American College of Education

What American College of Education does

American College of Education (ACE) is a privately held, regionally accredited online college founded in 2005 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The institution delivers bachelor's completion, master's, Education Specialist, and doctoral degree programs — alongside certificates and micro-credentials — across five primary verticals: education, nursing, healthcare, business, and leadership. Instruction is delivered asynchronously through the Canvas learning management system, supported by the Harmonize discussion platform, a Microsoft 365-integrated student account system (@my.ace.edu), and a native mobile app. The institution holds institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and program-level accreditations from CCNE (nursing) and CAEP (educator preparation), with licensure pathways approved across multiple states.

ACE's business model is direct-to-consumer tuition revenue, priced at a deliberate discount to both competitor and public-university averages — most master's degrees priced under $10,000 total, bachelor's completion at $8,370, Education Specialist at $12,660, and all doctoral programs under $25,000. The customer base is approximately 14,000+ active students, drawn primarily from working educators and registered nurses seeking career advancement, with secondary segments in healthcare administration and business leadership. Customer acquisition combines DTC channels (website enrollment, phone-based enrollment counselors, virtual open houses, content marketing, and a 52,000+ alumni referral network) with institutional and employer partnerships across K-12 districts, community colleges, and healthcare systems that offer reduced-tuition and direct-bill pathways.

The institution has cumulatively awarded 48,000+ degrees and 4,900+ certificates/micro-credentials, claims an 84-85% graduation rate, and reports students enrolled from all 50 US states and 70+ countries. A January 2026 strategic growth investment from Bain Capital Double Impact — alongside an existing relationship with CIC Partners — provides capital for continued program innovation, technology enhancement, and partnership expansion, while new program launches (e.g., Ed.D. in Literacy, 2026) and strategic alliances (e.g., Arizona College of Nursing, December 2025) signal active expansion of the product surface and addressable market.

Name

American College of Education

Legal name

American College of Education

Website

https://ace.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

American College of Education is a privately held, accredited online college founded in 2005 and headquartered in Indianapolis, serving roughly 14,000 active students — primarily working educators and registered nurses — with affordable bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and certificate programs delivered asynchronously via Canvas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges (EDAHAFAA), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Accredited degree programs
• Distance learning
• Educator preparation
• Nursing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Per-credit or total program tuition for degree programs (bachelor's, master's, doctoral, education specialist), certificates, and micro-credentials. Pricing varies by program level: bachelor's completion ~$8,370, most master's under $10,000, doctoral under $25,000.
2. Scholarships and Grants: Annual disbursement of over $1.2M in institutional scholarships and grants to students, which reduces net tuition revenue but supports enrollment

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

American College of Education is an accredited online private college delivering 60+ degree, certificate, and micro-credential programs in education, nursing, healthcare, business, and leadership disciplines. Programs span bachelor's completion ($8,370), master's (most under $10,000), Education Specialist ($12,660), and doctoral degrees (under $25,000), delivered asynchronously via the Canvas LMS with 24/7 support and included tutoring.

Product overview

American College of Education (ACE) is an accredited online private college offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs across education, nursing, healthcare, business, and leadership disciplines. The institution operates primarily through its Canvas-based learning management system and MyACE student portal as the core technology platforms. ACE's product portfolio includes bachelor's degree completion programs (starting at $8,370), master's degrees across M.Ed. and M.A. in Teaching formats (most under $10,000), Education Specialist post-master's programs ($12,660), and doctoral degrees (under $25,000). Specialized offerings include RN to BSN, BSN to MSN, and RN to MSN nursing pathways, graduate certificates for licensure preparation, micro-credentials with digital badges, and a Professional Learning Marketplace for continued upskilling. The institution also provides AI literacy resources, writing center support, and virtual campus access through its online infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BSN to MSN Program Master of Science in Nursing bridge program for bachelor's-prepared registered nurses, designed to be completed in 16 months across 31 semester credits at a total cost of $11,930. Targets working BSN-holders seeking advanced nursing credentials.
• RN to MSN Program Accelerated Master of Science in Nursing pathway for registered nurses (with associate degree or diploma) to earn both BSN and MSN credentials across 55 semester credits and 31 months at a total cost of $19,775.
• M.Ed. Programs Master of Education degrees for experienced educators to deepen subject-matter expertise or prepare for leadership roles, with most programs priced under $10,000 and completable in 12 months.
• M.A. in Teaching (MAT) Programs Master of Arts in Teaching degrees for aspiring educators seeking initial teaching licensure, focused on hands-on learning and practical classroom skills.
• Ed.D. Programs Doctor of Education degrees for advanced leadership positions in education and nursing education, designed to be affordable (all under $25,000) and achievable in as little as three years with built-in guided dissertation support.
• Ed.S. Programs Education Specialist post-master's degrees for leadership preparation in education, with a total program cost of $12,660 and a completion time of just over one year.
• Bachelor's Degree Completion Programs Online bachelor's completion programs in education for students with associate degrees or 60+ transfer credits, designed to finish in 12 months at a total cost of $8,370 for the education bachelor's completion track.
• Graduate Certificate Programs Short series of graduate-level courses offering targeted skill development and licensure preparation in education, including certificates for principal licensure, teaching English learners, instructional coaching, and special education.
• Micro-Credential Programs Short, focused programs for rapid skill development that award digital badges upon completion, including Early Childhood Special Education and Learning Behavior Specialist 1 micro-credentials.
• Licensure Programs Teacher and principal licensure pathways including M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, transition to teaching certificates, and state-specific programs for Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Ohio, and Texas.
• Professional Learning Marketplace Online marketplace offering trusted third-party partner courses for educator upskilling in areas such as AI in education, educational technology, educator wellness, and teaching excellence; some courses are eligible for transfer toward academic credit at ACE.

Quantifiable outcome

• 84-85% graduation rate across programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arizona College of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Strategic partnership to provide pathways for nursing students and employees to advance their education through scholarships and reduced tuition. Partnership aims to address nursing workforce shortages and facilitate career advancement in nursing. Multiple full-tuition scholarships awarded to AZCN graduates and faculty for ACE's MSN and doctoral nursing programs.
• Yavapai CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership empowers nurse development through ACE and offers reduced tuition rates. Aims to strengthen the nursing workforce pipeline in partnership with community college system.
• Carson TahoecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to strengthen healthcare workforce pipeline. Collaboration between ACE and Carson Tahoe healthcare system to develop healthcare professionals.
• ImpactEDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to expand math educator course accessibility. Collaborative effort to increase access to quality math education preparation.
• ERDIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools and ERDI (Educational Research and Development Institute) to present Educational Innovator Award and full tuition scholarship.
• Savannah-Chatham County Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ERDI and ACE to present Educational Innovator Award and full tuition scholarship to Kansas City teacher.
• K-12 Education PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership solutions for K-12 education including discounted tuition rates, direct bill options, and seamless educational pathways for educators.
• Academic PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership program including community college partners for transfer pathways and educational advancement programs.
• Healthcare PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHealthcare partnership solutions including employer partnerships for employee education, tuition discounts, and workforce development programs.
• Business PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBusiness partnership programs for employer-based education benefits, tuition reduction, and professional development pathways.
• Teachers' TreasuresminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit partnership for teacher support. ACE donated $4,500 in gifts for Teacher Appreciation Week and co-presents annual Circle City Donut Dash 5K event.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Aspen University: For-profit online university focused on nursing, education, and business degrees for working adults. Closely comparable peer in scale, modality, and target demographic.
• Capella University: For-profit online university under Strategic Education Inc. with significant overlap in education, nursing, business, and doctoral programs. Closely comparable competitor in the online adult-learner segment.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit online university with strong focus on education, nursing, business, and IT degrees at similarly low tuition. Directly competes with ACE on price, modality, and target adult-learner segment, and is the most comparable peer in scale and mission.
• Walden University: For-profit online university owned by Adtalem Global Education with strong graduate programs in education, nursing, and public health. Directly comparable to ACE in modality, target market, and degree-level mix.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit online university with extensive nursing, education, and business offerings. Competes head-to-head with ACE on online adult-learner affordability and serves a similar working-professional demographic.
• Purdue University Global: For-profit online university (formerly Kaplan University) operated as part of Purdue University system. Overlaps with ACE on online nursing, education, and business programs targeting working adults.
• University of Phoenix: Largest for-profit online university in the US, offering nursing, education, and business degrees at scale. Overlaps with ACE on online modality, working-adult targeting, and affordability positioning, though with a much broader program mix.

Emerging players

• Post University: For-profit university with growing online nursing, education, and business programs. Smaller scale than ACE but with overlapping online adult-learner focus and similar affordability positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University Online: Large private university with substantial online education, nursing, and business offerings. Overlaps with ACE on online adult-learner segment and education degree programs at scale.
• Grand Canyon University: For-profit university with large online education and nursing programs. Comparable in target market and modality, though GCU maintains a traditional campus and broader faith-based positioning.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aceedu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ACEdotedu
• Facebookfacebook.com/AmericanCollegeofEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/201618
• Instagraminstagram.com/ace_edu
• TikToktiktok.com/@ace_edu

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 American College of Education