Ashworth college

What Ashworth college does

Ashworth College is a private, DEAC-accredited online education institution headquartered in Norcross, Georgia (operating as PF Carrus Careers, LLC), serving working adults, career-changers, military personnel and spouses, high-school students, and underserved learners. It has been educating students since 1987 and was acquired by Penn Foster in February 2019, becoming part of a middle-skill learning continuum that spans Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster Career School, Penn Foster College, ICS Canada, and James Madison High School.

The institution delivers its curriculum through an online learning management system accessible 24/7 via a student portal, supported by a digital library (LRC) providing journals, publications, and eBooks, and an Online Writing Lab offering citation guides, style guides, and plagiarism resources. Programs are self-paced and cover career diplomas and certificates, associate and bachelor's degrees, undergraduate certificates, and online high school diplomas — spanning business, healthcare, trades, technology, education, legal studies, and creative services across more than 115 program offerings.

Revenue is generated through tuition paid by individual learners (B2C/DTC) on subscription-style monthly payment plans or one-time payments, with programs priced from approximately $400 for certificates to $10,000+ for bachelor's degrees. Distribution combines self-serve online enrollment with phone-based inside sales through admissions specialists, including a dedicated military admissions line, and is supplemented by channel partnerships (U.S. Speedskating, Job Corps) plus the Gary Keisling ACCESS Scholarship program (up to $25,000 annually). Marketing relies on content (blog, news, student success stories), an online community exceeding 125,000 members, and annual competitions such as Graduate of the Year.

Name

Ashworth college

Legal name

PF Carrus Careers, LLC

Website

https://ashworthcollege.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ashworth College is a private, DEAC-accredited online education institution serving adult learners, military personnel, high-school students, and underserved populations with self-paced career diplomas, certificates, and associate and bachelor's degrees delivered via an online LMS; founded in 1987, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, and acquired by Penn Foster in 2019.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Online education
• Distance learning
• Career diplomas
• Online college degrees
• High school diploma

Headquarters

HQ city

Norcross

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Career Diploma Programs: Affordable diploma programs covering career-focused fields such as healthcare, business, trades, and technology. Programs are self-paced and completed online.
2. College Degree Programs: Associate and bachelor's degree programs in various fields including accounting, business administration, criminal justice, early childhood education, healthcare administration, marketing, psychology, veterinary technician, and more. Programs are nationally accredited.
3. Career Certificate Programs: Certificate programs in specialized areas such as medical billing, medical terminology, CDA credential preparation, and other professional certifications.
4. High School Diploma Programs (James Madison High School): Online high school diploma programs for traditional students, adult learners, homeschoolers, and those seeking credit recovery or summer school options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ashworth College is an accredited online education institution offering self-paced diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, and high school diploma programs. The institution delivers fully online coursework through a student portal accessible 24/7, with digital study materials included in tuition and no-interest monthly payment plans. Programs span healthcare, business, trades, technology, criminal justice, early childhood education, creative services, and legal studies, targeting working adults and career-focused learners.

Product overview

Ashworth College is an affordable online education platform offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs across three main categories: Career School (career diplomas and certificates), College (associate and bachelor's degrees, undergraduate certificates), and High School (James Madison High School online diplomas). The platform is built around a Student Portal learning management system providing 24/7 access to course materials, supported by the LRC Library and Writing Lab. Programs span diverse fields including healthcare, business, trades, technology, criminal justice, early childhood education, and creative services. The institution is part of Penn Foster Group and partners with organizations like U.S. Speedskating for athlete education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Career Diplomas

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of students achieved their goals
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Penn FostercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 February 2019Penn Foster acquired Ashworth College in February 2019. Penn Foster partners with leading employers to attract, develop, and retain talent for middle-skill jobs. The acquisition created a continuum for middle-skill learning extending from high school to the world of work. Penn Foster Group includes Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster Career School, Penn Foster College, ICS Canada, and James Madison High School (part of Ashworth family).
• Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb CountyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 August 2013Ashworth College partnered with Habitat for Humanity of DeKalb County for five consecutive years (at least through 2013) for community service activities during Graduation Week. Employee and student volunteers participated in home renovation projects including repair, cosmetic, and landscaping work in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Ashworth was the first online school to sponsor a student campus chapter with Habitat for Humanity.
• U.S. SpeedskatingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2013Ashworth College partnered with U.S. Speedskating to offer discounted online degree programs to athletes. Many team members use their off-season to continue their education through Ashworth's accredited online programs. Athletes like Emily Scott and Alyson Dudek have utilized these flexible programs. The partnership allows athletes to complete lessons around the demands of practice, meets, and travel without choosing between athletic careers and education.
• James Madison High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJames Madison High School is part of the Ashworth College family of online schools. It offers online high school diploma programs including General Diploma Track and College Prep Diploma Track, single high school courses, credit recovery, and summer school programs.
• Gary Keisling ACCESS Scholarship ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe ACCESS (Ashworth College Continuing Education for Student Success) Scholarship program was developed in 2011 and awards up to $25,000 combined annually to recently enrolled and prospective diploma and degree students. Honors legacy of late Chairman Gary Keisling's mission to offer affordable education to underserved populations. Recipients include students from Jamaica, Florida, Georgia, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and other locations.
• Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)coreOthersAshworth College is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC), recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Also licensed by Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) and authorized under SARA for National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NCSARA).
• Job CorpsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAshworth offers scholarships for career diplomas and undergraduate certificates to graduates of James Madison High School and select Job Corps Centers, creating pathways for underserved populations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Penn Foster: Penn Foster is Ashworth's parent company since Feb 2019 and direct sibling offering online high school (Penn Foster HS), career diplomas (Penn Foster Career School), and college degrees (Penn Foster College). Same self-paced accredited model, same adult-learner target, same DEAC accreditation framework — making it the closest comparable.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large accredited online university serving primarily adult learners with career-focused associate, bachelor's, and certificate programs at competitive tuition. Comparable on self-paced online delivery, adult-learner focus, and degree/certificate portfolio breadth.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit, fully online, competency-based university offering affordable undergraduate and graduate degrees to working adults. Competes head-to-head with Ashworth on affordable online degrees for career advancement with similar self-paced structure.
• University of Phoenix: Long-standing for-profit online university offering associate, bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs to working adults. Most direct for-profit comparison on model, target audience, and admissions-driven GTM motion.
• Purdue University Global: Online for-profit university (formerly Kaplan University) offering career-focused associate, bachelor's, and graduate degrees with strong emphasis on working adults and military populations — overlapping heavily with Ashworth's persona segments.
• Grand Canyon University: For-profit university with large online division offering degrees in business, healthcare, education, and criminal justice to adult learners. Comparable on program mix, online delivery, and career-focused positioning.
• Liberty University Online: Large accredited online program serving primarily adult learners with associate through doctoral degrees, including strong military and veteran enrollment. Competes directly on online flexibility, accreditation, and degree breadth.
• DeVry University: For-profit career-focused higher education institution offering online certificates, associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees in business, technology, and healthcare. Comparable on the career-readiness value proposition and adult-learner GTM.
• ECPI University: For-profit career college offering accelerated online and hybrid programs in technology, healthcare, and skilled trades. Comparable on accelerated self-paced model, affordability, and career-diploma to degree pathways serving similar adult-learner segments.

Emerging players

• StraighterLine: Subscription-based online provider of low-cost general-education and career courses that articulate to partner colleges. Competes at the credit-recognition and affordability layer that Ashworth itself occupies, particularly for adult learners testing the waters before committing to a full degree.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ashworthcollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/ashworthcollege

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Ashworth college