Summit University

What Summit University does

Summit University, founded in 1971 and headquartered at 63 Summit Way in Gardiner, Montana, is a non-accredited spiritual education institution that operates as the official educational arm of The Summit Lighthouse, a religious organization based on the teachings of the ascended masters transmitted by founders Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. It serves a niche global audience of spiritual seekers, ministry-track students, and advanced discipleship practitioners, offering a curriculum that integrates religion, culture, and science with mystical and metaphysical content. The organization explicitly disclaims institutional accreditation and frames its offerings as for personal growth rather than recognized academic qualifications, differentiating itself as a "modern-day mystery school" within the broader spiritual education landscape.

The platform is built on a Moodle-based online learning management system (online.summituniversity.org), supplemented by an Orbund student information system for registration and records, Zoom for synchronous training and worldwide seminar broadcasts, Mailchimp for email nurturing, and Freshdesk for support. The product mix spans semester-based for-credit academic programs (General Studies, Leadership Studies, Ministerial Studies), self-paced self-study courses priced $49.95-$329.95, structured certificate programs (including Adeptship, Ministering Servant, Ministerial Training, and Writers' Guild), book study email series, and free resources (Zoom Training Library, Victory Email Series, Maitreya Book Study). In-person seminars are anchored at the Royal Teton Ranch / The Inner Retreat campus in Gardiner and replicated at regional centers across the Americas, Europe, and Asia-Pacific, with the annual Summer Seminar as the flagship event.

Revenue is generated through course tuition (audit $105-$450; credit $150-$450+), self-study course sales, certificate program fees, paid seminar registration with tiered on-site accommodation at Montana ($15-$120/night), and voluntary donations to The Summit Lighthouse. The go-to-market is hybrid product-led and event-driven: free units and email courses feed the top of the funnel, long-form newsletters nurture mid-funnel prospects, and in-person or worldwide-broadcast seminars serve as the bottom-of-funnel conversion layer. Regional Summit Lighthouse chapters and teaching affiliates operate as resellers for international seminar delivery, and the institution holds a portfolio of eight registered U.S. trademarks protecting its brand, publishing arm, and core methodology.

Name

Summit University

Legal name

Summit University

Website

https://summituniversity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Summit University is a non-accredited spiritual education institution in Gardiner, Montana that delivers online and in-person courses on ascended masters teachings to global spiritual seekers, ministry students, and discipleship practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spiritual and Metaphysical Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

Keywords

• Spiritual education
• Online courses
• Certificate programs
• Religious studies
• Metaphysical education

Headquarters

HQ city

Gardiner

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academic Course Tuition: For-credit and audit courses with varying price points ranging from $105 to $450 per course, depending on credit status and course level
2. Certificate Programs: Structured certificate programs including General Studies, Leadership Studies, Ministerial Training, and Ministering Servant programs with associated fees
3. Self-Study Courses: Online self-study courses on spiritual topics ranging from $49.95 to $329.95 per course
4. Seminars and Events: In-person and online seminar attendance with associated registration fees and accommodation costs at various global locations
5. Donations: Voluntary donations from supporters of The Summit Lighthouse organization

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Summit University is a non-accredited spiritual education institution that delivers for-credit academic programs, self-study courses, and certificate programs in religion, culture, and science based on the teachings of ascended masters. It operates an online Moodle-based learning platform and hosts in-person seminars and retreats at its Montana campus and global locations, serving as the educational arm of The Summit Lighthouse spiritual organization.

Product overview

Summit University is a spiritual and metaphysical education institution offering a multi-modal learning platform. The core offering is the Summit University Online powered by Moodle LMS, providing for-credit academic programs in General Studies, Leadership Studies, and Ministerial Studies. Supporting this are self-study courses covering topics such as Ascension, Relationships, Healing, Cosmic Law, Alchemy, and Unveiled Mysteries. The institution also delivers certificate programs including Adeptship, General Studies, Leadership Studies, Ministering Servant, Ministerial Training, and Writers' Guild. In-person and online seminars and retreats are held at the Montana campus and worldwide locations. Free resources include the Zoom Training Library, Victory Email Series, and Maitreya Book Study resources. The academic calendar follows a semester system with Fall and Spring terms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• For-Credit Academic Programs Semester-based for-credit academic courses in General Studies, Leadership Studies, and Ministerial Studies, available to credit and audit students with registration periods and an academic calendar.
• Self-Study Courses Online self-paced courses covering spiritual topics including Ascension, Relationships, Cosmic Law, Healing, Alchemy, and Unveiled Mysteries, available for purchase with free introductory units.
• Certificate Programs Structured certificate programs including General Studies Certificate, Leadership Studies Certificate, Ministering Servant (Level 1), Ministerial Training (Level 2), Adeptship, and Writers' Guild Certificate.
• Seminars and Retreats In-person and online spiritual seminars held at the Gardiner, Montana campus and worldwide locations, including the annual Summer Seminar series and regional events in Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
• Adeptship Program Advanced spiritual training program focused on becoming a conscious co-creator with God, including the Adeptship School, Adeptship Conversations video series, and biweekly email series.
• Book Study Series Email-based guided study programs for books including The Human Aura (24 lessons), The Mandate of Victory, and Maitreya Book Discussion Group Resources, integrating ascended masters teachings.
• Zoom Training Library Free video training library teaching Zoom usage for Summit Lighthouse community building, spiritual study, and online extension courses, with facilitator and participant guides.
• Writers' Guild Certificate Program Certificate program teaching writing skills including Fundamentals, Writing for Social Media, and English Writing Skills, with audit and credit options.
• Victory Email Series Free weekly email series studying Mighty Victory's dictations from the book The Mandate of Victory, delivered over 40 weeks to help students replace negatives with victorious consciousness.
• Maitreya Book Study Group Resources Free group study resources for The Maitreya Discourses book, exploring keys to anchoring the consciousness of the Cosmic Christ and passing Mystery School initiations.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• The Summit LighthousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1971Summit University serves as the official educational arm of The Summit Lighthouse, a spiritual organization based on the teachings of the ascended masters. The Summit Lighthouse provides the organizational infrastructure, member services, and broader community network that supports Summit University's operations and student recruitment.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Metaphysics: Online, non-accredited institution offering degrees and certificates in metaphysics, spiritual healing, and consciousness studies. Directly comparable as a small, faith-adjacent distance-learning university with a similar spiritual-development curriculum and online delivery model.
• Holos University (formerly University of Sedona): Non-accredited distance-learning seminary focused on spiritual and consciousness education, offering ministerial and holistic life degrees. Comparable in mission, online delivery, and non-accredited spiritual higher-education positioning.
• University of Santa Monica: Non-accredited spiritual university offering degrees in spiritual psychology and consciousness studies via online and retreat-based formats. Comparable in target audience (spiritual seekers), non-accredited status, and tuition-driven certificate/degree model.
• School of Metaphysics: Small, non-degree spiritual school offering courses in meditation, dream interpretation, and life mastery at multiple U.S. locations. Similar in niche metaphysical pedagogy, small scale, and multi-channel course and seminar delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Maharishi International University: Accredited university built around Transcendental Meditation teachings, offering degree programs online and on-campus. A larger, established player in spiritually-themed higher education with comparable esoteric curriculum but formal accreditation and broader academic scope.
• Naropa University: Accredited private university integrating contemplative and Buddhist-inspired education across undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education programs. Comparable in blending spirituality with academic curriculum, but operates at larger scale and with formal accreditation.

Emerging players

• Landmark Worldwide: Personal-transformation and consciousness program provider offering paid seminars, courses, and coaching globally. Comparable in event-driven GTM, premium per-program pricing, and a target customer seeking spiritual and self-development outcomes rather than accredited credentials.
• Holmes Institute (formerly Holmes College): Non-accredited distance-learning school offering ministerial and consciousness studies programs. Directly comparable niche competitor in the metaphysical, non-accredited online education segment with similar tuition-based certificate offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/summituniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/summituni
• Instagraminstagram.com/summituni

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 Summit University