What Michigan Virtual University does

Michigan Virtual University is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1998 and headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, that provides online K-12 education and educator professional development services to Michigan's school community. The organization is not itself an online school; it operates as a course provider and PD vendor to local school districts, homeschool families, and individual Michigan educators. Its product surface spans core subject courses, Advanced Placement, career pathways, credit recovery, world languages, summer learning, and homeschool programs, alongside a substantial catalog of professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators.

The technology backbone consists of two integrated portals: the Student Learning Portal (SLP), which functions as a Student Information System handling registration, grades, attendance, messaging, and bulk district enrollment; and the Professional Learning Portal (PLP), which delivers educator courses and tracks State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH). Both portals integrate with the Brightspace (D2L) LMS for course delivery. The SLP and PLP further integrate with the Michigan Department of Education's MOECS system for SCECH credential processing, with MiRegistry for educator records, and with MASSP for Path to Leadership modules. Over 70 courses carry Quality Matters certification.

Michigan Virtual generates revenue through three streams: per-course K-12 enrollment fees (paid via purchase order by schools, credit card by families), educator professional development delivered through group registration and district-provided PD programs, and consulting services for districts implementing online learning programs. Distribution is a hybrid model combining district partnerships (B2B2C, with affiliation users managing bulk enrollment) and direct-to-family enrollment for homeschool consumers. The organization has trained more than 25,000 teachers on AI basics and operates the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI) and a newly opened AI Innovation Design Studio, but does not disclose proprietary AI models; AI tooling is delivered through partnerships with Brightspace and internal advisory staff.

Name

Michigan Virtual University

Legal name

Michigan Virtual University

Website

https://michiganvirtual.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Michigan Virtual University is a Michigan-based nonprofit providing online K-12 courses and educator professional development to school districts, homeschool families, and educators statewide through two integrated learning portals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Online Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Virtual School Course Providers (Single-Course/Part-Time Enrollment) (EDAJADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Credit Recovery & Alternative Pathways (Virtual) (EDAJADAF), Virtual Homeschool Programs & Online Curriculum Schools (EDAJADAJ), Virtual World Language & Electives Providers (K–12) (EDAJADAK)

Keywords

• K-12 online courses
• Educator professional development
• Online learning platforms
• Student information systems
• Virtual school services

Headquarters

HQ city

Lansing

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. K-12 Course Enrollment Fees: Revenue from course enrollments for K-12 students, billed per course. Schools can pay via purchase order or consortium arrangement; parents/guardians pay by credit card through the Student Learning Portal. Enrollments earning 60% or more of total course points are considered complete.
2. Professional Development Courses: Continuing education courses for educators offering State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH). Schools and districts can use group registration for bulk educator enrollments. Some courses have additional approval processes based on membership.
3. Consulting Services: Leadership coaching for innovation and consulting services offered to school districts and educational organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Michigan Virtual University provides online K-12 courses (core subjects, electives, AP, world languages, career pathways, credit recovery, summer learning, homeschool programs) led by Michigan-certified teachers, delivered via the Student Learning Portal (SLP, a Student Information System) integrated with the Brightspace LMS. It also provides professional development courses for educators that award State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) through the Professional Learning Portal (PLP), plus consulting, research through MVLRI, and AI-in-education resources. Distribution is primarily through Michigan school district partnerships and direct homeschool family enrollment.

Product overview

Michigan Virtual University is a nonprofit organization (established 1998) providing comprehensive K-12 online education and professional learning services. The organization operates a multi-portal platform architecture consisting of the Student Learning Portal (SLP) - a student information system managing enrollment, grades, and attendance - and the Professional Learning Portal (PLP) for educator professional development. Both portals integrate with Brightspace LMS for course delivery. The core product portfolio includes online student courses (core subjects, AP, career pathways, credit recovery, world languages), professional development programs for educators (compliance courses, SCECH credits, leadership training), and supplemental programs like Michigan Cares for mental health. The company also operates the Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI) for educational research and an AI Innovation Studio for exploring artificial intelligence in education. Recent innovations include the AI Planning Guide and Prototype Playground. The organization serves Michigan's K-12 community through partnerships with local school districts, offering over 70 Quality Matters-certified courses.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Learning Portal (SLP) Proprietary student information system (SIS) supporting student registration, grade and attendance tracking, bulk school enrollment, mentor assignment, guardian dashboards, and messaging between students and instructors. Does not host course content; integrates with Brightspace LMS for delivery. Targets K-12 students in Michigan and the school staff/affiliation users who manage their enrollments.
• Professional Learning Portal (PLP) Self-service portal for educator professional development offering State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) courses, compliance courses, micro-credentials, leadership training, and group registration for districts. Integrates with MOECS for Michigan Department of Education credentialing. Targets Michigan teachers, counselors, mentors, and administrators.
• Online Student Courses Award-winning K-12 online courses led by Michigan-certified teachers covering core subjects (Math, ELA, Science, Social Studies), electives, World Languages, Advanced Placement, Career Pathways, Credit Recovery, and alternative education programs. Delivered via Brightspace and enrolled through the SLP. Targets K-12 students in Michigan, including homeschool families and district-enrolled students.
• Professional Development for Educators Online professional development courses for teachers covering Online & Blended Teaching, Social Emotional Learning, Classroom Management, Subject-Area Specific training, Path to Leadership, MDE Courses, SCECH Credits, and Compliance Courses. Delivered through the PLP. Targets Michigan teachers, counselors, mentors, and administrators.
• Michigan Cares Mental Health & Social Emotional Learning supplemental program supporting student wellbeing in K-12 online learning environments.
• Michigan Virtual Learning Research Institute (MVLRI) Research institute conducting studies on K-12 online education, preparing online teachers, supporting online learners, and analyzing learning trajectories. Publishes effectiveness reports, consumer awareness reports, and other research publications.
• AI Innovation Design Studio Innovation design studio focused on exploring how artificial intelligence can support education and strengthen student-teacher connections; researches emerging technologies and addresses concerns about AI use, content authorship, and academic integrity.
• AI Resources & Planning Guide Comprehensive AI framework and resource suite including the AI Integration Framework, Planning Guide for AI, and supporting resources to help educators navigate artificial intelligence in classrooms.
• Prototype Playground Innovation tool for exploring AI prototypes and emerging educational technology solutions.
• Summer Learning Online summer courses for K-12 students to continue learning during summer break; offered through the SLP and delivered via Brightspace.
• Credit Recovery & Alternative Education (Essentials) Essentials program offering credit recovery and alternative education options for K-12 students who need additional support to complete required coursework.
• Career Pathways Career-focused online courses helping K-12 students explore career options and prepare for future careers, including specialized Cybersecurity & Networking training.
• Homeschool Programs Online courses designed for homeschool students, with parent/guardian self-enrollment and direct credit-card payment through the SLP.
• Consulting Services Leadership coaching for innovation and consulting services for school districts implementing or improving online learning programs; includes consulting team support and consulting resources.
• District-Provided Professional Development Customized professional development services delivered to school districts and educational organizations, supplementing the public PLP catalog.
• Micro Credentials Micro-credential programs for educators to earn specialized certifications across educational technology and teaching topics, delivered through the PLP.
• Brightspace Smart Pacing Tool AI-enabled pacing tool within the Brightspace LMS that helps K-12 students stay on track with course completion. Replaced Michigan Virtual's previous pacing guides in Summer 2025.
• Statewide Course Catalog Statewide catalog of online courses available to Michigan students and families at micourses.org, consolidating Michigan Virtual's K-12 course catalog.
• Compliance Courses for Educators Online compliance training courses for Michigan educators covering state and district compliance requirements such as bloodborne pathogens, concussion, and other mandated training.
• SCECH Credit Courses State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) credit courses for Michigan educators, with completion data shared with the Michigan Department of Education's MOECS system for credentialing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25,000+ teachers trained on AI basics for classroom use
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability2 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Michigan Department of Education (MDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan Virtual operates as a statewide laboratory and quality model for implementing virtual learning solutions under Michigan's State School Aid Act. MDE has endorsed Michigan Virtual as a National Leader in AI Resources.
• Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMASA is a key partner organization representing Michigan school administrators. Michigan Virtual collaborates with MASA on professional development and educational initiatives.
• Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMASSP represents secondary school principals in Michigan. Partnership supports Path to Leadership modules and DLN partner courses with enrollment and completion data sharing.
• Virtual Learning Leadership Alliance (VLLA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit association of some of the most innovative K-12 virtual programs in the US. Michigan Virtual's President & CEO serves on the VLLA Board of Trustees.
• Quality Matters (QM)coreTechnology or IntegrationQuality Matters is a global nonprofit organization focused on quality assurance for online and digital courses. Michigan Virtual has over 70 courses certified by Quality Matters.
• Michigan Association for Computer Learners in Learning (MACUL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACUL is a Michigan educational technology association. Michigan Virtual partners with MACUL on technology initiatives and professional development.
• Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAISA supports intermediate school administrators in Michigan. Partnership supports collaborative educational initiatives.
• Michigan Association of Non-public Schools (MANS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMANS represents non-public schools in Michigan. Partnership extends Michigan Virtual's reach to private and non-public school communities.
• Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMASB supports school boards across Michigan. Partnership helps communicate Michigan Virtual resources to school board members and districts.
• Michigan Assessment Consortium (MAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAC focuses on assessment practices in Michigan education. Partnership supports research and assessment-related initiatives.
• MOECScoreTechnology or IntegrationMichigan Department of Education's Educator Offender System for SCECH credit processing. Michigan Virtual shares user first name, last name, email, and PIC to award completion of SCECH-based course offerings.
• Brightspace (D2L)coreTechnology or IntegrationBrightspace is the Learning Management System (LMS) platform used for delivering Michigan Virtual courses. Powers the course delivery, pacing tools, and student learning experience.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Edmentum: Edmentum is a large, established K-12 online curriculum and course provider offering credit recovery, AP, electives, and educator solutions to districts nationwide. Overlaps significantly with Michigan Virtual's course and professional learning catalog but operates at national scale across multiple product lines.
• Connections Academy (Pearson): Connections Academy operates tuition-free online public schools across many states partnered with school districts. Adjacent to Michigan Virtual's K-12 online education mission but focused on full-time enrollment rather than single-course supplementation.
• K12 / Stride, Inc. Stride is one of the largest online K-12 providers in the U.S., offering full-time online schooling, supplemental courses, and career learning. While primarily full-time, Stride competes for the same district budgets and supplemental course dollars that Michigan Virtual targets.

Emerging players

• Khan Academy (with Khanmigo): Khan Academy is a free online learning platform expanding into AI tutoring via Khanmigo, increasingly adopted by school districts. Represents the AI-native, free-tier competitive threat to Michigan Virtual's supplemental instruction and AI training positioning.

Direct peers

• Florida Virtual School (FLVS): FLVS is a statewide public virtual school district in Florida offering individual online courses, full-time enrollment, and educator professional development. It is the closest operational analog to Michigan Virtual — a publicly chartered virtual course provider serving K-12 students across an entire state, partnering with districts and offering summer, AP, and credit recovery courses.
• National University Virtual High School: National University Virtual High School is a nonprofit online high school offering WASC-accredited individual and full-time courses to students nationwide. Comparable nonprofit single-course provider model with strong district and homeschool channels.
• Ohio Digital Learning / Ohio Online Learning: A state-level online course provider serving Ohio K-12 students with supplemental, credit recovery, and advanced courses. Directly comparable as a state-chartered virtual course provider offering single-course enrollment to districts statewide.
• Apex Learning: Apex Learning provides credit recovery, original credit, AP, and adaptive online courses to school districts nationwide. Highly comparable to Michigan Virtual's credit recovery and supplemental course catalog, with similar district-channel go-to-market.
• VHS Learning (Vincennes University): VHS Learning is a nonprofit online learning cooperative offering supplemental middle and high school courses, AP, world languages, and credit recovery. It mirrors Michigan Virtual's model of single-course enrollment for K-12 students rather than full-time enrollment, and shares a similar nonprofit posture with strong educator credentials.
• BYU Independent Study: BYU Independent Study is a nonprofit university-based program offering accredited online middle and high school courses, including AP and dual-enrollment options. Comparable as a nonprofit single-course provider with a similar instructor-led, quality-certified catalog model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MichiganVirtual
• Facebookfacebook.com/michiganvirtual
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/515738

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 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 Michigan Virtual University