Ursinus College

What Ursinus College does

Ursinus College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college founded in 1869 and headquartered in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, operating on a 170-acre main campus. It serves prospective undergraduate students through a liberal arts curriculum anchored by its APEX (Applied Experience) initiative — a four-year experiential learning framework that guarantees 100% student participation in experiential learning projects (XLPs), career coaching from day one, and a network of eight APEX innovation centers/hubs (including the Civic Spark Policy Lab, Sport and Humanity Hub, and U-Imagine Center for entrepreneurship). Differentiating facilities include the Bloomberg Lab in Myrin Library (Bloomberg Terminal access for student financial researchers), the Music and Design (MxD) Recording Studio in Bomberger Hall, the Innovation and Discovery Center (IDC), and the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art. The college also maintains a 3+2 engineering partnership with Columbia University.

The business model is tuition-driven: undergraduate tuition and fees constitute the primary recurring revenue stream, with 99% of students receiving some form of financial aid and an average institutional aid award of $41K for first-year students. Revenue is supplemented by alumni donations (notably a $2 million commitment for the Go Global international learning program launching spring 2027, including a $1M gift from alumnus Bill Pepper) and endowment returns. Go-to-market is event-driven and multi-channel, leveraging campus visits and open houses, the Ursinus Magazine, organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube), email newsletters, and earned national media coverage. Distribution channels include direct campus recruitment, community college transfer pathways (notably with Montgomery County Community College, with 118% YoY growth in transfer enrollment), and a growing co-op employer channel anchored by partnerships with Dow Chemical Company and GSK at their nearby Collegeville/Upper Providence facilities.

Ursinus is currently navigating a material financial restructuring: President Robyn Hannigan was removed in October 2025 amid enrollment and budget pressure, interim president Gundolf Graml was formally appointed the 20th president in April 2026, and the college has implemented budget reductions including faculty layoffs affecting roughly a quarter of professors. Concurrently, the institution is investing in offensive moves — new co-op employer partnerships, new academic facilities (Bloomberg Lab, MxD Recording Studio), and the tuition-inclusive Go Global program — signaling a turnaround posture rather than outright decline. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; no M&A, venture funding, or listing activity applies given its nonprofit status.

Name

Ursinus College

Legal name

Ursinus College

Website

https://ursinus.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1869

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Ursinus College is a private nonprofit liberal arts college founded in 1869 in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, offering undergraduate education through its APEX experiential learning initiative, serving prospective students with guaranteed hands-on projects, co-op partnerships with Dow and GSK, and Bloomberg Lab access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Liberal Arts Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interdisciplinary/Experimental Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAN), Arts-Integrated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAO)

Keywords

• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Experiential learning programs
• Career development services
• College financial aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Collegeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from undergraduate tuition and fees charged to students
2. Alumni Donations and Grants: Significant alumni support including $2 million pledged for Go Global program, with $1 million gift from alumnus Bill Pepper

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ursinus College delivers private four-year undergraduate liberal arts education on its Collegeville, Pennsylvania campus, organized around the APEX (Applied Experience) initiative that guarantees 100% student participation in experiential learning projects. The college bundles traditional degree programs with signature facilities such as the Bloomberg Lab and MxD Recording Studio, co-op partnerships with employers like Dow and GSK, and specialized centers including the U-Imagine entrepreneurship hub and the Berman Museum of Art. It also offers a 3+2 engineering pathway with Columbia University and prepares to launch the tuition-inclusive Go Global international learning program in Spring 2027.

Product overview

Ursinus College offers a portfolio of educational programs and campus facilities centered around its APEX experiential education initiative. Core offerings include the APEX framework for applied learning, the Go Global international program (launching Spring 2027), Bloomberg Lab for financial research, the MxD Recording Studio for music technology, and the U-Imagine Center for entrepreneurship. Supporting facilities include the Innovation and Discovery Center (IDC), Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art, and various APEX Hubs. The college also partners with employers like Dow for co-op programs. These offerings work together to provide students with experiential learning, career development, and creative opportunities throughout their four-year journey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APEX: APEX (Applied Experience) is Ursinus College's signature experiential education initiative that equips students with skills and experiences needed to become forward-thinking leaders and problem-solvers through applied learning, experiential opportunities, and career development.
• Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art
• Bears

Products and services

• APEX (Applied Experience) Experiential Education Initiative A guaranteed, four-year experiential learning framework that immerses all Ursinus undergraduates in classroom and out-of-classroom applied learning, eight innovation hubs, career coaching, and hands-on projects so that 100% of students complete an Experiential Learning Project (XLP).
• Go Global International Learning Program A tuition-inclusive international and domestic learning experience for all Ursinus sophomores, part of the APEX initiative, sending students to destinations including Dublin, Manchester, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Appalachia for professional pathway exploration.
• Dow Chemical Co-op Program Ursinus's first paid co-op program with Dow Chemical Company, allowing students to work part-time on Dow's research and development teams (e.g., paint formulations) while taking classes, gaining extended project-based professional experience.
• Bloomberg Lab at Myrin Library A Wall Street-level financial research facility located in Myrin Library providing students with access to Bloomberg Terminals and financial research tools for classroom and project use.
• Music and Design (MxD) Recording Studio A professional recording studio in Bomberger Hall offering music technology students hands-on experience with state-of-the-art audio production, including an isolated vocal booth, live room for instrumental ensembles, a control room for mixing, professional studio microphones, and audio processing hardware.
• Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art An on-campus art museum featuring collections in Contemporary art (1950 to Today), Paintings and Sculptures (1800-1950), Works on Paper (1500-1950), Pennsylvania German art, Japanese Prints, Folk Art, Photography, and outdoor sculptures; open Wednesday through Sunday, 12pm to 4pm with free admission.
• U-Imagine Center for Entrepreneurship A campus entrepreneurship center providing students with resources, mentorships, and external programs to pursue entrepreneurial ideas, including support for LLC formation and the annual BEAR Innovation Competition.
• Columbia University 3+2 Engineering Partnership A dual-degree engineering pathway in which Ursinus students complete three years on the Collegeville campus and then two years at Columbia University, graduating with both a Ursinus liberal arts degree and a Columbia engineering degree (e.g., pursued by students such as Abdelrahman Elgendy '27 and Mark Ellison III '27).
• Transfer Student Tuition Guarantee A tuition guarantee for eligible incoming transfer students, beginning Fall 2025, covering at least 60% of tuition, supported by articulation agreements including Montgomery County Community College and partnerships that accept students from closed institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of students receive some form of financial aid
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dow Chemical CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ursinus launched its first co-op program with Dow Chemical Company at their Collegeville campus (5 minutes from campus). Student Abdelrahman Elgendy '27 is the first paid co-op working on paint R&D. The partnership provides workplace experience while allowing Dow to develop future talent.
• GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Ursinus secured a partnership with GSK for co-op opportunities. Most roles are at GSK's Upper Providence Township facility working with R&D teams alongside scientists. Business majors and science technology students also have opportunities. GSK is committing billions in R&D and manufacturing investment in the US.
• Bloomberg L.P.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Bloomberg Lab established in Myrin Library providing students with access to Bloomberg Terminals and financial research tools, described as 'Wall Street on Main Street'
• Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1867Ursinus offers a 3+2 engineering partnership with Columbia University. Students like Abdelrahman Elgendy '27 and Mark Ellison III '27 complete three years at Ursinus then two years at Columbia for an engineering degree.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Muhlenberg College: Private liberal arts college in Allentown, PA of comparable scale; competes within the Centennial Conference and for similar Pennsylvania and Northeast students.
• Susquehanna University: Private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, PA of comparable scale; competes for similar Mid-Atlantic recruits seeking residential liberal arts experiences.
• Lafayette College: Private liberal arts college in Easton, PA with comparable size (~2,500 students), STEM emphasis, and engineering offerings; competes for similar Northeast high-school recruits and overlapping student profiles.
• Dickinson College: Private liberal arts college in Carlisle, PA of similar scale with strong experiential learning and study-abroad programming; directly competes with Ursinus in the Pennsylvania LAC market.
• Haverford College: Highly selective Pennsylvania liberal arts college and one of Ursinus's benchmark peer competitors for academically strong students in the Philadelphia suburbs.
• Franklin & Marshall College: Pennsylvania-based private liberal arts college of comparable size and tuition profile; competes for overlapping students in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
• Drew University: Small private liberal arts university in Madison, NJ with comparable size and program mix; competes for Northeast students and has similarly invested in experiential learning and career outcomes differentiation.
• Gettysburg College: Highly selective Pennsylvania liberal arts college with similar experiential emphasis and Centennial Conference athletic affiliation; competes for the same high-achieving recruits.
• Swarthmore College: Elite Pennsylvania liberal arts college with similar experiential learning focus; competes for the top end of the Northeast applicant pool.
• Bryn Mawr College: Private liberal arts college just outside Philadelphia and a member of the Tri-College consortium with Haverford and Swarthmore; competes for top Pennsylvania students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ursinuscollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ursinuscollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/20598479308
• Instagraminstagram.com/ursinuscollege
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ursinus-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Ursinus College