What Reach University does

Reach University is a California-based nonprofit university founded in 2006 that delivers apprenticeship-based degree programs for working adults. Its core product is a job-embedded Apprenticeship Degree model in which candidates' daily work is paired with classroom instruction and counted toward degree credit, enabling debt-free completion at a published rate of $75 per month for bachelor's programs. The portfolio spans undergraduate programs (Bachelor of Arts in Global Education for elementary licensure, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a behavioral health apprenticeship focus), graduate programs (Master of Arts in Teaching, Teacher Induction Program, Intern Teacher Credential Program), and the newly launched Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH), the nation's first partnership-driven apprenticeship degree program in healthcare, initially targeting behavioral health and substance use disorder careers in Washington state.

The model is delivered through Canvas LMS, with Stripe-based candidate billing and Zoom for virtual instruction, and integrates with FAFSA, CADAA, and CSS Profile for financial aid processing. Reach partners with school districts, Local Education Agencies, and healthcare employers through signed MOU agreements; employer partners contribute to tuition via twice-yearly invoicing, while philanthropic supporters (Ballmer Group, The Goodness Web, Accelerate the Future) fund program development and expansion. Teacher credentialing in California is operated through Alternatives in Action, which holds CTC accreditation, while the university itself holds WASC accreditation. Programs are offered across 10+ U.S. states, with ACH representing the strategic entry into healthcare workforce development to address the HRSA-projected 50% behavioral health workforce shortage by 2036.

Revenue is generated through a mix of student tuition ($75/month payment plans, ACH tuition of $12,374-$16,912), employer partner contributions, federal and state financial aid, and philanthropic support. The go-to-market is employer-partner-led: candidates are recruited through their existing employers rather than through direct-to-consumer marketing, and recruitment materials are customized per state. As a nonprofit, Reach does not raise venture capital; growth is funded through philanthropic grants and tuition revenue.

Name

Reach University

Legal name

Reach University

Website

https://reach.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reach University is a nonprofit university offering debt-free, job-embedded apprenticeship degree programs that let working adults in schools and healthcare settings earn credentials while employed, partnering with employers and LEAs across 10+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

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, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Tuition: Affordable tuition with monthly payment plans. Bachelor's degree programs offered at $75/month with no student debt. ACH programs have total tuition of $12,374 for 2 semesters or $16,912 for 3 semesters before financial aid.
2. Employer Partner Contributions: Employer partners contribute to candidate tuition through invoicing twice per year. Partners submit required candidate information to prevent candidates from being billed directly.
3. Financial Aid: Students can apply for federal financial aid through FAFSA, state aid through Cal Grant B (California), or CSS Profile for other states. Employer partners may also contribute to tuition costs.
4. Philanthropic Support: Funding from philanthropic organizations including Ballmer Group, The Goodness Web, and Accelerate the Future to support program development and expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reach University is a nonprofit university that delivers apprenticeship-style, job-embedded degree and credential programs for working adults. Candidates earn college credit for the work they already perform on the job while completing debt-free bachelor's and graduate degrees in education and healthcare pathways. Programs are delivered online and in partnership with employer organizations (school districts, LEAs, and healthcare employers).

Product overview

Reach University is a nonprofit university offering apprenticeship-based degree programs for working adults. The core product is the Apprenticeship Degree, a debt-free, job-embedded degree where candidates earn credit for work they already perform. The portfolio includes undergraduate programs (Bachelor of Arts in Global Education/BAGE for elementary licensure, Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies/BA-LS with behavioral health focus), graduate programs (Master of Arts in Teaching/MAT, Teacher Induction Program/TIP), and the newly launched Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH) for healthcare workforce training. Supporting services include Clinical Residency training, Collaborative Mentorship Circles, Praxis exam preparation, Writing & Research Hub, Library Services, Financial Aid, and Employer Partner programs. Programs are delivered through Canvas LMS with online and hybrid modalities, and integrate with Stripe for payments, Zoom for meetings, and federal/state financial aid systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH): The nation's first partnership-driven apprenticeship degree program in healthcare, enabling working adults to earn low- or no-cost, work-based degrees in behavioral health while employed
• Reach Teachers College
• TeachStart

Products and services

• Apprenticeship Degree Program Job-embedded degree programs enabling working adults to earn debt-free bachelor's degrees while remaining employed. Daily job duties count as credit toward degree completion.
• Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH) Nation's first partnership-driven apprenticeship degree program in healthcare workforce development, designed to address acute healthcare workforce shortages, starting with a behavioral health focus to prepare learners as substance use disorder professionals.
• Bachelor of Arts in Global Education (BAGE) Undergraduate degree program preparing candidates for elementary teaching licensure, culminating in a Clinical Year with hands-on teaching experiences in general education settings.
• Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies (BA-LS) Undergraduate degree pathway with behavioral health apprenticeship focus, preparing learners for careers as substance use disorder professionals.
• Intern Teacher Credential Program California Commission on Teacher Credentialing authorized program enabling candidates to teach while earning their preliminary teaching credential, including 144 hours of annual support and 45 hours focused on teaching English learners.
• Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Graduate degree program offered through Alternatives in Action, combined with the Intern Credential Program for candidates seeking teaching positions.
• Teacher Induction Program (TIP) Fully online two-year (or one-year via Early Completion Option) job-embedded program providing extensive support and mentoring to new teachers through individualized learning plans, inquiry cycles, and collaborative mentorship circles.
• Clinical Residency Program Year-long clinical training component (Clinical Residency I and II) requiring 18-24 hours per week of clinical experiences including teaching, observation, and planning activities over 30 weeks (15 weeks per semester).
• Employer Partner Services Partnership program allowing school districts, LEAs, and healthcare employers to support staff pursuing degrees, with employer invoicing twice yearly, recruitment resources, and tuition contribution programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero student debt for apprenticeship degree graduates
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Training FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 April 2026Partnership with Training Fund to launch the Apprenticeship College of Health (ACH), the nation's first partnership-driven apprenticeship degree program in healthcare. Enables working adults to earn low- or no-cost, work-based degrees while employed, with plans to expand to additional degree pathways and healthcare fields.
• School Districts and Local Education AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partners including school districts and LEAs that train, credential, and support teachers, professionals, and leaders. Partners sign MOU agreements and have access to employer partner resources. Schools recruit their own employees into the apprenticeship degree program.
• Alternatives in ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited by California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Alternatives in Action provides the Teacher Credentialing programs for Reach candidates in California, offering Intern Teacher Credential Program and Teacher Induction Program (TIP).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit, fully online university serving working adults with competency-based degree programs. Most direct comparable to Reach's online nonprofit delivery and adult-learner focus, though at vastly greater scale and without the apprenticeship/work-credit architecture.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Nonprofit university with one of the largest online enrollment bases in the US, focused on adult and transfer learners. Comparable to Reach on nonprofit structure, online delivery, and adult-learner orientation; differs on scale and the absence of an apprenticeship-credit model.
• Relay Graduate School of Education: Nonprofit graduate school of education preparing teachers through alternative, job-embedded pathways, often paid for by school districts. Closest peer to Reach's teacher-preparation apprenticeship model and employer-funded tuition structure.
• Brandman University (now UMass Global): Nonprofit university (now part of the UMass system) specializing in online programs for working adults, including teacher credentialing. Overlapping target population and nonprofit/online delivery as Reach, with a similar adult-learner tuition structure.
• University of the People: Tuition-free, nonprofit online university accredited by WASC and DEAC, serving low-income and working-adult learners globally. Direct comparable on the nonprofit/online/affordable learner axis; differs in being global and not apprenticeship-credit-based.
• Year Up: Large nonprofit workforce-development organization operating earn-and-learn apprenticeship programs for young adults, often with employer-paid stipends. Comparable on the apprenticeship/work-based learning mission and employer partnership model.
• College Unbound: Small nonprofit competency-based college serving adult learners through work-anchored degrees. Similar conceptual model to Reach's job-embedded learning, though substantially smaller and focused on a different learner demographic.

Broad incumbents

• National University: Nonprofit university system serving working adults with online and hybrid programs, including teacher and healthcare credentials. Overlaps with Reach in target segments and modality, but operates at much broader scale and portfolio breadth.
• Purdue University Global: For-profit online university (acquired by Purdue) serving working adults, including healthcare and education professionals. Comparable audience and modality, but for-profit/career-pathway positioning differs from Reach's nonprofit debt-free promise.

Others

• Apprenticeship Carolina: Statewide apprenticeship intermediary sponsored by the South Carolina Technical College System that helps employers launch apprenticeship programs across industries. Ecosystem peer to Reach's employer-partnership GTM in the broader US apprenticeship infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ReachUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/ReachUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reach-university

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Reach University