What Jessup University does

Jessup University (legal name: William Jessup University) is a private Christian university founded in 1939 and headquartered in Rocklin, California. It delivers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs across six academic schools (Business, Arts & Humanities; Education; Natural & Applied Sciences; Psychology; Theology & Leadership) plus the Multnomah Biblical Seminary, plus an Institute for Public Policy. The university operates three physical campuses — Rocklin, CA (main), San Jose, CA, and Portland, OR (Multnomah) — and runs a distance education program authorized in 24+ U.S. states. Its flagship graduate offering is the 36-unit online Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership (MATL), built on ATS-ready seminary curriculum with four concentration tracks. The underlying technology stack is standard higher-ed infrastructure: Canvas LMS for course delivery, Banner as the student information system, Paylocity for HR/payroll, TimelyCare for 24/7 student telehealth, Everbridge for emergency notifications, MeadowFi for net-price calculation, and Lucky Orange for web analytics.

The business model is tuition-driven and recurring. Revenue is generated primarily from tuition and fees across undergraduate, graduate, online, and certificate cohorts, supplemented by financial aid flows including federal Title IV and CARES Act HEERF grants (e.g., $2.06M distributed to 1,809 students under HEERF III). Specific pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through the Student Financial Services office. The GTM motion is sales-led, with admissions counselors, campus visits, preview days, church partnerships, dual-enrollment programs, and international student recruitment feeding the funnel. The university targets traditional undergraduates as the primary segment, with graduate, online, international, veteran, and dual-enrollment students as secondary segments. Customer concentration is naturally diversified across the student body, and revenue stability is anchored by the multi-semester recurring tuition structure and faith-based brand loyalty.

Jessup is governed by a Board of Trustees, currently undergoing a leadership transition: Dr. Meghan Barnard, formerly Provost and SVP at Southeastern University, becomes the seventh president (and first woman in the role) effective July 1, 2026. The institution is independently held with no disclosed parent company, PE ownership, or external investor stakes. Recent strategic posture emphasizes online scale (multi-state distance education authorization), product expansion (MATL, pastoral mental health certificate via AAAS DoSER grant), and Pacific Northwest reach via the Portland campus.

Name

Jessup University

Legal name

William Jessup University

Website

https://jessup.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK), Divinity Schools (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAKAC)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate theological education
• Online distance learning
• Seminary programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rocklin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Jessup University generates primary revenue from tuition and fees charged to undergraduate, graduate, and online students. The university offers various financial aid programs including federal grants, state aid, and institutional scholarships. CARES Act HEERF funding supported emergency financial aid with $743,368 distributed to 1,213 students initially and $2,064,407 distributed to 1,809 students under later programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jessup University is a private Christian higher education institution that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate degree programs through six academic schools and Multnomah Biblical Seminary. Core offerings include on-campus programs at Rocklin and San Jose, online distance education authorized in 24+ states, and specialty programs in theology, leadership, business, education, psychology, and natural/applied sciences. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees, supported by financial aid and institutional grants.

Product overview

Jessup University is a Christian higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs through six academic schools and Multnomah Biblical Seminary. The core academic offerings include traditional and online undergraduate degree programs, graduate programs (MBA, MA in Education, MA in Transformational Leadership, MA in Teaching), and certificate programs (Executive Coaching, Leadership, Ministry). The institution also provides student support services including TimelyCare telehealth and Campus Safety services. The MATL program (36 units, 12-24 months, online) serves as a flagship graduate offering built on the seminary's ATS-ready design with four concentration tracks. Academic programs are delivered primarily online with Canvas LMS integration, and the institution operates campuses in Rocklin, CA and San Jose, CA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership (MATL)

Named customers2 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FaithSearch PartnersminorOthers · 19 June 2026FaithSearch Partners conducted the national presidential search for Dr. Meghan Barnard beginning in March 2026. The search resulted in identifying a respected and innovative higher education leader with over 20 years of strategic leadership experience.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Grand Canyon University: Large for-profit Christian university with extensive online programs across all 50 states. Comparable in faith-based identity and graduate/online emphasis, but operates at substantially greater scale with broader program breadth than Jessup.
• Liberty University: Largest private evangelical university in the U.S. with extensive online enrollment. Comparable in faith-based identity and online program emphasis, but operates at massively greater scale (100,000+ students online) than Jessup.

Direct peers

• Southeastern University: Private Christian university in Lakeland, Florida affiliated with the Assemblies of God. Directly comparable as the prior institution of incoming Jessup President Dr. Barnard—similar faith identity, multi-school structure, online program offerings, and CCCU membership.
• Concordia University Irvine: Private Lutheran university in Southern California offering undergraduate and graduate programs including theology and education. Comparable in faith-based mission, California footprint, similar enrollment scale, and WSCUC accreditation.
• Vanguard University: Private Christian university in Southern California affiliated with the Assemblies of God. Directly comparable in faith identity, California location, similar enrollment scale, and overlap in theological/leadership program offerings (Rev. Dr. Williams holds a B.A. from Vanguard).
• Azusa Pacific University: Faith-affiliated private university in Southern California offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across multiple schools. Closely comparable to Jessup in faith-based identity, California footprint, multi-school structure, and target student segments.
• Point Loma Nazarene University: Private Christian liberal arts university in San Diego affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene. Directly comparable to Jessup in faith-based identity, California location, undergraduate residential model, and graduate program offerings.
• Biola University: Private Christian university in Southern California with strong seminary/graduate programs. Comparable to Jessup in faith-centered mission, WSCUC accreditation, multi-school structure (including Talbot School of Theology), and graduate program emphasis.
• Simpson University: Private Christian university in Northern California (Redding) offering undergraduate and graduate programs including an AGS seminary. Highly comparable to Jessup in Northern California location, CCCU membership, faith-based identity, and seminary offerings.
• Hope International University: Private Christian university in Southern California (Fullerton) affiliated with Christian churches/churches of Christ. Comparable in faith-based identity, California footprint, similar enrollment scale, and emphasis on leadership/business programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/williamjessup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCvvkZY2ZxZri8455O3BbkAQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/jessupu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jessup-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/jessupdivine

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Jessup University