Ensign College
Ensign College is a private nonprofit higher-education institution in Salt Lake City, affiliated with The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It delivers faith-centered, skills-based certificates, associate degrees, and accelerated three-year bachelor's degrees to domestic, international, and incarcerated students across 49 states via SARA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersSalt Lake City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ensign College does
Ensign College is a private nonprofit higher-education institution headquartered at 95 N. 300 W., Salt Lake City, Utah, and operated as part of the Church Educational System under The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Originally founded in 1886 (and operating as LDS Business College until its 2006 rebrand to Ensign College), the institution delivers career-focused, faith-centered post-secondary education to domestic undergraduates, international students, and — since November 2024 — incarcerated individuals at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Its portfolio spans certificates (including AI Full Stack, Electrical, and Medical Assisting), associate degrees, and accelerated three-year bachelor's degrees in disciplines such as Business Intelligence Engineering, Software Engineering, and Interior Design, with NWCCU regional accreditation and CAAHEP accreditation for Medical Assisting.
The college's technology stack is a commodity SaaS configuration rather than a proprietary platform: Canvas for LMS course delivery, Microsoft Office 365 for productivity, Workday for enterprise systems, LinkedIn Learning and Grammarly Premium as student perks, and integrations with Handshake for career services, Peoplegrove/Ensign Connect for community, and BYU-Pathway Worldwide for online pathway services. Online delivery is authorized under SARA across 49 states and Washington D.C. (California being the only non-SARA state), with the Institute of Religion embedded in the academic experience. No public APIs, proprietary AI models, or developer-facing platforms are offered; the differentiation is educational rather than technological.
Commercially, Ensign operates on a tuition-and-scholarship revenue model typical of nonprofit higher education, with annual billing, scholarships that materially reduce student cost (positioning the institution around affordability), and on-campus student employment as a work-study-type supplemental stream. Go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer recruiting (admissions, campus tours, online inquiries, events) with sales-led motion through international admissions and ecclesiastical-endorsement pathways that originate within LDS congregations. Reported outcomes — 93% of bachelor's graduates employed within a year and $66,034 average starting salary for 2023–2024 — are central to the value proposition, alongside the 3-year accelerated pathway. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, and no funding rounds, M&A activity, or independent ownership structures exist; the institution is wholly sponsored and governed through the Church Educational System.
Ensign College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ensign College
- Legal name
- Ensign College
- Website
- https://ensign.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Ensign College is a private nonprofit higher-education institution in Salt Lake City, affiliated with The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It delivers faith-centered, skills-based certificates, associate degrees, and accelerated three-year bachelor's degrees to domestic, international, and incarcerated students across 49 states via SARA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ensign College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)
Keywords
Where Ensign College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Salt Lake City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Ensign College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tuition Revenue: Tuition-based revenue from enrolled students pursuing certificates and degree programs. The college emphasizes low tuition to make education affordable.
- Scholarships: Generous scholarship programs that reduce student costs and support affordability, offsetting tuition revenue.
- Student Employment: Student jobs and employment opportunities on campus provide work-study type arrangements for enrolled students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tuition with Scholarship Support |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
Ensign College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ensign College is a private post-secondary institution that offers certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees in a skills-based, faith-centered learning environment sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Programs span business, technology (including AI and software engineering), healthcare, and skilled trades such as electrical training, and are delivered on campus in Salt Lake City, online across 49 states and Washington D.C. via SARA participation, and through specialized partnerships such as incarcerated education at the Utah State Correctional Facility. The college operates under the Church Educational System alongside BYU institutions, with an accelerated 3-year bachelor's pathway and an emphasis on immediate career readiness.
Product overview
Ensign College offers a portfolio of skills-based educational programs including certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees. The institution has recently expanded its technology offerings with new AI-focused programs (AI Full Stack Certificate, Business Intelligence Engineering AAS, Software Engineering BAS) alongside traditional career-focused programs such as Electrical Certificate and Medical Assisting. Programs are delivered through on-campus instruction, online delivery via SARA participation, and specialized partnerships including incarcerated student education at the Utah State Correctional Facility.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- AI Full Stack Certificate A certificate program at Ensign College designed to prepare students for technology careers through training in artificial intelligence skills and applications.
- Business Intelligence Engineering AAS An updated Associate of Applied Science degree program focused on business intelligence engineering at Ensign College.
- Software Engineering BAS A Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Software Engineering updated as part of Ensign College's new AI programs initiative.
- Electrical Certificate A hands-on electrical training certificate program at Ensign College preparing students for work in skilled trades.
- Medical Assisting Program A program at Ensign College accredited through CAAHEP that meets educational requirements for AAMA CMA certification, valid in all states.
- Interior Design Program An interior design degree program at Ensign College (does not meet educational requirements for mandatory registration laws in Louisiana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C.).
- Online Programs Distance education programs at Ensign College offered online to students across SARA jurisdictions (49 states and Washington D.C.).
- 3-Year Bachelor's Degree An accelerated bachelor's degree program at Ensign College allowing students to earn their degree in three years rather than the traditional four.
Quantifiable outcome
- 93% of graduates with bachelor's degrees are employed within a year of graduation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Ensign College
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Ensign College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Ensign College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Utah Department of Corrections (UDC)coreEnsign College partnered with the Utah Department of Corrections to launch online courses at the Utah State Correctional Facility in November 2024. The program combines career-focused education with faith-based learning for incarcerated individuals. Since launch, nearly 500 incarcerated and paroled men and women have been served, with continued expansion of reach.
- BYU-Pathway WorldwidecoreBYU-Pathway Worldwide provides online program support and pathway services for Ensign College. The partnership enables online education delivery and is referenced in student policies for online students supported by BYU-Pathway.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintscoreEnsign College is sponsored by and affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Church provides institutional support, governance through the Church Board of Education/Boards of Trustees, and operates the college as part of the Church Educational System alongside BYU, BYU-Idaho, and BYU-Hawaii.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ensign College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BYU-Idaho: Sister institution within the LDS Church Educational System with a skills-based, faith-centered, undergraduate-focused model and a comparable tuition/affordability positioning—Ensign's closest structural peer.
- BYU-Pathway Worldwide: CES online-pathway arm that directly supports Ensign College's online program delivery; operates the same LDS-affiliated, low-cost, online-first model with stackable certificates.
- BYU-Hawaii: Third LDS-affiliated sister college in the Church Educational System; shares faith-centered mission, single-campus structure, and undergraduate/career-prep positioning.
- Western Governors University: Nonprofit, competency-based, online-first university serving career-focused adult and traditional learners; competes head-on with Ensign's online programs in affordable, accelerated degree pathways.
- Oral Roberts University: Faith-affiliated (Pentecostal) regional university with undergraduate career-preparation emphasis; comparable size, religious sponsorship, and career-outcomes storytelling.
- Colorado Christian University: Faith-affiliated (Christian) university with accelerated, online, and career-oriented programs; similar size tier and faith-centered value proposition.
Broad incumbents
- Liberty University: Large faith-affiliated (Christian) university with a sizable online program serving non-traditional and residential students; broader scope than Ensign but closest larger analog in faith-based higher education.
- Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit with dominant online enrollment serving cost-sensitive, career-focused learners; competes most directly with Ensign's online, affordable-value positioning at much greater scale.
- Grand Canyon University: Faith-affiliated (Christian) university with a large online enrollment and career-oriented degree offerings; broader scope but overlapping value positioning on faith + affordability + career readiness.
- Brigham Young University: Flagship LDS-affiliated university in the same Church Educational System; not directly competitive on price or accelerated model, but the brand umbrella under which Ensign recruits and is positioned.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ensign College social profiles
Digital presenceEnsign College compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
Ensign College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ensign College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Ensign College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ensign College 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 Ensign College
What does Ensign College do?
Ensign College is a private post-secondary institution that offers certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor's degrees in a skills-based, faith-centered learning environment sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Programs span business, technology (including AI and software engineering), healthcare, and skilled trades such as electrical training, and are delivered on campus in Salt Lake City, online across 49 states and Washington D.C. via SARA participation, and through specialized partnerships such as incarcerated education at the Utah State Correctional Facility. The college operates under the Church Educational System alongside BYU institutions, with an accelerated 3-year bachelor's pathway and an emphasis on immediate career readiness.
Is Ensign College a public or private company?
Ensign College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ensign College founded?
Ensign College was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Ensign College based?
Ensign College is headquartered in Salt Lake City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ensign College make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition Revenue is the primary driver. The others are scholarships and student Employment.
Who are Ensign College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BYU-Idaho, BYU-Pathway Worldwide, BYU-Hawaii, Western Governors University, Oral Roberts University and Colorado Christian University. Broad incumbents are Liberty University, Southern New Hampshire University, Grand Canyon University and Brigham Young University.
Does Ensign College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ensign College.
What industry is Ensign College in?
Ensign College's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAKAM, Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical). Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.