated students, Pioneer Scholars Program for summer research with faculty mentors, and A. Paul Jones Scholars House living-learning community.
• Center for the Humanities Academic center sponsoring humanities-based programming including the Scholar to Student Lecture Series, The Deirdre M. Keenan Award for Writing Excellence, and Humanities Center Fellows Program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 85% of students graduate from Carroll in four years or less
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 40+ Community Organizations (Waukesha and Milwaukee area)coreOthersPioneers Volunteer Program partners with over 40 organizations in greater Waukesha and Milwaukee areas for service opportunities in environmental sustainability, education, poverty alleviation, health care and more. Students log 14,000+ volunteer hours annually through these partnerships.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Lakeland University: Private university in Plymouth, Wisconsin, with similar enrollment scale and broad undergraduate program mix including business and education. Comparable small private Wisconsin institution with overlapping recruitment and program portfolio.
• St. Norbert College: Private Catholic liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin, with similar enrollment scale (~2,000 students) and faith-affiliated identity. Comparable small private Midwest institution competing for overlapping student segments.
• Carthage College: Private Lutheran liberal arts college in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with similar enrollment scale (~2,500 students) and broad liberal arts plus pre-professional programs. Comparable small private Midwest institution competing for overlapping student segments.
• Lawrence University: Private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, with small enrollment (~1,500). Comparable private Midwest institution with distinctive undergraduate-focused model and overlapping recruitment territory.
• Alverno College: Private Catholic college in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with strong health sciences and education programs. Comparable small private Wisconsin institution with overlapping academic portfolio and similar recruitment geography.
• Marquette University: Private Jesuit research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs including health sciences. Closest comparable private university peer in the same Wisconsin market with overlapping program mix and similar recruitment geography.
• Beloit College: Private liberal arts college in Beloit, Wisconsin, with small enrollment (~1,100 students) and similar liberal arts plus pre-health focus. Comparable small private institution in the same state market competing for similar demographics.
• Concordia University Wisconsin: Private Lutheran university in Mequon, Wisconsin, with similar enrollment scale (~5,000 students), broad undergraduate and graduate offerings, and faith-affiliated identity. Directly competes for the same Wisconsin and regional student pool.
• Ripon College: Private liberal arts college in Ripon, Wisconsin, with small enrollment (~800 students) and similar liberal arts tradition. Comparable small private Wisconsin institution competing for similar regional student demographics.

Broad incumbents

• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee: Public research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with large enrollment and broad academic portfolio including health sciences and education. A larger public incumbent competing for the same Wisconsin student pool with overlapping health sciences programs and lower tuition positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/carrollu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/carrollu
• Facebookfacebook.com/81642106579
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carroll-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/carrolluniversity
• TikToktiktok.com/@carrollu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Carroll University