City University of Seattle

What City University of Seattle does

City University of Seattle is a private, nonprofit institution founded in 1973 and headquartered at 521 Wall Street in downtown Seattle, Washington. It operates as a working-adult-focused university serving approximately 6,477 students across associate through doctoral degree levels, with 87% enrolled on a part-time basis and a notable population of veterans and international students. The university is affiliated with National University and holds regional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1975, supplemented by program-specific accreditations from CACREP (counseling) and ACBSP (business).

The institution delivers more than 60 degree and certificate programs through four academic schools: Business & Management, Education & Leadership, Health & Social Sciences, and Technology & Computing. Course delivery uses the third-party Brightspace learning management system across online, hybrid, and in-person modalities, with four quarterly start dates per year on an accelerated 10-week quarter system. A 6:1 student-teacher ratio is supported by practitioner faculty drawn from leadership roles at Seattle-area employers. Recent curricular additions include a Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence and graduate certificates in data analytics, full-stack development, and systems security.

The business model is tuition-driven, with per-credit pricing ranging from $166 (active-duty military undergraduate) to $1,180 (Executive MBA), segmented across schools and degree levels. Revenue is augmented by federal Title IV aid (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Parent PLUS, Graduate PLUS), Veterans Administration GI Bill benefits across multiple chapters, DoD Tuition Assistance, and institutional scholarships including need-based, Promise, and Transfer scholarships. Distribution combines direct-to-consumer online admissions with channel partnerships spanning K-12 school districts, Washington community colleges, corporate employers (Boeing, Alaska Airlines, Bank of America, Verizon, King County), military education offices, and six international partner-country institutions (Canada, China, Czech Republic, Mexico, Slovakia, Vietnam). A Workforce Relaunch Program launched in April 2026, in conjunction with a WIOA federal-funding partnership, targets Washington state workers displaced by corporate layoffs.

Name

City University of Seattle

Legal name

City University of Seattle

Website

https://cityu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

City University of Seattle is a private, nonprofit, NWCCU-accredited university founded in 1973, serving approximately 6,477 primarily part-time adult learners through 60+ online and hybrid degree programs across business, education, health, and technology disciplines, with revenue derived from per-credit tuition, federal Title IV aid, and military benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary) (EDAHABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Online degree programs
• Professional certificates
• Workforce development
• Graduate education

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition charges per credit, varying by school, degree level, and student type (domestic/international/military). Fee income from application fees, transcript fees, diploma fees, and prior learning assessment.
2. Federal Financial Aid: Revenue from federal student aid programs including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and Graduate PLUS Loans. University participates in Title IV programs.
3. Scholarships: Institutional scholarships funded by university, awarded quarterly. Includes need-based, merit-based, transfer, and specialized scholarships.
4. Veterans Benefits: Revenue from VA education benefits including GI Bill chapters 30, 31, 33, 35, 1606, Fry Scholarship. Participation in Yellow Ribbon Program.
5. Military Tuition Assistance: Department of Defense Tuition Assistance program for active-duty military. Reduced military tuition rates of $166/credit undergraduate and $312/credit graduate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

City University of Seattle is a private, nonprofit university delivering accredited associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs plus graduate certificates across four schools (Business & Management, Education & Leadership, Health & Social Sciences, and Technology & Computing). Courses are offered online, on campus in Seattle, and at partner institutions worldwide, with a 10-week accelerated quarter system, four annual start dates, and practitioner faculty. Revenue comes primarily from per-credit tuition, federal financial aid, and institutional scholarships.

Product overview

City University of Seattle is a private, nonprofit university offering over 60 degree and certificate programs across four main schools: School of Business & Management, School of Education & Leadership, School of Health & Social Sciences, and School of Technology & Computing. Programs are delivered online, hybrid, or in-person at the Seattle campus or international partner locations. The portfolio includes associate through doctoral degrees, graduate certificates, teaching certifications, and endorsements. Technology-focused offerings include applied computer science, cybersecurity, data science, and artificial intelligence programs. A notable recent addition is the Workforce Relaunch Program launched in 2026 to support displaced Washington workers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business & Management Programs Undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration, management, project management, healthcare administration, and business analytics. Includes associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees plus graduate certificates in change leadership, human resource management, and lean six sigma.
• Education & Leadership Programs Teacher certification, educational leadership, and advanced degrees for educators, including bachelor's in education, master's in teaching, education specialist degrees, doctoral programs in leadership, and endorsements for elementary education, ELL, mathematics, reading, and special education.
• Health & Social Sciences Programs Programs including applied psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, and general studies at associate, bachelor's, and master's levels. CACREP-accredited counseling programs.
• Technology & Computing Programs Technology-focused programs including applied computer science, cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, computer science, and full-stack development. Offers bachelor's, master's, doctoral, and graduate certificate programs.
• Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence (MSAI) Master's degree focused on artificial intelligence concepts and applications, requiring 14-16 courses for completion.
• Graduate Certificate in Data Mining and Analytics Graduate certificate in data mining and analytics, completable in 4-8 courses.
• Graduate Certificate in Full-Stack Development Graduate certificate program in full-stack software development.
• Graduate Certificate in Systems Security Graduate certificate program focused on systems security.
• Doctor of Information Technology Doctoral program developing advanced skills in strategic IT planning, project and program leadership, IT innovation, cybersecurity, and analytics. Requires 25 courses and is designed for working professionals.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) Traditional MBA program requiring 13-18 courses.
• Executive Master's in Business Administration (EMBA) Executive MBA program with hybrid delivery, requiring 13 courses.
• Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Doctoral program developing advanced skills in organization interventional thinking, agile business practices, leadership, and critical thinking. Requires 14 courses.
• Workforce Relaunch Program Specialized program offering accelerated credentials, flexible degree pathways, and WIOA funding connections for Washington state workers displaced by corporate layoffs.
• Washington Academy of Languages (WAL) Language education programs including English Language Program (ELP), TESOL certificates, and world language continuing education.

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of alumni saw salary increase within two years of graduation; average salary increase was 58%
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026Workforce Relaunch Program connecting laid-off Washington workers to education pathways and WIOA funding for workforce development
• Auburn School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Everett School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Federal Way Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Renton School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Yakima School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Tukwila Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerK-12 education partnership for teacher certification and professional development programs
• Bellevue CollegecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigher education partnership for transfer student pathways
• Edmonds CollegecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity college partnership for transfer student pathways
• Seattle CollegescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeattle Colleges partnership including employee programs and student transfer pathways
• Bank of AmericacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership offering tuition discounts for Bank of America employees
• Alaska AirlinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership offering tuition discounts for Alaska Airlines employees
• The Boeing Co.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership offering tuition discounts for Boeing employees
• King CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment partnership offering tuition discounts for King County employees
• VerizonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partnership offering tuition discounts for Verizon employees
• ABA (American Bankers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBanking association partnership for professional development
• WBA (Washington Bankers Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState banking association partnership for professional development
• Canadian Institution PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in Canada
• Chinese University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in China
• Czech Republic University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in Czech Republic
• Mexican University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in Mexico
• Slovak University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in Slovakia
• Vietnamese University PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational partnership allowing students to earn CityU degrees at partner institutions in Vietnam

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• National University: Parent-affiliated nonprofit university headquartered in San Diego serving primarily adult learners through online and hybrid programs. Direct peer in mission, structure, and the working-adult target market; operates as part of the same system as CityU.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Nonprofit university with one of the largest online enrollments in the U.S., serving working adults and military-affiliated students across business, education, health, and technology. Directly competes with CityU in the adult-learner online segment, with substantially more scale and military-channel depth.
• Brandman University (UMass Global): Nonprofit online and hybrid university (now UMass Global) serving adult learners with accelerated programs in business, education, health, and behavioral sciences. Comparable in working-adult mission, accelerated academic calendar, and emphasis on practitioner faculty.
• Capella University: Online university (owned by Strategic Education) serving working adults with flexible bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in business, IT, education, and health. Direct competitor in online adult education with overlapping program portfolio and FlexPath competency-based offerings.
• Walden University: Online university focused on working professionals pursuing graduate and doctoral degrees in nursing, education, psychology, and public health. Comparable in the adult-learner online segment with strong program overlap in education and health sciences.
• University of Phoenix: For-profit online university historically focused on working adults, with programs in business, IT, education, and healthcare. Comparable in mission and target market, though now operating at smaller scale and under tighter regulatory scrutiny.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online university serving ~300,000 working adults with competency-based, affordable degree programs across business, IT, education, and health. Most directly comparable to CityU in mission and target customer, with significantly greater scale and a proprietary learning platform.
• Purdue University Global: Online university serving adult learners with career-focused programs across business, IT, health, and criminal justice, with strong military-affiliated enrollment. Directly competes with CityU's working-adult and military-friendly positioning at similar tuition levels.

Regional players

• Bellevue College: Public community college in the Seattle metro with strong transfer pathways and adult education programs. Comparable as a Pacific Northwest adult-learner institution and a CityU transfer partner, though focused on two-year credentials and lower tuition.
• Northeastern University - Seattle: Regional campus of Northeastern University operating in Seattle with graduate and professional programs targeted at working professionals. Geographic overlap with CityU in Seattle and comparable focus on tech-sector adult learners and corporate partnerships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cityu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCtuPUhW0RyycjjqzWauQbbA
• Facebookfacebook.com/8360690
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/city-university-of-seattle
• Instagraminstagram.com/cityuofseattle

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 City University of Seattle