Graceland University
Graceland University is a private nonprofit institution founded in 1895 operating residential and commuter campuses in Iowa and Missouri plus online programs. It serves traditional undergraduates, adult learners, and graduate students with degree and certificate programs centered on nursing, business, education, and theology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1895
- HeadquartersLamoni, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Graceland University does
Graceland University is a private, nonprofit institution of higher education founded in 1895 in Lamoni, Iowa, by what is now Community of Christ. The university operates two physical campuses — the main residential campus in Lamoni, Iowa, and a commuter campus in Independence, Missouri, in the Kansas City metropolitan area — and delivers a comprehensive academic portfolio spanning more than 30 undergraduate majors, 8 pre-professional tracks, 7 master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs. Signature programs include the School of Nursing (BSN through DNP with Family Nurse Practitioner and other APRN specializations, ranked among top Midwest nursing schools), the Doctor of Physical Therapy launched in 2024, the C.H. Sandage School of Business (MBA), Community of Christ Seminary, and the Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education. A distinctive curricular feature is the Transformational Leadership second major, required for all four-year undergraduates since 2022, designed to quantify soft-skill competencies.
The university is supported by an enterprise technology stack centered on Oracle Cloud ERP (recently migrated from legacy systems over 25 years old, deployed via the HESS Collective and implementation partner Drivestream), Canvas LMS for course delivery, Microsoft Office 365, Oracle Financial Aid Portal, Erezlife for student housing, and Splashtop for remote support. Professional continuing education is delivered through a long-standing SkillPath partnership (since 1989), with certificates and digital eBadges issued under the Graceland Forward initiative.
The business model is tuition-driven: undergraduate, graduate, and professional program tuition varies by campus and modality, with the 18-month nursing program totaling approximately $51,737.50 (tuition of $42,637.50 plus $9,100 in program fees) at $725 per credit hour and $1,600 per trimester all-inclusive fees. The university reports that 99% of students receive financial aid, indicating heavy reliance on federal, state, institutional, and grant aid to fund attendance. GTM is sales-led through traditional admissions channels (first-year, transfer, international, military/veteran, online) augmented by direct-to-consumer marketing for adult and graduate learners through the Independence campus and SkillPath partnership. Customer segments are fragmented across traditional undergraduates, adult and graduate students, military-affiliated students, international students from 35+ countries, and transfer students, with geographic reach across 39 U.S. states and territories.
Graceland University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Graceland University
- Legal name
- Graceland University
- Website
- https://graceland.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1895
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Graceland University is a private nonprofit institution founded in 1895 operating residential and commuter campuses in Iowa and Missouri plus online programs. It serves traditional undergraduates, adult learners, and graduate students with degree and certificate programs centered on nursing, business, education, and theology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Graceland University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Honors Liberal Arts Colleges (Honors College/Program-Led) (EDAHACAL), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)
Keywords
Where Graceland University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lamoni
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Graceland University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition charges for undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs. Tuition varies by program type (Lamoni campus, Independence campus, online programs). Additional fees include nursing program fees, deposit fees, and registration fees.
- Financial Aid Administration: University administers federal and state financial aid programs, institutional scholarships, and grant programs. 99% of students receive financial aid.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Nursing Program - Per Credit Hour |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Nursing Program Fee - All Inclusive |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | 18-Month Nursing Program Total Cost |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Deposit Fee |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Graceland University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Graceland University is a private nonprofit university delivering undergraduate, graduate, and professional certificate programs in liberal arts, nursing, business, education, physical therapy, data science, religion, and seminary disciplines. Programs are delivered through a residential campus in Lamoni, Iowa; a commuter campus in Independence, Missouri (Kansas City metro); and fully online formats, with a required Transformational Leadership second major for all four-year graduates.
Product overview
Graceland University offers a comprehensive educational portfolio with over 30 undergraduate majors, 8 pre-professional programs, 7 master's programs, and 2 doctoral programs across two campuses (Lamoni, Iowa and Independence, Missouri) and online. The university operates as a platform of distinct academic divisions including the School of Nursing (offering BSN to DNP programs), C.H. Sandage School of Business, Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education, Community of Christ Seminary, and the Division of Sciences/Math/Technology. A distinctive feature is the Transformational Leadership Program, a required second major for all 4-year degree graduates. The institution also provides professional continuing education through SkillPath partnership. Technology infrastructure includes Oracle Cloud ERP and Canvas LMS.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Transformational Leadership Program
- Nursing Programs (BSN, RN-BSN, MSN, DNP, post-graduate APRN certificates)
- Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
- Master of Business Administration (MBA)
- Master of Arts in Religion
- Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics
- Professional Continuing Education (SkillPath)
- Computer Science & Information Technology Undergraduate Program
- C.H. Sandage School of Business Undergraduate Programs
- Community of Christ Seminary Programs
- Edmund J. Gleazer School of Education Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 71.5% job placement rate after graduation (based on 2018 Career Services survey)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Graceland University
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Graceland University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Graceland University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DrivestreamcoreOracle Cloud implementation partner that assisted Graceland University in migrating from legacy ERP systems (over 25 years old) to Oracle Cloud. The migration deployed multiple pillars of the Oracle Cloud platform within the first year as part of the university's digital transformation initiative led by CIO Talia Brown.
- HESS CollectivecoreConsortium of small private U.S. institutions that collaborate on shared Oracle implementations. Graceland University is a member of this collective, enabling cost-sharing and collaborative approach to enterprise technology modernization through Oracle Cloud.
- SkillPathcoreLong-standing partner since 1989 providing professional continuing education and non-degree training programs. Graceland Forward initiative offers online professional certificate programs through SkillPath including leadership, HR, project management, and technology skills training. Recipients earn Certificates of Completion and digital eBadges from Graceland University.
- OraclecoreEnterprise cloud technology provider for Graceland's ERP system migration. Oracle Cloud serves as the university's enterprise resource planning platform with built-in AI agents for administrative tasks including expense reports and payroll queries. Oracle Student Management represents the next major implementation phase.
- North Central Missouri CollegeminorPartner institution in Trenton, Missouri where Graceland offers adult degree completion programs in-person, providing access to students in the regional community college service area.
- Canvas LMS (Instructure)coreLearning Management System platform used by Graceland University for online and hybrid course delivery across all academic programs.
- Community of ChristcoreSponsoring denomination of Graceland University, originally founded as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1895. The church's Community of Christ Seminary is housed at Graceland, and the university supports the church's educational mission including the commitment to 'learn by study and by faith'.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Graceland University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Culver-Stockton College: Small private Missouri-based liberal arts and pre-professional university with comparable residential and online programs, similar enrollment scale, and overlapping Midwest recruitment territory against Graceland's Lamoni and Independence campuses.
- William Jewell College: Private Missouri liberal arts college with strong nursing, business, and pre-professional programs; competes for similar traditional undergraduate and graduate student profiles in the Kansas City and greater Midwest catchment.
- Central Methodist University: Missouri-based private university offering undergraduate, graduate, and online nursing programs including DNP; similar faith-affiliated heritage, comparable size, and overlapping nursing/online adult learner recruitment.
- MidAmerica Nazarene University: Faith-affiliated private Kansas university with nursing, business, and education programs of comparable scale; directly competes for adult, graduate, and online students in the Kansas City metro served by Graceland's Independence campus.
- Baker University: Kansas-based private university with nursing, business, and education programs across residential and online formats; similar size, faith heritage, and adult/graduate learner focus competing for the same Kansas City metro and Midwest students.
- William Penn University: Iowa-based small private university with nursing, education, and business programs; directly comparable in size, mission, and regional recruitment overlap with Graceland's Lamoni campus.
- Simpson College: Iowa-based private liberal arts college with similar size, pre-professional and nursing programs, and overlapping central Iowa recruitment territory competing for traditional undergraduates.
- Sterling College: Faith-affiliated small private Kansas college comparable in scale and program mix; competes for traditional and online adult learners across the same regional geography as Graceland.
Broad incumbents
- Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online-first university offering competency-based BSN, MSN, MBA, and other degrees nationwide; competes broadly with Graceland's online nursing and graduate programs on price, scale, and brand recognition.
- Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit university with extensive online undergraduate and graduate offerings including nursing and business; broad incumbent competitor to Graceland's adult learner and online program strategy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Graceland University social profiles
Digital presenceGraceland University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Graceland University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Graceland University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Graceland University 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 Graceland University
What does Graceland University do?
Graceland University is a private nonprofit university delivering undergraduate, graduate, and professional certificate programs in liberal arts, nursing, business, education, physical therapy, data science, religion, and seminary disciplines. Programs are delivered through a residential campus in Lamoni, Iowa; a commuter campus in Independence, Missouri (Kansas City metro); and fully online formats, with a required Transformational Leadership second major for all four-year graduates.
Is Graceland University a public or private company?
Graceland University is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Graceland University founded?
Graceland University was founded in 1895. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Graceland University based?
Graceland University is headquartered in Lamoni, United States, in the North America region.
How does Graceland University make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are financial Aid Administration.
Who are Graceland University's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Culver-Stockton College, William Jewell College, Central Methodist University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Baker University, William Penn University, Simpson College and Sterling College. Broad incumbents are Western Governors University and Southern New Hampshire University.
Does Graceland University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Graceland University.
What industry is Graceland University in?
Graceland University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHABAJ, Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities, with a secondary code of EDAHACAL, Honors Liberal Arts Colleges (Honors College/Program-Led). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.