US Career Institute
US Career Institute is a Fort Collins-based private online education institution offering self-paced certificate programs, associate degrees, and high school diplomas in healthcare, business, trades, legal, and wellness fields to adult learners and teens across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersFort Collins, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What US Career Institute does
US Career Institute, operated by Weston Distance Learning, Inc., is a 45-year-old private online education institution headquartered in Fort Collins, Colorado, founded in 1981. The company delivers 100% self-paced, online career training and secondary education programs through a proprietary learning management system called CloudOle, targeting adult career-changers, teens seeking alternative education pathways, adult high school completers, and degree-seeking students. Its product portfolio spans three lines: (1) certificate programs across healthcare, business, legal, wellness, services, and skilled trades (HVAC, electrician, plumber); (2) associate degrees in healthcare and business; and (3) online high school diploma programs with optional career-pathway electives. A Walgreens partnership provides an optional 80-hour pharmacy technician externship, and NHA affiliation supports healthcare certification exam preparation.
US Career Institute's business model is direct-to-consumer, with low monthly subscription pricing ($49-$139/month) and pay-in-full discounts designed to undercut community college and traditional university tuition. Distribution is self-serve via uscareerinstitute.edu, supplemented by a toll-free call center and an emerging employer/organization partner channel for workforce development. The company is accredited by DEAC and MSA-CESS (both recognized by the U.S. Department of Education), is a member of NC-SARA, and holds an A+ BBB rating and a 4.8 TrustScore. It accepts VA GI Bill and MyCAA benefits, broadening its addressable student pool into military-affiliated populations.
The company reports 100,000+ students served over the past decade and 97-99% student recommendation rates. Revenue is generated entirely from tuition across the three program lines plus optional printed-materials add-ons; no external institutional investors, venture capital backing, or parent company relationships are disclosed, and the entity is privately held under Weston Distance Learning, Inc.
US Career Institute firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- US Career Institute
- Legal name
- Weston Distance Learning, Inc.
- Website
- https://uscareerinstitute.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- US Career Institute is a Fort Collins-based private online education institution offering self-paced certificate programs, associate degrees, and high school diplomas in healthcare, business, trades, legal, and wellness fields to adult learners and teens across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
US Career Institute industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Career Education and Training
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online For-Profit Career Universities (EDAHALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD), Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships) (EDAJAMAO)
Keywords
Where US Career Institute is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Fort Collins
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
US Career Institute business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations
Revenue model
- Certificate Program Tuition: Revenue generated from enrollment in online certificate programs across healthcare, business, skilled trades, legal, wellness, and professional services categories. Programs offered at various price points starting at $585 total, with monthly payment options as low as $59/month. Students allowed up to 12 months to complete certificate studies.
- High School Diploma Tuition: Revenue from online high school diploma programs for teens, adults, and homeschool students. Programs priced at $999 (monthly plan at $49/month) or $849 pay-in-full. Includes optional career pathway programs.
- Associate Degree Tuition: Revenue from online associate degree programs in healthcare and business fields. Programs priced starting at $139/month with total program costs varying by degree (e.g., Social Work degree at $1,989 auto payments or $1,689 pay in full).
- Printed Materials (Optional Add-on): Optional printed course materials available for under $50 for students who prefer physical copies over electronic versions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Certificate Programs - Entry Tier |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Certificate Programs - Pay in Full |
| Subscription | Monthly | High School Diploma Programs |
| Subscription | Monthly | Associate Degree Programs |
| One time/ perpetual license | Monthly | Social Work Degree Program |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
US Career Institute product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U.S. Career Institute sells self-paced, 100% online educational programs through its proprietary CloudOle LMS, including career-focused certificate programs (healthcare, business, legal, wellness, services, and skilled trades), associate degrees in healthcare and business, and high school diploma programs for teens and adults. Programs include electronic books, study guides, instructor support, and one-on-one career coaching, with an optional Walgreens Pharmacy Technician externship add-on.
Product overview
U.S. Career Institute is an online education platform offering a portfolio of three core product lines: (1) Certificate Programs spanning healthcare (Medical Assistant, Medical Coding & Billing, Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy, Dental Assistant, and 10+ more), business (Accounting, Bookkeeping, Office Administrator), legal (Paralegal), wellness (Personal Fitness Trainer, Massage Therapist), services (Caregiver, Veterinary Assistant, Substance Abuse Assistant), and skilled trades (HVAC, Electrician, Plumber); (2) Associate Degree Programs in Accounting, Business Management, Health Information Technology, Human Resources, Medical Assistant, Medical Specialties, and Social Work; and (3) Online High School Diploma Programs with optional career pathway add-ons in healthcare, veterinary, business, fitness, and paralegal. All programs are 100% online, self-paced, and delivered through the proprietary CloudOle LMS. The company also offers a Walgreens Pharmacy Technician Externship partnership as an add-on practical experience module. Programs start as low as $49/month for certificates and high school, with associate degrees at $139/month.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 97% of students would recommend USCI to a friend
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use US Career Institute
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
US Career Institute technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
US Career Institute partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WalgreenscorePartnership provides Pharmacy Technician students with 80-hour Walgreens Pharmacy Technician Externship opportunity. Graduates who meet requirements (90%+ GPA, paid-in-full account, health forms, immunizations, TB test, 10-panel drug screen, background check) can participate in externship for hands-on pharmacy experience. Externship is unpaid and optional, available for one year after graduation. Not a guarantee of employment by Walgreens.
- U.S. Department of Veterans AffairscoreApproved for VA education benefits including GI Bill benefits. Students may be eligible for full or partial tuition reimbursement through VA education benefits.
- MyCAA (Military Spouse Career Advancement Account)coreMyCAA benefits accepted for military spouses seeking career training and education programs.
- Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)coreDEAC is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a recognized accrediting agency. DEAC accreditation ensures educational quality standards are met.
- Middle States Association Commission on Secondary Schools (MSA-CESS)coreMSA-CESS accreditation for high school programs. Listed by U.S. Department of Education as recognized accrediting agency.
- NC-SARA (National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements)minorMember of NC-SARA enabling interstate postsecondary distance education delivery across member states.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
US Career Institute competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Penn Foster: Penn Foster is one of USCI's closest direct peers, offering self-paced online career certificates, diplomas, associate degrees, and high-school-equivalency programs at similarly affordable price points. Both compete for the same adult learner and career-changer customer with comparable online, accredited models.
- Ashworth College: Ashworth College is a direct online for-profit career school offering certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees in healthcare, business, trades, and skilled fields. It competes head-to-head with USCI on price, accreditation (DEAC), and self-paced online delivery to adult learners.
Broad incumbents
- University of Phoenix: University of Phoenix is a large, established for-profit online university offering certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees. While broader and at higher price points than USCI, it competes for the same working-adult, career-advancement audience and represents the larger incumbent archetype in the category.
- Southern New Hampshire University: SNHU is a major accredited online university offering affordable certificates and degree programs across business, healthcare, and IT. It competes with USCI for adult learners seeking accredited, fully-online credentials, though it operates at significantly larger scale and broader program scope.
- Western Governors University: WGU is a non-profit online university focused on competency-based, affordable degrees in healthcare, business, IT, and education. It competes with USCI's associate-degree program on price and accreditation, while operating at substantially larger scale and serving a similar career-mobility-driven adult learner.
- Grand Canyon University: GCU is a large for-profit online university offering certificates and degrees in healthcare, business, and education. It overlaps with USCI in healthcare-adjacent and business programming for adult learners, though at significantly higher price points and program scope.
- Liberty University Online: Liberty University Online is a large accredited online program offering certificates, associate, bachelor's, and graduate degrees. It overlaps with USCI's online, accredited, self-paced delivery model, while serving a broader degree range and a more traditional university student profile.
- Purdue University Global: Purdue Global (formerly Kaplan University) is a large for-profit online university offering certificates, associate, bachelor's, and graduate programs in healthcare, business, IT, and legal studies. It competes with USCI's adult-learner audience and certificate/degree mix, though at much larger scale and price points.
- Strayer University: Strayer is an established for-profit online and campus-based university offering certificates and degrees in business, IT, healthcare, and education. It overlaps with USCI on adult-learner, career-mobility positioning and offers online delivery, though at higher price points and broader degree scope.
Emerging players
- Coursera: Coursera is a major online learning platform offering certificates, specializations, and degree programs from accredited universities at low cost. While not a direct for-profit school, it competes with USCI for the same cost-conscious adult learners pursuing career credentials in healthcare, business, and IT.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
US Career Institute social profiles
Digital presenceUS Career Institute compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
US Career Institute financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
US Career Institute leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
US Career Institute funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
US Career Institute 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 US Career Institute
What does US Career Institute do?
U.S. Career Institute sells self-paced, 100% online educational programs through its proprietary CloudOle LMS, including career-focused certificate programs (healthcare, business, legal, wellness, services, and skilled trades), associate degrees in healthcare and business, and high school diploma programs for teens and adults. Programs include electronic books, study guides, instructor support, and one-on-one career coaching, with an optional Walgreens Pharmacy Technician externship add-on.
Is US Career Institute a public or private company?
US Career Institute is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was US Career Institute founded?
US Career Institute was founded in 1981. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is US Career Institute based?
US Career Institute is headquartered in Fort Collins, United States, in the North America region.
How does US Career Institute make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Certificate Program Tuition is the primary driver. The others are high School Diploma Tuition, associate Degree Tuition and printed Materials (Optional Add-on).
Who are US Career Institute's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Penn Foster and Ashworth College. Broad incumbents are University of Phoenix, Southern New Hampshire University, Western Governors University, Grand Canyon University, Liberty University Online, Purdue University Global and Strayer University. Coursera is listed as an emerging player.
Does US Career Institute have an API?
No public API is recorded for US Career Institute.
What industry is US Career Institute in?
US Career Institute's product category is Online Career Education and Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHALAJ, Online For-Profit Career Universities, with a secondary code of EDAAAEAD, Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.