Lawrence University

What Lawrence University does

Lawrence University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college and conservatory of music founded in 1847 in Appleton, Wisconsin. The institution serves approximately 1,303 full-time undergraduate students (Fall 2025) through two integrated academic units: the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, offering 65+ majors, minors, and programs, and the Conservatory of Music, providing 50+ studios, ensembles, and programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music. Distinctive academic features include a trimester schedule, an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio, undergraduate research opportunities, and 50+ study abroad programs across more than 30 countries. The institution also operates a 441-acre northern campus, Björklunden vid Sjön, on Lake Michigan in Door County for retreats and continuing education.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: recurring tuition and fees from undergraduates (with 98% of students receiving institutional grant or scholarship aid and 27% receiving Pell grants indicating significant tuition discounting), philanthropic donations (anchored by the $232.6 million "Be the Light!" Campaign concluded in February 2021, the largest fundraising effort in university history), and Conference and Event Services leveraging campus facilities for the Fox Cities community. The university holds Higher Learning Commission accreditation, NASM accreditation for the Conservatory, American Chemical Society approval for its chemistry program, and Wisconsin teacher certification, providing regulatory credentials for its degrees.

Lawrence is currently executing an expansion strategy under President Laurie A. Carter (the 17th president, in office since 2022). Recent strategic moves include opening Fox Commons, a downtown Appleton mixed-use development where Lawrence serves as anchor tenant with student housing and the Business & Entrepreneurship Center (opened October 2024); launching new majors in Business & Entrepreneurship (2023) and Data Science & Statistics (announced February 2026); adding men's and women's lacrosse programs (competition beginning 2025); entering a direct admission partnership with Appleton Area School District (May 2025); acquiring the historic Courtney Woolen Mill (August 2024); and breaking ground on a shared academic building with the Trout Museum of Art (March 2024). The institution is also celebrating its 175th anniversary and was ranked Wisconsin's #1 small private university by U.S. News.

Name

Lawrence University

Legal name

Lawrence University

Website

https://lawrence.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1847

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin, serving roughly 1,300 undergraduate students through an integrated College of Liberal Arts & Sciences and Conservatory of Music on a trimester calendar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Appleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, fees, and related educational services. Lawrence is a private institution with tuition-based revenue.
2. Philanthropic Donations: Significant fundraising through campaigns such as the 'Be the Light!' Campaign which raised $232.6 million. Major gifts support academic spaces and student programs.
3. Conference and Event Services: Lawrence facilities serve as venues for meetings, weddings, and special events, generating revenue from the surrounding Fox Cities community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music that delivers undergraduate education through its College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (65+ majors, minors, and programs) combined with its accredited Conservatory of Music (50+ studios, programs, and ensembles). The university offers on-campus residential education in Appleton, Wisconsin, plus study abroad programs in 30+ countries, summer programs, and select graduate offerings, all grounded in a trimester academic schedule and undergraduate research opportunities.

Product overview

Lawrence University is a liberal arts college offering a unified educational experience combining its College of Liberal Arts & Sciences (65+ majors/minors/programs) with its acclaimed Conservatory of Music (50+ studios/programs/ensembles). The institution provides undergraduate education with distinctive features including a trimester schedule, undergraduate research opportunities, and a northern campus at Björklunden. Additional offerings include study abroad programs (50+ in 30+ countries), summer programs, student housing (on-campus and Fox Commons downtown apartments), and an online bookstore partnership with Akadémos. New programs include Data Science & Statistics and Business & Entrepreneurship majors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vikings: The athletic teams of Lawrence University compete in NCAA Division III as the Vikings.
• Conservatory of Music
• Björklunden vid Sjön
• Fox Commons
• Lawrence at Night
• The Great Midwest Trivia Contest

Products and services

• College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of graduates employed or continuing education within 6 months
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fox CommonscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 September 2024Lawrence is an anchor tenant in the Fox Commons redevelopment project in downtown Appleton, featuring student apartments on the second floor and the Business & Entrepreneurship Center.
• University of Wisconsin SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2014, Lawrence and the University of Wisconsin entered into an articulation agreement allowing students to transfer credit from the UW two-year college system to Lawrence University.
• University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Fox ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial partnership maintained for transfer students through articulation agreement.
• Appleton Area School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect admission partnership announced in May 2025, offering direct admission pathway to Lawrence for Appleton Area School District students.
• Trout Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for a four-story building in the 300 block of E. College Avenue to house academic spaces for Lawrence and the nonprofit museum, supported by a $10 million gift.
• College of Menominee NationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMellon Foundation funded collaboration between Lawrence and College of Menominee Nation in the Fox-Wolf watershed.
• Mile of MusicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLawrence's Music Education Team has leadership role in Mile of Music festival, with 10 years of music education workshops.
• New NorthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLawrence hosting New North's ESG Summit at Warch Campus Center.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oberlin College: Oberlin is the most structurally comparable peer to Lawrence — a private liberal arts college combined with a renowned Conservatory of Music. Both institutions serve a similar dual-degree-seeking student population, share a small residential model, and compete for the same niche of music-and-liberal-arts applicants nationally.
• Carleton College: Carleton is a top-tier residential liberal arts college in Minnesota with a similar size, selectivity profile, and STEM-humanities balance. It competes directly with Lawrence for high-achieving Midwest applicants seeking small-class residential liberal arts experiences.
• Grinnell College: Grinnell is a peer small private liberal arts college in Iowa with comparable enrollment scale, faculty ratios, and a strong track record of producing competitive graduates and fellowship winners. It is a direct competitor for the same high-achieving liberal arts applicant pool.
• Pomona College: Pomona is a leading small private liberal arts college in California with similar size, selectivity, and outcomes-driven positioning. It competes with Lawrence for nationally mobile liberal arts applicants and shares comparable graduate placement and fellowship metrics.
• Bowdoin College: Bowdoin is a highly selective small private liberal arts college in Maine with comparable enrollment, faculty ratio, and outcomes. It is a direct competitor for top liberal arts applicants nationwide and shares similar reputational benchmarks including graduate placement and fellowship production.
• Macalester College: Macalester is a Midwest private liberal arts college in Minnesota with similar size, mission emphasis on internationalism, and small-class residential model. It is a direct peer competing for similar Midwest liberal arts applicants.
• St. Olaf College: St. Olaf is a Minnesota-based private liberal arts college distinguished by its strong music tradition and ensembles. It competes with Lawrence both for general liberal arts applicants and specifically for music-interested students seeking residential conservatory-adjacent experiences.
• Beloit College: Beloit is a Wisconsin-based private liberal arts college with comparable enrollment scale and small-residential model. It is the closest in-state competitor and a direct peer for the same Wisconsin and regional applicant pool.
• Knox College: Knox is a Midwest private liberal arts college in Illinois with comparable size, residential model, and liberal arts mission. It is a direct peer competing for similar Upper Midwest liberal arts applicants.
• Ripon College: Ripon is a small Wisconsin private liberal arts college with similar scale and residential focus. It is an in-state peer competing for overlapping Wisconsin and Midwest liberal arts applicants.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lawrenceuni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/LawrenceUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/129654709732
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lawrence-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/lawrenceuni
• TikToktiktok.com/@lawrenceuni

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Lawrence University