What Charter Oak State College does

Charter Oak State College, founded in 1973 and headquartered in New Britain, Connecticut, is the state's public online college operating as a constituent unit of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (ConnSCU) system under the Board of Regents for Higher Education. The college delivers fully online associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs plus certificates across Business, Education, Healthcare, Technology, Human Services, and Public Safety, serving approximately 101–250 employees and a 19,000+ alumni base. Its core differentiators include Credit for Prior Learning (accepting up to 87 transfer credits from two-year institutions plus portfolio, exam, corporate training, and ACE-evaluated credentials), six annual start dates, military-friendly designation, and multi-layer accreditation (NECHE institutional plus CCNE, CAHIIM, NCRA, NAEYC program accreditations and NC-SARA cross-state authorization).

The college generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees, supplemented by state appropriations, financial aid, veterans benefits, third-party billing, and foundation donations through the Charter Oak State College Foundation, Inc. (a 501(c)(3) established in 1977). Recent strategic expansion centers on the AI Academy — a partnership with the Business-Higher Education Forum and Axim Collaborative, supported by a $300,000 three-year Davis Educational Foundation grant, delivering stackable AI credentials on the Open edX platform targeting 10,000 learners over five years. Distribution is exclusively online via self-serve application and a Jenzabar-powered student portal (MyCharterOak), with go-to-market driven by virtual open houses on Zoom, paid digital advertising across Facebook/LinkedIn/Google/Bing/Yahoo, and email marketing. Pricing details are not publicly disclosed; the institution targets working adults, community college transfers, military/veterans, and — through the AI Academy — workers, job seekers, K-12 districts, and SMB employees.

Name

Charter Oak State College

Legal name

Charter Oak State College

Website

https://charteroak.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's public online college, founded in 1973, offering fully online associate, bachelor's, master's, and certificate programs primarily to working adults via Open edX and credit-for-prior-learning pathways.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Community Colleges (2-Year, Degree/Transfer) (EDAHALAC)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Adult degree completion
• Online certificate programs
• Credit for prior learning
• Workforce skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

New Britain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Charter Oak State College generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees charged to students for online degree programs and certificates. The college accepts financial aid, scholarships, veterans benefits, and company/third-party billing payments.
2. Foundation Donations and Grants: The Charter Oak State College Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1977, provides financial assistance to students through scholarships, grants, technology awards, and crisis funds. The foundation receives private gifts, donations, and bequests from donors.
3. AI Academy Partnership Grants: The college received a $300,000 grant from the Davis Educational Foundation over three years to support AI competency integration into baccalaureate programs. Additional funding from Business-Higher Education Forum and Axim Collaborative supports the expanded AI Academy initiative targeting 10,000 learners over five years.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's public online college delivering fully online associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees plus certificate programs in Business, Education, Healthcare, Technology, and Human Services. Programs target working adults through six annual start dates, flexible accelerated courses, and an extensive Credit for Prior Learning framework that accepts portfolio assessment, standardized exams, corporate training, ACE-evaluated credentials, and military training. The college also offers the AI Academy on Open edX for AI workforce training and stacks credentials with employer/company billing pathways.

Product overview

Charter Oak State College is Connecticut's public online college offering a comprehensive portfolio of degree programs and certificates. The institution operates as a single unified online educational platform offering: Bachelor's degrees (Business Administration, Finance, Cyber Security, Data Analytics, Nursing, Healthcare Administration, Psychology, Social Work, and more), Master's degrees (Organizational Leadership, Curriculum and Instruction, Healthcare Administration, Health Data Analytics), Associate degrees, and Certificate programs (AI Practitioner, Cancer Registry Management, Medical Coding, Project Management). Key programs include the AI Academy (delivered via Open edX) for workforce training in AI-driven industries, and Credit for Prior Learning for adult learners. The college was established in 1973 and is accredited by NECHE.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Charter Oak State College Foundation: A non-profit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to Charter Oak State College students through scholarships, grants, technology support, and crisis funds.

Products and services

• AI Academy Workforce training program in AI-driven industries delivered via the Open edX platform; offers stackable AI credentials over three years targeting workers, job seekers, educators, and employees of small and mid-sized businesses, developed in partnership with Business-Higher Education Forum and Axim Collaborative.
• AI Practitioner Certificate Online certificate program that teaches students to implement and automate AI-driven processes in business environments, covering workflow automation and AI integration.
• Business Administration Bachelor's Degree Online bachelor's degree program with concentrations in Project Management and General Business, preparing working adults for careers in business management.
• Cyber Security Bachelor's Degree Online bachelor's degree program covering cybersecurity principles, network security, and information protection.
• Data Analytics Bachelor's Degree Online bachelor's degree program teaching data analysis, statistical methods, and data-driven decision making for working adults.
• Health Data Analytics Master's Degree Online master's degree program focused on healthcare data analytics, population health management, and health informatics.
• Cancer Registry Management Certificate Online NCRA-accredited certificate program that prepares graduates for the Oncology Data Specialist (ODS) Credential Exam; serves healthcare professionals and cancer registry practitioners.
• Credit for Prior Learning (CPL) College credit program that allows students to earn credit for prior learning through portfolio assessment, standardized exams, corporate training, ACE-evaluated credentials, and courses; reduces time and tuition cost toward degree completion.
• Master of Science in Integrated Early Childhood/Elementary and Special Education (Birth-Grade 3) Newly launched online master's degree program in the School of Education preparing aspiring teachers and educators for integrated early childhood, elementary, and special education from Birth through Grade 3.
• Nursing (RN/ADN to BSN) Bachelor's Degree Online CCNE-accredited bachelor's degree completion program (RN/ADN to BSN) for licensed nurses advancing to a four-year nursing credential.
• Healthcare Administration (Bachelor's and Master's) Online bachelor's and master's degree programs in Healthcare Administration preparing students for management roles in hospitals, health systems, and public health organizations.
• Early Childhood Education Programs Online NAEYC-accredited associate's and bachelor's degree programs in Early Childhood Education, plus CDA Training, Speech and Language Pathology Assistant, and ECE Alternate Route to Certification certificates for early-childhood educators.
• Organizational Leadership Master's Degree Online master's degree program in Organizational Leadership preparing working professionals for leadership and management roles across business, healthcare, technology, and human services fields.
• Curriculum and Instruction Master's Degree Online master's degree program in Curriculum and Instruction designed for current and aspiring educators seeking advanced teaching and curriculum-design credentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19,000+ alumni graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Business-Higher Education ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2026Partnership for major expansion of AI Academy to train workers for AI-driven industries. The initiative offers stackable credentials over three years to learners, job seekers, educators, and employees of small and mid-sized businesses using the Open edX platform with a goal of reaching 10,000 learners over five years.
• Axim CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2026Collaborative partner in AI Academy expansion initiative targeting AI workforce training for Connecticut workers, job seekers, educators, and small-to-mid-sized business employees.
• Connecticut State Colleges and Universities (ConnSCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharter Oak State College is one of six constituent units of the Board of Regents governing Connecticut's public higher education system, which includes community colleges, state universities, and the online college.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SUNY Empire State University: Public SUNY online college serving working adults with flexible enrollment, prior-learning credit, and broad undergraduate/graduate online programs — directly comparable in mission, public-sector structure, and target student.
• Capella University: For-profit online university serving working adults with flexible graduate and undergraduate programs — comparable asynchronous online model and adult-learner focus, with overlapping program areas in business, IT, and healthcare.
• University of Phoenix: For-profit online university serving working adults with career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs — comparable online-only delivery and adult-learner focus, with overlapping program areas in business, technology, and healthcare.
• Walden University: For-profit online university owned by Adtalem with a graduate-heavy catalog serving working professionals — comparable adult-learner online model with overlapping degrees in healthcare, education, and behavioral sciences.
• Purdue University Global: Public online university within the Purdue system serving working adults with associate through doctoral programs — comparable public online institution competing for the same adult-learner segment, though at significantly larger scale.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online university serving working adults through competency-based programs — competes head-to-head with Charter Oak in adult-learner degree completion, though at much greater scale and brand recognition.
• Thomas Edison State University: Public New Jersey online college serving adult learners via credit-by-exam, portfolio, and prior-learning pathways with NECHE accreditation — comparable public online college with a similar CPL-heavy business model.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit university with a primarily online undergraduate and graduate portfolio serving adult learners — comparable business model and target demographic, though at substantially larger scale and broader program offering.
• University of Maryland Global Campus: Public online university serving working adults, military, and federal employees worldwide — directly comparable public-sector online institution with strong military affiliation and similar credit-for-experience policies.
• Excelsior University: Private, nonprofit online college headquartered in New York that specializes in degree completion for working adults and military students with extensive credit-for-prior-learning pathways — structurally the closest analog to Charter Oak State College.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/charteroak
• Facebookfacebook.com/6034698740
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charter-oak-state-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/charteroakstatecollege

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Charter Oak State College