John F. Kennedy University

What John F. Kennedy University does

John F. Kennedy University, operating today as the JFK School of Law at National University, is a nonprofit, private institution offering a 100% online Juris Doctor (JD) degree program. Originally founded in 1964 in Pleasant Hill, California, the law school is now part of the National University System, headquartered in San Diego, and shares the parent institution's 50-year higher education heritage and 200,000+ alumni network. The school has held continuous accreditation from the California Committee of Bar Examiners since 1981, which permits graduates to sit for the California Bar Examination and practice in California state and federal courts.

The core product is a single online Juris Doctor program delivered through a learning platform that blends synchronous and asynchronous coursework. Supporting modules include the Juris Doctor Merit Scholarship (up to full tuition for high-LSAT applicants), the Academic & Bar Success Program (1L-4L academic support, bar prep, MPRE strategy), and the Whole Human Education framework spanning academic, financial, career, wellness, and family support pillars. Practical training is offered through internships, clinical programs, moot court, trial advocacy, and travel abroad opportunities, plus a public service internship requirement.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees, supplemented by scholarship disbursements funded internally. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via the law.nu.edu website, phone-based enrollment advisors, and the apply.ncu.edu self-service application portal. The primary customer segment is working adult learners seeking a flexible, accredited path to a California bar-qualifying JD, with a secondary segment of career changers entering the legal profession. No public revenue, enrollment counts, or pricing schedules are disclosed.

Name

John F. Kennedy University

Legal name

National University

Website

https://jfku.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

JFK School of Law at National University is a California-accredited, 100% online Juris Doctor program serving working adult learners and career changers, continuously accredited by the California Committee of Bar Examiners since 1981 and operated as part of the nonprofit National University System.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Non-ABA / State-Accredited JD-Granting Law Schools (EDAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Online law school
• Juris doctor program
• Legal education
• Bar exam preparation
• Higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Pleasant Hill

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: The primary revenue stream is tuition and fees for the Juris Doctor degree program. The program offers merit scholarships covering up to full tuition for top-performing applicants with strong LSAT scores and academic aptitude. Financial aid advisors and student emergency grants are available.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The JFK School of Law at National University delivers a 100% online Juris Doctor (JD) degree program that has been continuously accredited by the Committee of Bar Examiners for the State Bar of California since 1981. The program blends synchronous and asynchronous coursework, offers merit scholarships up to full tuition, and prepares students to sit for the California Bar Examination through a dedicated Academic & Bar Success Program and the Whole Human Education support framework.

Product overview

The JFK School of Law at National University offers a single unified product: an accredited online Juris Doctor degree program. This core program is supported by three key modules—the Juris Doctor Merit Scholarship for financial support, the NU Academic & Bar Success Program for academic and exam preparation, and the Whole Human Education framework providing holistic student support across academic, financial, career, wellness, and family pillars. The program is 100% online, combining synchronous and asynchronous learning formats, and has been continually accredited by the California Committee of Bar Examiners since 1981.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates are prepared to successfully sit for the CA Bar Examination

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Southwestern Law School: California-accredited (non-ABA) law school in Los Angeles offering a JD program; directly comparable as a state-accredited alternative to ABA-approved California law schools targeting similar student segments.
• San Joaquin College of Law: California-accredited law school in Fresno offering a JD program with evening and weekend scheduling for working professionals; comparable in targeting nontraditional, working adult learners through a state-accredited pathway.
• Monterey College of Law: California-accredited (Committee of Bar Examiners) law school offering a JD in California; comparable as a fellow non-ABA state-accredited institution preparing students for the CA Bar.
• Trinity Law School: California-accredited, faith-based JD program affiliated with Trinity International University; directly comparable as a non-ABA California bar-exam pathway school serving similar adult learner and career-changer segments.

Others

• National University (parent system): The parent nonprofit university system (founded 1971, 200,000+ alumni, San Diego's largest private nonprofit university); comparable as the operating parent providing shared services, brand, and enrollment infrastructure to JFK School of Law.

Broad incumbents

• University of San Francisco School of Law: ABA-accredited California law school offering traditional and hybrid JD pathways; comparable as an incumbent California legal educator competing for the same applicant pool but with broader bar portability and stronger brand recognition.
• Golden Gate University School of Law: ABA-accredited San Francisco law school known for serving working professionals with evening and hybrid JD options; comparable as an incumbent California JD provider overlapping on the adult learner and career-changer segments.

Emerging players

• University of Dayton School of Law: ABA-accredited law school offering an online JD completion option (OnlineJurisDoctor); comparable as a hybrid/online JD competitor targeting working professionals with a different (ABA) accreditation model.
• Mitchell Hamline School of Law: ABA-accredited hybrid JD program with strong online/blended learning options; comparable as a direct competitor in the online/hybrid JD space targeting working professionals, though with broader bar portability.
• Concordia University School of Law (Idaho): Idaho-accredited online JD program serving working professionals nationwide; comparable as an emerging online-first JD alternative in a state-accredited model similar to JFK School of Law's California accreditation approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/jfkuniv
• Facebookfacebook.com/John-F-Kennedy-Un

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 John F. Kennedy University