What Benedictine University does

Benedictine University is a private, nonprofit Catholic institution founded in 1887 in the Benedictine tradition, operating a 108-acre main campus in Lisle, Illinois (25 miles west of Chicago) and a secondary downtown campus in Mesa, Arizona. The university is structured around three academic units — the Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts, the College of Science and Health, and the School of Education — delivering 130+ undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs plus a portfolio of graduate certificates. Courses are delivered on-campus, asynchronously online, and via hybrid formats using Desire2Learn (D2L) as the learning management platform; programs span STEM, business, liberal arts, education, nursing, public health, and pre-professional pathways with guaranteed-interview agreements with LECOM, A.T. Still University, and Midwestern University.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees (subscription-style annual or per-credit pricing), on-campus room and board at Lisle residence halls and the Mesa Alhambra hall, and donations processed through multiple channels including planned gifts and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. Pricing is differentiated by campus and modality — Lisle traditional undergraduates paid $34,290 in the prior pricing cycle versus $22,400 at Mesa, with 2026-27 incoming cohorts repriced to $39,450 and $25,760 respectively — and the university offers a four-year locked tuition guarantee through the Eagle Promise and Redhawk Promise programs, with $27.9 million in scholarships awarded annually and 67% of students receiving aid.

Go-to-market is sales-led and segmented across first-time freshmen, transfer students, graduate and doctoral candidates, international recruits (with dedicated South Asia managers), veterans and active military (GI Bill/Yellow Ribbon), corporate partner employees (a network of eight healthcare systems offering 25% scholarships), and dual-enrollment high schoolers. Marketing leverages the institutional website, social channels under the @benu1887 handles, campus visit programs, virtual tours, and the Benedictine Magazine alumni publication; outbound recruitment is supported by dedicated admissions teams per segment and high-school guidance counselor outreach.

Name

Benedictine University

Legal name

Benedictine University

Website

https://ben.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Benedictine University is a private nonprofit Catholic university founded in 1887, operating dual campuses in Lisle, Illinois and Mesa, Arizona, and offering 130+ undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online programs to traditional, transfer, international, veteran, and corporate-partner students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Services

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 industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate doctoral programs
• Online degree programs
• Catholic university education

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral tuition. Tuition rates vary by campus location (Lisle vs Mesa), program type, and enrollment status (full-time vs part-time). Online programs have separate pricing structures.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: University receives donations through various channels including online payments, phone, mail, recurring gifts, employer matching, planned gifts, stock transfers, and IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions. Donations support Mission Fund, scholarships, facilities, athletics, and student life.
3. Room and Board: On-campus housing and dining services generate revenue through residence halls (Jaeger Hall, Ondrak Hall, Founders' Woods Apartments, Alhambra) and meal plans (Benny's Dining Hall, The Pub at Coal Ben).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Benedictine University is a Catholic higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs, along with graduate certificates, across 130+ programs in STEM, Health, Business, Liberal Arts, and Education. Instruction is provided on-campus at its Lisle, Illinois and Mesa, Arizona campuses, and asynchronously online through the Desire2Learn platform. The university also offers on-campus housing, dining, and student life services, and supports international, transfer, veteran, dual-enrollment, and corporate-partner students.

Product overview

Benedictine University offers a unified educational services portfolio through three academic colleges: the College of Science and Health, Goodwin College of Business and Liberal Arts, and School of Education. The institution provides 130+ programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels across STEM, Health, Business, Liberal Arts, and Education disciplines. Programs are delivered through traditional on-campus formats at Lisle (Illinois) and Mesa (Arizona) campuses, as well as online modalities. The recent addition of the Health Informatics Program expands their STEM graduate offerings, while certificate programs in areas like Data Analytics, Project Management, and Digital Marketing provide specialized professional development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eagle Promise: Promise program for Illinois residents ensuring affordable Catholic private liberal arts education with guaranteed scholarships and locked tuition rates.
• Redhawk Promise

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs in 130+ areas of study across STEM, Health, Business, Liberal Arts, and Education, offered on-campus at Lisle (IL) and Mesa (AZ) campuses with residential and commuter options for first-time freshmen and transfer students.
• Graduate and Doctoral Degree Programs Advanced degree programs including MBA, MS in Business Analytics, MS in Clinical Psychology, MS in Management and Organizational Behavior, MS in Finance, MS in Leadership, MS in MIS, MS in Public Health, MS in Taxation, Ph.D. in Organization Development, Ph.D./D.B.A. in Values Driven Leadership, Doctor of Nursing Practice (D.N.P.), and other master's degrees, offered on-campus and online for working professionals.
• Online Degree Programs Asynchronous online undergraduate and graduate degree programs including Bachelor of Arts in Management, BS in Nursing (RN to BSN), BA in Criminology, Computer Science, Health Education and Promotion, General Professional Studies, Psychology, MBA, MS in Management and Organizational Behavior, Master of Public Health, and MS in Nursing, delivered via the Desire2Learn (D2L) platform.
• Graduate Certificate Programs Standalone graduate certificate programs in Data Analytics, Epidemiology, Health Education and Promotion, Health Management and Policy, Change Management, Digital Marketing, Project Management, and Talent Management, available online for professional development at $800/credit.
• Health Informatics Graduate Program New STEM graduate program focused on health data analytics and healthcare IT systems, designed for international students with extended OPT benefits and CPT from Day 1, available at the Mesa, Arizona campus starting with the Spring A intake in January 2025.
• On-Campus Residence Life (Room and Board) University housing and dining services at the Lisle campus (Jaeger Hall, Ondrak Hall, Founders' Woods Apartments, Benny's Dining Hall, The Pub at Coal Ben) and at the Mesa campus (Alhambra Residence Hall), with semester-based pricing, multiple room types, and three meal plan tiers (Gold, Eagle, Lite).
• Corporate Partner Scholarship Program Employer-sponsored graduate education program offering employee tuition benefits and a 25% partner scholarship on graduate degrees through partnerships with corporate and healthcare organizations including Duly Health and Care, Edward-Elmhurst Health, Loyola Medicine, Memorial Health, Northwest Community Healthcare, RML Specialty Healthcare, Rush Copley Medical Center, Trinity Health, and Department of Defense (DoD MOU).
• BenU in High School Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment College credit program for high school students through dual credit and dual enrollment partnerships with high schools, school districts, and homeschool programs, allowing students to earn college credits before high school graduation.
• Veterans and Active Military Education Program Education program supporting veterans and active-duty service members using GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, Department of Defense (DoD) Memorandum of Understanding, military credit transfer, and on-campus housing options for veteran students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of graduates working or in graduate school 6 months after graduation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Department of Defense (DoD MOU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner through DoD Memorandum of Understanding allowing military personnel to access educational benefits and tuition programs through the Yellow Ribbon Program and GI Bill benefits.
• Duly Health and CarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system corporate partner providing employee education benefits through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program, offering 25% partner scholarship on graduate programs.
• Edward-Elmhurst Health (EEH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system corporate partner offering employee education benefits through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program with 25% partner scholarship on graduate degrees.
• Loyola MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center corporate partner through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program, offering employee tuition benefits and scholarship programs.
• Memorial HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system corporate partner providing employee education benefits through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program with tuition discounts.
• Northwest Community HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system corporate partner through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program offering employee tuition benefits.
• RML Specialty HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare system corporate partner providing employee education benefits through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program.
• Rush Copley Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical center corporate partner through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program offering employee tuition benefits.
• Trinity HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational healthcare system corporate partner through Benedictine's Corporate Partner Scholarship Program offering employee education benefits.
• A.T. Still UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGuaranteed interview program partnership for pre-professional students in healthcare pathways.
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly acceptance program partnership for pre-medical students providing pathway to osteopathic medicine programs.
• Midwestern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDual acceptance program partnership for pre-professional students providing pathway to graduate health programs.
• Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide articulation agreement facilitating transfer of college credits between Illinois institutions, allowing seamless transfer to Benedictine University.
• North Central CollegeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsortium partner for language course offerings, allowing Benedictine students to take languages not offered on campus at North Central College.
• Aurora UniversityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConsortium partner for language course offerings, allowing Benedictine students to access additional language courses through Aurora University.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lewis University: Catholic, Lasallian comprehensive university located in Romeoville, IL, similar in size and program mix (UG/graduate, online, aviation and nursing) to Benedictine, serving the same Chicago southwest suburban market.
• North Central College: Private comprehensive college in Naperville, IL, near Lisle; already a documented consortium partner with Benedictine for language courses, reflecting similar mission, scale, and student demographics.
• Aurora University: Private university in Aurora, IL, also a documented Benedictine consortium partner for language courses; comparable Carnegie classification and a mix of traditional undergraduate, transfer, and graduate programs.
• Saint Xavier University: Catholic, Mercy-sponsored university on Chicago's south side; similar enrollment size, Catholic heritage, MSN and education program overlap, and comparable tuition positioning.
• Dominican University: Catholic, Sinsinawa Dominican university in River Forest, IL; similar undergraduate/graduate mix, values-based liberal arts identity, and Chicago-area recruitment footprint.
• University of St. Francis: Catholic, Franciscan university in Joliet, IL, with strong nursing and healthcare program overlap (corporate-partner-style B2B enrollment) and similar size to Benedictine.
• Concordia University Chicago: Lutheran (LCMS) faith-affiliated private university in River Forest, IL; comparable size, faith-based mission, online program investment, and graduate/doctoral offerings.
• National Louis University: Private, Chicago-based university known for education, nursing, and graduate/online programs; comparable mission serving working adults and similar tuition positioning.
• Roosevelt University: Private, nonprofit university in downtown Chicago; competes on graduate, business, and health-sciences programs with comparable tuition tier and similar mission-driven positioning.

Broad incumbents

• DePaul University: Largest Catholic university in the U.S., based in Chicago; competes with Benedictine for the same Catholic-student demographic and the same Chicago-area graduate and online market, but at materially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BenU1887
• YouTubeyoutube.com/BenU1887
• Facebookfacebook.com/33832613988
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/benedictine-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/benu1887

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Benedictine University