Wilkes University

What Wilkes University does

Wilkes University is a private, non-denominational higher education institution founded in 1933 and headquartered on a 35-acre campus in downtown Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It serves traditional undergraduates, graduate and working-professional students, first-generation learners, and military veterans through on-campus, hybrid, and fully online modalities across four named academic units: the Sidhu School of Business and Leadership (AACSB-accredited), the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy, the Passan School of Nursing (CCNE-accredited), and the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing. The university holds institutional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and programmatic accreditation from ABET for select engineering programs, and is a member of NC-SARA for reciprocity across U.S. distance-education jurisdictions.

The institution generates primary revenue from tuition and fees, supplemented by philanthropic donations and corporate sponsorships through the annual Founders Gala, which has raised over $4.5 million since 2014 for the First Generation Scholarship Fund. Go-to-market mixes direct-to-consumer recruiting (campus visits, virtual tours, information sessions) with sales-led outreach for graduate programs and an event-driven approach for new initiatives such as the April 2026 AI Summit. Its technology stack is primarily composed of third-party platforms — Handshake for career services, Big Interview for mock interview practice, and Google Gemini and Coursera via the AI for Education Accelerator partnership — rather than proprietary systems. Recent strategic actions include the Google AI partnership (March 2026), the appointment of James Cousins as the 8th President (June 2026), and the disclosure of a 2025 cybersecurity incident affecting tens of thousands of individuals, all of which frame the institution's near-term strategic agenda.

Name

Wilkes University

Legal name

Wilkes University

Website

https://wilkes.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wilkes University is a private, non-denominational institution in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs across business, nursing, pharmacy, creative writing, and engineering to a diverse student body including first-generation and veteran learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Higher education
• Graduate degree programs
• Undergraduate education
• Online learning programs
• Professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilkes Barre

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Wilkes University generates primary revenue from tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate programs, including online and on-campus offerings. The university offers financial aid, merit scholarships, and has a 98% job/graduate school placement rate.
2. Donations and Philanthropy: The Founders Gala raises money for First Generation Scholarship Fund, with this year's gala raising in excess of $300,000 and cumulative total of over $4.5 million since 2014.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Annual Founders Gala supported by corporate sponsors including Customers Bank, Black Horse Foundation, Aramark, Geisinger, PNC Bank, and others at various sponsorship levels.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wilkes University is a private higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education degree programs in business administration, creative writing, nursing, pharmacy, education, and engineering. Programs are offered on-campus, fully online, and in hybrid formats (including low-residency MA/MFA in Creative Writing), supported by AACSB, ABET, CCNE, and Middle States accreditations. Revenue is generated from tuition, fees, donations, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

Wilkes University is a private higher education institution offering a portfolio of academic programs and student services. The core academic offerings include graduate degree programs in business administration (MBA), creative writing (MA/MFA), engineering management, mechanical engineering, and electrical engineering. These programs are delivered through various modalities including traditional on-campus, fully online, and hybrid formats. The university supplements its academic offerings with student support services including the Center for Career Development and Internships, mentorship programs, the Wilkes Shield safety mobile application, and experiential learning funding through the Bierly Fellowship and WilkesEDGE first-year transition program. The Creative Writing program maintains partnerships with publishing houses and film companies for student internships and publishing opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WilkesEDGE: Educational Gateway to Excellence program designed to help select students transition from high school to college with reduced course loads, increased advisement, and support services during their first year.
• Bierly Fellowship
• Career Gateway Program
• Wilkes Shield

Products and services

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration program offered on campus or fully online with accelerated seven-week sessions. Designed for working professionals pursuing leadership roles, with stackable certificate options and a 4+1 combined bachelor's/MBA pathway. Three in five graduates hold manager-or-higher positions.
• Low Residency MA/MFA in Creative Writing Low-residency graduate creative writing program in which students complete coursework online between twice-yearly in-person residencies on the Wilkes campus. Concentrations include fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, and publishing. Each thesis is read by working agents, editors, publishers, or producers. Ranked #3 by Best Colleges and #4 by College Choice for online creative writing graduate programs.
• Engineering Management MS Master of Science in Engineering Management blending engineering expertise with business acumen from the Sidhu School of Business. Designed for working professionals and delivered in a hybrid format with face-to-face engineering classes and online business courses.
• Mechanical Engineering MS Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering with project-based courses and hands-on technical experience in robotics, automation, energy, manufacturing, and product development. Delivered using state-of-the-art Mark Engineering Center facilities.
• Electrical Engineering MS Master of Science in Electrical Engineering applying advanced mathematical and physical principles to electronic and computer-based devices and systems. Topics include communications systems, digital systems, microelectronics, microwaves, power systems, and software engineering. ABET-accredited.
• Graduate Education Programs (Nursing and Education) Online and on-campus graduate programs in nursing (including online DNP) and education, designed for working professionals. The Passan School of Nursing is CCNE-accredited and Pennsylvania Board of Nursing approved; programs address the nursing faculty shortage and offer flexible online options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% job/graduate school placement rate
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Google (AI for Education Accelerator)coreTechnology or Integration · 25 March 2026Wilkes University partnered with Google through the AI for Education Accelerator program, granting students, faculty, and staff free access to Google AI tools such as Gemini and Coursera certification courses. Wilkes was selected as part of Google's broader global investment of over $1 billion in AI education and workforce development. The university will host an AI Summit to further introduce emerging AI opportunities.
• Etruscan PresscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit literary publishing company housed in Creative Writing offices on Wilkes campus. Has produced three National Book Award finalists in poetry. Offers graduate assistantships and internships in publishing to Wilkes students. Named one of four best small presses by AWP in 2021.
• SenArt FilmsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent film company whose films include the Academy Award-winning 'Fog of War'. Executive producer Robert May moved SenArt's offices into the Creative Writing building in 2009. Creative Writing graduate assistants and interns spent five years researching and assisting in making 'Kids for Cash'.
• Kaylie Jones Books / Akashic BookscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaylie Jones Books, an imprint of Akashic Books, founded in 2012 by Wilkes faculty member Kaylie Jones. Supported by Wilkes graduate assistants and interns. Has published two dozen books including works by CW program alumni.
• Blue Moon Plays / HaveScriptsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline publishing company founded by playwright and faculty member Jean Klein. Offers wide range of play scripts to national audience. Program offers graduate internships and assistantships. HaveScripts partner imprint publishes scores of plays and musicals.
• River and South ReviewminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline literary journal edited and produced by students of the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing. Publishes new, emerging and seasoned writers.
• HandshakecoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline career network connecting Wilkes students with internships and career opportunities. More than 500,000 companies use Handshake to connect with college students. Wilkes students access the platform for job searches, appointments with career professionals, and employer connections.
• The James Jones First Novel FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$12,000 annual prize awarded to emerging writer for first novel in progress. Brought to Wilkes in 1991 by Kaylie Jones. Creative Writing students serve as paid readers and screen entries for annual competition which received over 700 submissions in 2021.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• La Salle University: Catholic private university in Philadelphia offering comparable graduate programs (MBA, MS, nursing) and competing in the same Northeast PA / Mid-Atlantic recruitment corridor.
• University of Scranton: Jesuit private university also located in northeastern Pennsylvania, with comparable enrollment scale, graduate program mix (MBA, MS), and similar recruitment geography — Wilkes' most direct regional competitor.
• King's College: Catholic private college in Wilkes-Barre itself, competing for the same local student pool with similar program offerings and small-class positioning.
• Misericordia University: Catholic private university in Dallas, Pennsylvania with strong pre-professional programs (nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy) at a comparable scale and price point.
• Drew University: Small private university in Madison, NJ offering a similar portfolio of graduate and undergraduate programs with comparable faculty ratio and tuition model in the Northeast.
• Marywood University: Catholic private university in Scranton, PA competing with Wilkes for graduate and undergraduate students across education, nursing, business, and arts programs in the same regional market.
• Susquehanna University: Private liberal arts university in central Pennsylvania of similar size, with comparable tuition model and a regional recruitment footprint that overlaps Wilkes' territory.

Emerging players

• Western Governors University: Non-profit online-only university offering low-cost competency-based degrees that competes directly with Wilkes' online MBA, nursing, and education graduate programs on price and flexibility.

Broad incumbents

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large online-first university with extensive graduate offerings (MBA, MS, MFA) that competes with Wilkes for working-professional online enrollments at a lower price point.
• Bucknell University: Larger and more selective private university in central Pennsylvania — competes with Wilkes for high-achieving regional students, especially in engineering where Bucknell's brand materially outranks Wilkes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WilkesU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WilkesUVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/66117527078
• Instagraminstagram.com/wilkesu
• TikToktiktok.com/@wilkesu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wilkes-university

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Wilkes University