The American Academy
The American Academy is a Cognia-accredited online private high school operated by Graduation Alliance, offering more than 100 courses, a $1,099 diploma program, and school-as-a-service dropout recovery to 200+ U.S. school districts and individual students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The American Academy does
The American Academy is an online educational services partner to public high schools and to individual learners in the United States, operating as the accredited private online high school division of Graduation Alliance, Inc. The company offers a fully accredited (Cognia since 2007) online high school program comprising more than 100 courses, including core subjects (English, math, science, social studies) and electives, plus specialized offerings such as Navajo Language and Navajo Government aligned with the Navajo Nation's Chief Manuelito Scholarship. Core products include the $1,099 full High School Diploma Program (24 credits), individual semester courses priced at $238 per 0.5 credit, summer school, a homeschool supplement program, course reactivation ($119 per 6-month extension), and official transcript and diploma fulfillment through a partnership with Parchment.
The platform is a web-based learning management system accessible 24/7, paired with a custom Student Information System and data warehouse developed internally by Graduation Alliance's engineering team. A separate B2B product, Solutions for Schools (School-as-a-Service), packages the same course catalog, state-licensed teacher support, 24/7 tutoring, and an administrative monitoring portal with proactive alerts and APIs for school districts seeking dropout recovery and prevention programs. As of 2025, The American Academy - Indiana launched as a K-12 online private school participating in Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, with its second graduating class on June 10, 2026 comprising 48 students—nearly four times the inaugural class size.
The American Academy generates revenue primarily through direct-to-consumer e-commerce purchases via a Shopify storefront (one-time course and diploma fees) and B2B channel partnerships with 200+ state agencies, school districts, community colleges, and workforce boards managed through Graduation Alliance, plus state-funded voucher tuition via the Indiana Choice Scholarship Program. Distribution combines organic content (279 blog articles, guides), social media, referral from school partners, and retargeting-based paid digital acquisition. The company is headquartered at 10 W Broadway, Suite 700, Salt Lake City, Utah, and is privately held under Graduation Alliance with no disclosed external equity beyond approximately $11.9M in venture funding raised in 2009 and 2012.
The American Academy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The American Academy
- Legal name
- Graduation Alliance, Inc.
- Website
- https://theamericanacademy.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The American Academy is a Cognia-accredited online private high school operated by Graduation Alliance, offering more than 100 courses, a $1,099 diploma program, and school-as-a-service dropout recovery to 200+ U.S. school districts and individual students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The American Academy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online High School Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Credit Recovery & Alternative Adult High School (EDAAABAC), Adult High School Diploma Completion Programs (EDAAABAB)
Keywords
Where The American Academy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
The American Academy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Full Diploma Program: Complete online high school diploma program priced at $1,099 total with no additional material fees. Students pay upfront for the entire program.
- Individual Course Sales: Per-course pricing at $238 per semester (0.5 credit) or $476 for two semesters (1 credit). Students purchase individual courses as needed for credit recovery, acceleration, or supplementation.
- Course Reactivation: Students who need additional time to complete a course can reactivate access for $119 for another 6 months.
- Indiana Choice Scholarship Program: Most eligible students' tuition is covered through Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, providing state-funded tuition payments for qualifying students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Full Diploma Program - $1,099 total |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual Course - $238 per semester (0.5 credit) or $476 per full year (1 credit) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Course Reactivation - $119 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The American Academy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The American Academy delivers fully accredited (Cognia) online high school education, including a complete 24-credit high school diploma program for $1,099, individual semester courses at $238 each, homeschool curriculum, and summer school. It also offers a School-as-a-Service dropout recovery and prevention platform to partner schools and districts. Courses are 100% online, accessible 24/7, taught by state-licensed teachers, and start every business day with six months to complete.
Product overview
The American Academy is an online private high school operated by Graduation Alliance, offering a platform-plus-program architecture. The core offering is the accredited High School Diploma Program ($1,099), which competes alongside individual course purchases ($238/semester), a Homeschool Program, and Summer School options. For institutional clients, the Solutions for Schools (School-as-a-Service) platform enables dropout recovery programs with a course catalog, licensed teachers, and administrative monitoring tools. Additional products include Official Transcript and Diploma ordering through Parchment, and Course Reactivation services. The company offers over 100 courses across core subjects and electives, including specialized Chief Manuelito Scholarship courses for Navajo students. All programs are 100% online, flexible, and accredited by Cognia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The American Academy: Online homeschool program for high school students offering accredited courses and diploma programs.
- School-as-a-Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 48 students graduated in Class of 2026, nearly four times the inaugural class size
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The American Academy
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The American Academy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
The American Academy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Graduation AlliancecoreGraduation Alliance is the parent company and operator of The American Academy. Founded in 2007, Graduation Alliance provides versatile pathways to high school graduation and operates The American Academy as its fully accredited private online high school division.
- Cognia (formerly AdvancEd)coreThe American Academy is accredited by Cognia, a division of AdvancEd. Cognia is a global nonprofit that accredits schools and districts. The American Academy has maintained accreditation since 2007.
- Better Business BureauminorThe American Academy displays BBB accreditation badge, indicating it is accredited by the Better Business Bureau in Salt Lake City, Utah.
- School Districts (200+ partnerships)coreGraduation Alliance has partnered with more than 200 state agencies, school districts, community colleges, and workforce boards around the country. These partnerships provide dropout recovery programs and access to The American Academy's courses for credit recovery.
- Indiana Choice Scholarship ProgramcoreThe American Academy - Indiana participates in Indiana's Choice Scholarship Program, which covers tuition costs for eligible students. This partnership enables accessibility for families across Indiana.
- Navajo Nation Chief Manuelito Scholarship ProgramminorThe American Academy offers Navajo Language and Navajo Government courses that satisfy requirements for the Navajo Nation's Chief Manuelito Scholarship, which provides $7,000 per academic year for qualifying students.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The American Academy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stride (formerly K12 Inc.): Largest U.S. online K-12 operator offering tuition-free online public schools, private online schools, and individual courses—directly competes with The American Academy in online high school diploma and credit recovery.
- Connections Academy: Operates tuition-free online public schools across 30+ U.S. states serving K-12 students. Closest comparable on full-time online high school diploma delivery and school district partnership model.
- Penn Foster: Online education provider offering accredited high school diploma and individual courses at competitive price points ($1,099-$1,499). Direct competitor on affordable, self-paced online diploma pathway for at-risk and adult learners.
- Imagine Learning (formerly Edgenuity): Provides online curriculum, credit recovery, and virtual school solutions to K-12 districts. Direct competitor on the School-as-a-Service / credit recovery platform side of the business.
- Excel High School: Regionally accredited online high school offering self-paced diploma and individual courses at similar price points. Direct competitor in the consumer-facing affordable online diploma segment.
Broad incumbents
- Graduation Alliance (Parent): The American Academy's parent company. Operates broader programs (Workforce Diploma, Dropout Recovery, Attendance Recovery) targeting state agencies and workforce boards. Closely related platform but distinct offerings.
- Pearson Online Learning Services: Major education publisher and online learning services provider with Connections Academy partnership. Competes for institutional school district contracts and brings substantial content library and global scale.
Emerging players
- Khan Academy: Free online learning platform expanding into K-12 tutoring, test prep, and supplemental instruction. Indirect competitor on the supplementary course / homeschool supplement side; lacks accredited diploma offering.
Regional players
- Indiana Gateway Digital Academy: Stride-operated online public school serving Indiana students. Regional competitor directly contesting The American Academy - Indiana's student base via state-funded free tuition model.
- Achieve Virtual Education Academy: Indiana-based virtual school serving grades K-12, operated by Union School Corporation. Directly competes for Indiana Choice Scholarship-eligible students within the same state.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The American Academy social profiles
Digital presenceThe American Academy compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The American Academy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The American Academy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
The American Academy subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
The American Academy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors3 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The American Academy 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 The American Academy
What does The American Academy do?
The American Academy delivers fully accredited (Cognia) online high school education, including a complete 24-credit high school diploma program for $1,099, individual semester courses at $238 each, homeschool curriculum, and summer school. It also offers a School-as-a-Service dropout recovery and prevention platform to partner schools and districts. Courses are 100% online, accessible 24/7, taught by state-licensed teachers, and start every business day with six months to complete.
Is The American Academy a public or private company?
The American Academy is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was The American Academy founded?
The American Academy was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The American Academy based?
The American Academy is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does The American Academy make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Full Diploma Program is the primary driver. The others are individual Course Sales, course Reactivation and indiana Choice Scholarship Program.
Who are The American Academy's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stride (formerly K12 Inc.), Connections Academy, Penn Foster, Imagine Learning (formerly Edgenuity) and Excel High School. Broad incumbents are Graduation Alliance (Parent) and Pearson Online Learning Services. Khan Academy is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Indiana Gateway Digital Academy and Achieve Virtual Education Academy.
Does The American Academy have an API?
No public API is recorded for The American Academy.
What industry is The American Academy in?
The American Academy's product category is Online High School Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAD, Public High Schools, with a secondary code of EDAAABAC, Credit Recovery & Alternative Adult High School. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.