What Orbis Education does

Orbis Education is an Online Program Management (OPM) provider specializing in pre-licensure healthcare workforce development. Founded in 2003 in Carmel, Indiana and now headquartered in Indianapolis, the company partners with 20+ U.S. universities to expand accelerated healthcare programs including Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN), Medical Lab Sciences (MLS), and Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). Orbis has grown to nearly 500 employees and operates programs across 26 states, serving as a bundled-services intermediary between academic institutions seeking program expansion and healthcare systems seeking qualified practitioner pipelines. The company's self-reported outcomes include an 89% average first-time NCLEX pass rate and a 90% pre-licensure nursing persistence rate across its managed programs.

The company's core offering combines 900+ proprietary learning objects and course modules with a hybrid online and on-campus delivery model. Orbis funds, builds, and operates off-campus learning sites equipped with simulation labs, virtual reality training, and manikin-based clinical skills environments on behalf of university partners, while coordinating guaranteed clinical placements through its healthcare system partner network. The PACE student-success framework provides coaching from enrollment through graduation. Marketing and enrollment services are layered onto each partner relationship to support matriculation targets.

Orbis operates a revenue-sharing model in which the company covers all upfront capital investment for learning centers and program infrastructure rather than charging partners fees. Revenue is generated as a share of program-generated tuition, structured around multi-year contracts with academic partners. Since its January 2019 acquisition by Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (NASDAQ: LOPE), Orbis has accelerated expansion, targeting growth to approximately 70 locations over a five-year horizon.

Name

Orbis Education

Legal name

Orbis Education LLC

Website

https://orbiseducation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Orbis Education is an Online Program Management provider partnering with 20+ U.S. universities to expand accelerated pre-licensure healthcare programs (ABSN, MLS, OTA) across 26 states, generating revenue through revenue-sharing agreements with academic partners under Grand Canyon Education ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Program Management (Healthcare Education Services)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

Keywords

• Online program management
• Healthcare education services
• Nursing program management
• Accelerated BSN programs
• Clinical placement partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Revenue Sharing Model: Orbis covers all upfront capital investment for partners instead of charging a fee. They share the revenue generated from programs, allowing partners to profit without any financial investment. This includes building, staffing, and managing state-of-the-art off-site learning sites for educational partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Orbis Education delivers a bundled Online Program Management (OPM) service that enables universities to expand pre-licensure healthcare programs (Accelerated BSN, Medical Lab Sciences, Occupational Therapy Assistant) into accelerated hybrid formats. The offering combines upfront capital investment, proprietary online coursework with 900+ learning objects, off-campus simulation learning centers, and guaranteed clinical placements at partner healthcare systems, operated under a revenue-sharing rather than fee-based model.

Product overview

Orbis Education is a bundled Online Program Management (OPM) provider focused on pre-licensure healthcare education. The core Orbis Solution enables universities to expand healthcare programs (ABSN, MLS, OTA) into accelerated hybrid formats combining proprietary online coursework, off-campus simulation labs, and guaranteed clinical placements at partner healthcare systems. The company operates across 26 states, managing everything from student recruitment and course design to facility development and licensure preparation, with revenue-sharing rather than upfront-fee pricing. Its PACE student-success framework supports graduates through NCLEX exams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Orbis Solution (Online Program Management) A bundled Online Program Management (OPM) service for university partners. Enables universities to expand pre-licensure healthcare programs into accelerated formats by combining online coursework, proprietary learning objects, simulation labs, and clinical placements at partner healthcare systems, all under a revenue-sharing pricing model.
• Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) An accelerated BSN program preparing students for NCLEX licensure. Delivered through university partnerships in 26 states with hybrid online coursework, simulation lab experience, and guaranteed clinical placements, supporting an 89% first-time NCLEX pass rate.
• Medical Lab Sciences (MLS) An accelerated medical laboratory sciences program offered in partnership with universities to address workforce shortages in lab diagnostics.
• Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) An accelerated occupational therapy assistant program designed to produce practice-ready graduates for healthcare employers, delivered via university partnerships.
• Off-Campus Learning Centers Orbis-funded, -built, and -operated satellite learning sites featuring clinical simulation labs, skills labs, collaborative learning spaces, secure proctored testing environments, and VR simulators; planned to scale to approximately 70 locations over the next five years.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% average first-time NCLEX pass rate (self-reported by graduates)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (GCE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019In 2019, Orbis Education became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Grand Canyon Education, Inc. (GCE). This acquisition allows Orbis to expand into new markets and disciplines to better address healthcare shortages. GCE is a shared services partner dedicated to serving colleges and universities, able to design and support campus, hybrid, or online programs at undergraduate, master, and doctoral levels. As a subsidiary, Orbis remains focused on pre-licensure healthcare programs that relate employer needs with university partner growth.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 2U, Inc. 2U is a leading Online Program Management (OPM) company that partners with universities to deliver online degree programs. It is directly comparable to Orbis in the OPM business model, though 2U's portfolio is broader across disciplines while Orbis is narrowly focused on pre-licensure healthcare.
• Academic Partnerships: Academic Partnerships is an OPM provider that helps universities grow online programs, with notable strength in healthcare and education credentials. Comparable to Orbis in operating model and in the healthcare-education vertical focus.
• Noodle: Noodle is an OPM and university services company that partners with institutions to build and operate online programs. Comparable to Orbis's bundled-service approach to managing university programs end-to-end.
• Wiley Education Services: Wiley Education Services is the OPM and corporate learning arm of Wiley, partnering with universities to launch and grow online programs. Comparable to Orbis in OPM service delivery and university partnership model.
• Bisk: Bisk is an OPM provider with deep experience in healthcare and professional programs, partnering with universities to deliver online degrees. Directly comparable to Orbis in healthcare-focused OPM and revenue-sharing arrangements with university partners.

Broad incumbents

• Grand Canyon Education: Grand Canyon Education (NASDAQ: LOPE) is Orbis's parent company and a broader shared-services partner to universities. While it operates at a larger scale and across more disciplines, it is the same platform that powers Orbis's growth and is a meaningful reference for the OPM model.
• Elsevier (Clinical Solutions / Education): Elsevier provides digital healthcare education content, simulation, and clinical decision tools that are commonly used by nursing programs. Comparable as a healthcare-education content and platform incumbent that competes for curriculum and learning-object spend alongside Orbis's proprietary library.
• Laureate Education: Laureate Education is a global higher-education platform with university partnerships, including healthcare programs. Comparable to Orbis as a university-services incumbent with scale advantages in international markets.

Emerging players

• Instructure (Canvas): Instructure, the maker of Canvas LMS, provides learning infrastructure used by many of Orbis's university partners. Comparable as a technology layer in the higher-education ecosystem that Orbis must integrate with or differentiate against.
• Hurst Review Services: Hurst Review provides NCLEX prep and nursing education content used by many pre-licensure programs. Comparable as a healthcare-nursing education provider targeting the same student population that Orbis's programs ultimately place into the workforce.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/orbiseducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/orbiseducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/243824

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors2 records

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 Orbis Education