Granite State College

What Granite State College does

Granite State College, now operating as the University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies, is a public higher education institution focused on online and hybrid degree programs for working adults, career changers, military members, and municipal employees. Founded over 50 years ago as the College for Lifelong Learning, it was renamed Granite State College and ultimately merged with the University of New Hampshire in 2023 to become the UNH College of Professional Studies. Its core product portfolio spans associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees, post-baccalaureate teacher licensure, minors, and Early College Online courses, alongside specialized programs such as the faculty-led National Security Intelligence Analysis (NSIA) track and a Child Welfare Education Partnership (CWEP).

The institution operates primarily through an online learning management system that delivers asynchronously scheduled programs, supplemented by a physical campus at 88 Commercial Street in Manchester, New Hampshire. Its technology stack centers on credit-for-prior-learning assessment and transfer-credit recognition, both of which function as core differentiators for adult learners re-entering formal education. Service is structured around scholar-practitioner faculty, dedicated academic advising, and structured articulation agreements with the Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH) and the Community College of the Air Force. U.S. News and World Report ranked the college as the top institution in New Hampshire and among the nation's best for online bachelor's programs and online bachelor's programs for veterans in its 2026 rankings.

Revenue is generated predominantly through tuition and fees charged to enrolled students across credit-bearing degree programs, with financial aid, grants, military and VA benefits, and employer tuition waivers and discounts layered in. A secondary revenue stream covers continuing education and professional development, particularly through partnerships with municipalities that channel public-sector employees into flexible online degrees. The go-to-market combines a product-led self-service online enrollment funnel for individual adult learners with community-led B2B partnerships (notably with the City of Manchester and other New Hampshire municipalities) and event-driven information sessions. As a unit of the University System of New Hampshire, the institution is government-owned and does not raise private equity or venture capital.

Name

Granite State College

Legal name

University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies

Website

https://granite.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Granite State College, now the UNH College of Professional Studies, is a public New Hampshire college delivering online and hybrid associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees to working adults, military members, career changers, and municipal employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Online Degree Programs

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Adult education services
• Online degree programs
• Higher education
• Workforce development
• Professional studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Concord

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: Revenue generated from tuition and fees charged to students for credit-bearing degree programs including associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. Financial aid, grants, loans, and military/VA benefits are applied toward these costs.
2. Continuing Education and Professional Development: Programs for municipal employees and professional development courses beyond traditional degree programs.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

UNH College of Professional Studies (formerly Granite State College) delivers online and campus-based associate, bachelor's, and master's degree programs, post-baccalaureate teacher licensure, minors, Early College Online courses, and specialized programs such as the National Security Intelligence Analysis (NSIA) track. Programs are designed for adult learners, working professionals, military members, and career changers, featuring flexible scheduling, credit for prior learning, transfer credit acceptance, and scholar-practitioner faculty with dedicated academic advising.

Product overview

UNH College of Professional Studies (formerly Granite State College) offers a unified portfolio of online and campus-based educational programs. The core offerings include Associate Degrees, Bachelor's Degrees (ranked top in New Hampshire and nationally for online programs), Master's Degrees, Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure programs, Minors, and Early College Online courses. The institution also hosts specialized programs like the National Security Intelligence Analysis (NSIA) program. These programs are designed for working adults, military members, and career changers, featuring flexible online delivery, credit for prior learning, and dedicated academic advising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate Degrees Online associate degree programs providing foundational college education for career advancement or transfer to bachelor's programs.
• Bachelor's Degrees Online bachelor's degree programs ranked among the nation's best by U.S. News and World Report, offering career-aligned education for working professionals.
• Master's Degrees Online graduate degree programs designed for career advancement, featuring scholar-practitioner faculty and real-world application.
• Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Licensure Programs for individuals holding a bachelor's degree seeking teacher certification, including reading and writing specialist programs.
• Minors Academic minors available to complement degree programs across various disciplines.
• Early College Online Programs enabling high school students to earn college credit through online courses.
• National Security Intelligence Analysis (NSIA) Faculty-led program preparing students for intelligence careers with critical thinking, communication, and AI literacy training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top-ranked college for online degree programs in New Hampshire by U.S. News and World Report

Named customers2 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• University of New HampshireflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Granite State College merged with the University of New Hampshire in 2023 to become the UNH College of Professional Studies, gaining access to university resources, alumni network, and institutional credibility while maintaining its mission of serving adult learners.
• City of ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Manchester supporting municipal employees through flexible online degree programs and tuition discounts, with employees like Wanda Castillo-Diaz, Karen Poulin, and Chief Ryan Cashin featured as success stories.
• Municipalities Across New HampshirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with cities, towns, and counties across New Hampshire to help municipal employees advance their careers through flexible online degree programs, tuition discounts, and workforce development in areas including public health, human resources, emergency services, and leadership.
• Community College System of New Hampshire (CCSNH)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTransfer partnership allowing students to seamlessly transfer credits from community colleges within the CCSNH system to complete bachelor's and graduate degrees at UNH College of Professional Studies.
• Community College of the Air ForcecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership facilitating credit transfer for Air Force personnel, allowing military training and experience to count toward college degrees.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Southern New Hampshire University: New Hampshire-based nonprofit university with the largest online enrollment in the U.S. and an identical adult-learner, online-first mission — the most direct geographic and product competitor to UNH College of Professional Studies.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit, competency-based online university serving working adults nationwide with associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees — a direct model competitor in the same online adult-learner category.
• Purdue University Global: Public-system online university offering associate through doctoral programs to working adults and military-affiliated learners — competes head-to-head with UNH CPS for online degree seekers, especially veterans.
• University of Maryland Global Campus: Public online-focused university within the University System of Maryland serving adult learners, military personnel, and federal employees — directly comparable online-adult-learner model with strong military partnerships.
• Excelsior University: Private nonprofit college specializing in online associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees for working adults with extensive credit-for-prior-learning — the most product-overlap match on adult-learner support features.
• University of Phoenix: For-profit online university with concentrated focus on working adults and career-aligned degrees — the principal PE-owned (Apollo) private-market comparable for online adult education.
• Capella University: For-profit, accredited online university offering degree programs for working professionals, with emphasis on flexible scheduling and competency-based options — closely comparable online adult-learner model.
• National University: Private nonprofit university with a large online footprint offering associate through doctoral programs to adult learners and military-affiliated students — comparable on mission, modality, and target segments.
• SUNY Empire State University: Public-system university built specifically around online and hybrid education for working adults with prior-learning assessment — a strong public-institution analogue to UNH CPS within another state system.
• Thomas Edison State University: New Jersey public university with an exclusively online/distance model for adult learners offering credit for prior learning — a peer public-system institution with the same online-only, adult-learner, prior-learning emphasis.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GraniteStateCol
• Facebookfacebook.com/12891183063
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/granite-state-college

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Granite State College