Graduate School USA

What Graduate School USA does

Graduate School USA is a Washington, DC-based professional development and training provider founded in 1921, operating under American Public Training LLC after a 2025 divestiture from American Public Education, Inc. The company delivers instructor-led training (in-person at its Washington, DC campus and live online via Zoom) and self-paced asynchronous courses (via D2L Brightspace LMS) to U.S. federal government employees and, to a lesser extent, private-sector professionals and veterans. Its catalog of more than 400 courses and certificates spans Federal Human Resources (including credential programs such as Certified Federal HR Practitioner), Leadership & Management, Government Auditing, Federal Financial Management, Acquisition & Contracting (FAR, DAWIA, FAC-C, DITAP), Information Technology, Data Analytics, and an expanding Artificial Intelligence curriculum. The Center for Leadership & Management operates as a focused sub-brand for executive development.

The company's business model combines four revenue streams: per-course individual enrollment, multi-course certificate programs (1-3 year completions), customized on-site group training for agencies of 5+ participants, and government procurement through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule (Contract 47QRAA24D004K), interagency agreements, and Government Purchase Card micro-purchases. Go-to-market blends direct enterprise sales through a Business Development team (responding to RFQs/RFPs and managing agency accounts) with self-service individual registration through the website and ClassesPortal.com. Curriculum is mapped to OPM competency frameworks, DAWIA/FAC-C certification standards, and CFO Council workforce priorities, and the institution holds ACCET national accreditation, D.C. Education Licensure, DAU Equivalent Provider status, and PMI Authorized Training Provider designation.

Long-standing federal agency relationships across more than 125 agencies and over one million lifetime trainees form the customer foundation. Primary segments are civilian federal employees, Department of Defense personnel requiring acquisition certifications, federal supervisors and managers at GS-7 through SES levels, and a secondary private-sector professional cohort. The company has begun expanding into veterans/military transition coding bootcamps leveraging GI Bill benefits, signaling modest customer-base diversification beyond its federal core.

Name

Graduate School USA

Legal name

American Public Training LLC

Website

https://graduateschool.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Graduate School USA is a Washington, DC-based professional training provider, founded in 1921 and operating as American Public Training LLC, that delivers instructor-led and self-paced courses in federal HR, leadership, auditing, financial management, acquisition, IT, and AI to U.S. federal agencies and select private-sector and veteran learners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Development Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (61142), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Vendor/Authorized Certification Training (Microsoft/AWS/Cisco, etc.) (BPAEANAA), Productivity & Office Software Skills (EDAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Federal government training
• Professional development courses
• Government workforce education
• Federal certification training
• Leadership and management training

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Course Enrollment: Individual federal employees and professionals pay per course for open enrollment training sessions delivered in-person or live online. Courses range from single-day to multi-week programs.
2. Certificate Programs: Comprehensive multi-course certificate programs (e.g., Certified Federal HR Practitioner, Federal Financial Management) that students complete over 1-3 years, generating recurring enrollment revenue.
3. Group/On-Site Training: Customized private group training delivered at agency locations or via virtual private sessions for groups of 5+ participants. Billed through GSA Schedule, interagency agreements, or purchase orders.
4. Government Procurement: Revenue from federal agencies through GSA Schedule contracts (47QRAA24D004K), SF-182, and other federal training procurement mechanisms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Graduate School USA delivers instructor-led and self-paced professional development training for the federal government workforce. The catalog of over 400 courses spans Federal Human Resources, Auditing, Financial Management, Acquisition and Contracting (FAR/DAWIA/FAC-C), Leadership, IT, AI, and Data Analytics, with multi-course certificate programs such as the Certified Federal HR Practitioner (cFHRP). Training is delivered in person in Washington, DC, live online via Zoom, and asynchronously through the D2L Brightspace learning management system.

Product overview

Graduate School USA provides a comprehensive portfolio of professional development and training services primarily serving the federal government workforce. The offering consists of instructor-led courses (delivered in-person in Washington, DC or live online via Zoom) and self-paced asynchronous courses (via D2L Brightspace LMS). Core training domains include Federal Human Resources (classification, staffing, benefits, retirement), Leadership & Management, Government Auditing, Financial Management, Acquisition & Contracting, and Information Technology. The company has expanded into Artificial Intelligence training with government-specific courses covering AI fundamentals, ethics, governance, and practical applications for HR, acquisition, and financial management. Credential programs include certificates such as Certified Federal HR Practitioner (cFHRP), Audit Leadership, and Data Science & AI, alongside professional skills development and customized on-site agency training.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Federal Human Resources Training
• Federal HR Certificate Programs
• Leadership and Management Programs
• Government Audit Training
• Federal Financial Management Training
• Acquisition and Contracting Training
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Training
• Data Science and Analytics Training
• IT and Technology Training
• Grants Management Training
• On-Site and Custom Group Training
• Self-Paced Online Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1 million federal employees trained since 1921
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• General Services Administration (GSA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGraduate School USA is an approved GSA Schedule vendor (contract 47QRAA24D004K) providing training services to federal agencies through the GSA Multiple Award Schedule. This enables compliant procurement of professional development training under designated SINs.
• Defense Acquisition University (DAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSUSA is an approved Equivalent Provider of the Defense Acquisition University, providing a continuum of coursework supporting consistent and continuous development of the Defense Acquisition Workforce as they relate to implementing the Defense Acquisition System.
• Chief Financial Officers Council (CFO Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGraduate School USA is a trusted training provider for the Chief Financial Officers Council. In coordination with OMB, the partnership has developed curated programs to foster workforce modernization within the federal financial community.
• Project Management Institute (PMI)coreTechnology or IntegrationGSUSA offers authorized PMI training including the Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification Training Course. Instructors are PMI-certified and curriculum aligns with PMP Exam Content Outline.
• Society of Defense Financial Management (SDFM)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContinuing training partner with SDFM. Over 220 courses aligned with DoD Financial Management and Leadership Competencies in DoD's MyLearn system have been approved and map to multiple levels of CDFM certifications.
• National Grants Management Association (NGMA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NGMA to expand high-quality grants management training and resources supporting professionals across the full grants lifecycle.
• Office of Personnel Management (OPM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSUSA curriculum is aligned with OPM competencies for federal HR management. Certificate programs such as Certified Federal HR Practitioner (cFHRP) are designed to meet OPM competency frameworks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Management Concepts: Direct competitor specializing in federal financial management, audit, appropriations, and acquisition training — closely overlapping GSUSA's Financial Management, Auditing, and Acquisition/Contracting catalogs and serving the same federal buyer base.
• Federal Publications Seminars (Thomson Reuters): Long-standing direct competitor in federal HR, EEO, and personnel law training, with comparable open-enrollment and on-site delivery models targeting federal HR practitioners — overlapping heavily with GSUSA's HR catalog.
• The Performance Institute: Federal-focused performance improvement and leadership training provider competing for the same supervisory/executive development budgets as GSUSA's Leadership & Management programs.
• Learning Tree International: Established IT and professional skills training provider that competes with GSUSA's IT, data analytics, and professional skills open-enrollment courses in the federal market.
• SANS Institute: Premier cybersecurity training organization that competes directly with GSUSA's cybersecurity and IT certification offerings (CISSP, CompTIA prep) for federal government security and IT personnel.
• New Horizons Computer Learning Centers: Global IT and digital skills training franchise with comparable instructor-led and self-paced course offerings across cybersecurity, data, and professional IT certifications, serving similar federal and enterprise customers.

Broad incumbents

• Skillsoft: Large enterprise learning platform offering a broad catalog of IT, leadership, and compliance content with government-sector pricing — a broad substitute for GSUSA's professional skills and IT training lines rather than its federal-specific credentials.
• Pluralsight: Technology skills learning platform with deep IT, data, and AI course libraries that competes with GSUSA's IT/Data Analytics/AI catalogs, particularly for the private-sector learner segment.
• Coursera for Government: Online learning marketplace that has built a government-focused catalog and pricing model, providing a scalable substitute for several of GSUSA's professional development and data/AI course lines.

Emerging players

• General Assembly: Tech-focused bootcamp and short-course provider that competes with GSUSA's coding bootcamps, data analytics, and AI courses for career-transitioning learners including veterans using GI Bill benefits.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thegradschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/GraduateSchoolUSA

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Graduate School USA