What CareerStep does

CareerStep is a Lehi, Utah-based online provider of healthcare-focused career training programs, founded in 1992 and operating as a subsidiary of Penn Foster Group since the April 2023 brand consolidation. The company delivers 20+ self-paced, fully online certification preparation programs spanning medical assisting, medical coding and billing, pharmacy technician, dental assistant, patient care technician, medical records, healthcare IT, mental health technician, and related allied-health disciplines. The platform provides learners with 12 months of access to coursework, certification exam preparation, exam-fee coverage for select credentials (e.g., CEHRS), and career services, supported by phone-based enrollment advisors and a learner support system.

The underlying technology is a conventional learning management system delivering self-paced modules with built-in assessment, supplemented by a partner success platform that provides managed enrollment, demand-generation, and learner-progress reporting for institutional buyers. CareerStep monetizes primarily through one-time program enrollment fees (e.g., $3,999 for the Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist program) paid by individual learners, supplemented by a B2B revenue stream from academic and healthcare system partners who integrate CareerStep content under their own brands, and from military channels (Army COOL, MyCAA). Marketing is multi-channel, combining SEO, content marketing, social media, a free typing-test lead magnet, email, and a B2B2C referral network of 150+ healthcare systems, colleges, and rural health clinics.

CareerStep's competitive position rests on three decades of curriculum iteration, ASHP/ACPE accreditation for its Pharmacy Technician program, breadth across 20+ healthcare disciplines, and a deep institutional partner footprint rather than on proprietary technology. Prior to its integration into Penn Foster Group, CareerStep pursued bolt-on acquisitions (Emergency Certifications in 2015, Code3 CME in 2016, Medic-CE.com in 2016) funded in part by a $22 million growth round in 2009 and mezzanine financing in 2015. Today it operates as one of several brands under the Penn Foster Group umbrella alongside Penn Foster, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, and others.

Name

CareerStep

Legal name

PF Carrus Careers, LLC

Website

https://careerstep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CareerStep is a Lehi, Utah-based online training provider offering 20+ self-paced healthcare certification programs to individual learners and 150+ academic and healthcare system partners; it operates as a subsidiary of Penn Foster Group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Healthcare Career Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs (EDAAAEAC), Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Phlebotomy & Specimen Collection (EDAOAJAC)

Keywords

• Online healthcare training
• Medical certification programs
• Healthcare career education
• Medical coding training
• Healthcare workforce training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lehi

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Enrollment Fees: CareerStep generates revenue primarily through one-time program enrollment fees paid by individual learners. Programs are priced as one-time purchases for full program access, with specific pricing varying by program (e.g., Healthcare Documentation Specialist at $3,999). Payment options include credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, and third-party financing.
2. Subscription Access: Programs provide 12 months of full access to training materials, suggesting a subscription-based access model where learners pay for a defined period of program access to complete their training.
3. Institutional Partnership Fees: CareerStep generates revenue through partnerships with academic institutions and healthcare systems who integrate CareerStep programs into their offerings. This B2B revenue stream involves dedicated account management and support services for institutional clients.
4. Financial Assistance Programs: CareerStep offers financial assistance and financing options, including third-party financing through approved partners, creating an additional revenue stream from learners who choose installment payment plans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CareerStep is an online provider of career-focused healthcare training that delivers self-paced, fully online certification preparation programs across 20+ healthcare and allied health disciplines. Programs include medical assisting, medical coding and billing, pharmacy technology, dental assisting, patient care technology, healthcare documentation, and healthcare IT, with bundled certification exam preparation and 12 months of program access. The platform additionally offers institutional partnership solutions enabling academic institutions and healthcare systems to deploy CareerStep's curriculum under their own branding with managed enrollment and learner tracking.

Product overview

CareerStep is an online career training platform under Penn Foster Group offering 20+ certification preparation programs focused on healthcare and allied health disciplines. The platform provides a unified learning management system with self-paced, fully online programs enabling learners to prepare for industry-recognized certifications. Programs span multiple categories including healthcare (medical assistant, nursing, pharmacy, dialysis, patient care), health data (medical coding, billing, records, transcription, scribing), administrative (medical office management), mental health, technology (healthcare IT, computer technician, CompTIA), and patient care. The platform also offers institutional partnership solutions (Academic Partners, Healthcare Systems) allowing organizations to brand and deploy CareerStep content under their own institutional umbrella with managed enrollment, reporting, and learner support infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Assistant Training Program Online certification preparation program for individuals seeking to become Medical Assistants, featuring self-paced coursework and externship components.
• Medical Coding and Billing Professional Program Online training program preparing learners for careers in medical coding and billing, including certification exam preparation.
• Certified Healthcare Documentation Specialist Program Training program covering medical terminology, electronic health records, medico-legal regulations, and HIPAA, with CEHRS certification exam preparation; priced at $3,999 full program access.
• Pharmacy Technician Training Program Online certification preparation program for pharmacy technicians, aligned with ASHP/ACPE standards and including PTCE and ExCPT exam preparation.
• Dental Assistant Program Online certification training for dental assistants with optional externship components.
• Hemodialysis Technician Training Certification preparation program for individuals seeking careers as hemodialysis technicians.
• Patient Care Technician Program Online training program preparing learners for patient care technician certification.
• Medical Scribe Training Online certification program for medical scribes covering documentation and electronic health records.
• Medical Transcription Editing Online training program for medical transcription editing careers with certification preparation.
• Medical Records Specialist Program Online certification training for medical records specialists covering health information management.
• Medical Billing Program Online training for medical billing careers with certification exam preparation.
• Medical Administrative Assistant Online certification program for medical administrative assistants covering EHR and office management.
• Medical Office Manager Training Online training program for medical office management positions.
• EKG Technician Program Online certification training for EKG technicians with externship options.
• Medical Laboratory Assistant Training Online certification preparation for medical laboratory assistant careers.
• Phlebotomy Technician Program Online certification training for phlebotomy technicians with externship components.
• Sterile Processing Technician Training Online certification program for sterile processing technicians covering sterilization techniques and infection control.
• Behavioral and Psychiatric Health Technician Certification Online training program for behavioral and psychiatric health technician careers.
• Mental Health Technician Certification Online certification program for mental health technicians.
• Nutrition and Personal Trainer Certification Online certification program combining nutrition and personal training instruction.
• Physical Therapy Aide Online Training Online certification program for physical therapy aides.
• CompTIA Certification Pro Online training program for CompTIA A+ certification preparation for computer technicians.
• Computer Technician Training Online certification preparation for computer technicians, including CompTIA A+ exam prep.
• Healthcare IT Professional Training Online certification program for healthcare IT professionals covering EHR systems, cybersecurity, and HIPAA compliance.
• Academic Partner Program Partnership solution enabling colleges and universities to integrate CareerStep's online healthcare training programs under their own brand, with managed enrollment and reporting.
• Healthcare Systems Partnership Training solutions for healthcare organizations to develop and retain talent through CareerStep's certification programs.
• Medical Coding For Outpatient and Inpatient Services Online medical coding training program focused on outpatient and inpatient services, listed as a distinct program in CareerStep's enrollment catalog.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ institutional partners including healthcare systems, academic institutions, and rural health clinics
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Clarkson CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClarkson College in Omaha, Nebraska partnered with CareerStep to launch a Medical Assistant Training program. The collaboration combines CareerStep's flexible online learning with Clarkson's personalized student support and hands-on labs, creating accessible pathways for community learners to enter healthcare careers.
• Excellence Training CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcellence Training Center in Shelton and New Haven, CT partnered with CareerStep to expand from CPR and first aid certifications to healthcare career pathways. The partnership offers students seamless pathways from foundational certifications to advanced training in medical assisting and phlebotomy.
• Grace HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrace Health, a Michigan Primary Care Association location, partnered with CareerStep to address Medical Assistant shortages through an apprenticeship program. The program combines CareerStep's online curriculum with hands-on clinical training at Grace Health facilities.
• Penn Foster GroupflagshipOthersCareerStep is a subsidiary brand of Penn Foster Group, a leading provider of digital and data-driven learning solutions. Penn Foster Group brought together education brands including Penn Foster, CareerStep, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, and others under one umbrella in April 2023.
• ASHP/ACPEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareerStep's Pharmacy Technician program is accredited by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)/Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), ensuring programs meet industry standards and can properly prepare learners for certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MedCerts: MedCerts is a direct competitor offering fully online, career-focused certification programs for healthcare roles (medical assistant, coding/billing, pharmacy technician). It targets the same entry-level learner and career-changer segments with a similar self-paced, employer-aligned model, making it the closest comparable to CareerStep's healthcare catalog.
• Penn Foster: Penn Foster is a sibling brand under Penn Foster Group operating an online career training platform with healthcare and trades programs. While broader than CareerStep, it overlaps directly on healthcare and administrative training and shares the same parent company, distribution infrastructure, and self-serve B2C enrollment model.
• U.S. Career Institute: U.S. Career Institute is a fully online career school offering certificate and diploma programs in healthcare (medical coding, medical assistant, pharmacy technician) and adjacent fields. Its self-paced, online delivery model and focus on certification-aligned healthcare programs make it a close comparable in product and target customer.
• 360training: 360training is a large online regulatory and career training provider with a healthcare segment covering medical coding/billing, pharmacy technician, and continuing education. Its compliance-driven, online-first delivery model overlaps with CareerStep's employer-aligned certification pathway.
• Concorde Career Colleges: Concorde operates career-focused colleges with healthcare programs (medical assisting, dental assisting, pharmacy technician, medical coding) delivered through campus and online formats. While more campus-based, it directly competes for the same career-changer and entry-level healthcare learner with comparable program offerings.
• Ashworth College: Ashworth College is a sibling brand under Penn Foster Group offering accredited online certificate, diploma, and degree programs including career-track healthcare and administrative training. It competes with CareerStep for the same online, career-focused learner and shares parent-level distribution and infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Pima Medical Institute: Pima Medical Institute is a larger, established career college with a healthcare-exclusive catalog across medical assisting, pharmacy technician, dental assisting, and more. It overlaps with CareerStep's healthcare focus but relies on in-person campus delivery and serves a different modality segment.
• Kaplan: Kaplan operates broad educational and career training businesses including healthcare-focused certificate and degree pathways. While much larger and more diversified than CareerStep, it targets similar career-changer learners in healthcare and offers competing online programs.
• Coursera: Coursera is a major online learning platform offering professional certificates and career credentials, including healthcare specializations from universities and industry partners. It is a broader incumbent that addresses the same learner demand for healthcare-related certification pathways, but with a much larger catalog and brand.
• edX: edX (backed by 2U) is a large online education platform offering professional certificates and bootcamps, including healthcare-adjacent programs. As a broad incumbent, it competes for the same online, career-advancing learner with a much broader catalog than CareerStep's healthcare-focused offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/careerstep
• Facebookfacebook.com/CareerStep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/career-step
• Instagraminstagram.com/CareerStep

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CareerStep