Walla Walla University

What Walla Walla University does

Walla Walla University is a private, nonprofit Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher education founded in 1892 (as Walla Walla College, renamed WWU in 2007/2009) and headquartered on an 83-acre main campus in College Place, Washington. It enrolls more than 1,800 students drawn from 46 states and 43 countries, offering over 100 degree programs across associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels through more than 20 academic departments. Academic delivery spans the main College Place campus plus satellite locations in Portland (nursing), Billings and Missoula (graduate social work), and Anacortes (marine biology field lab), with selected graduate programs also offered online.

The university's core product is residential and online undergraduate and graduate education supplemented by a bundled set of student services: the Student Development Center (Career Services, Peer Tutoring, Disability Support), Health & Wellness, IT Services, and Student Financial Services. Its underlying technology stack is conventional rather than proprietary: Handshake for career networking, Accommodate by Symplicity for disability services, Focus2 for career assessment, Microsoft Teams for virtual counseling, and an Atlassian Jira-based internal help desk. In May 2026, WWU announced an expansion of AI training and degree offerings, signaling a pivot toward AI-relevant curriculum.

WWU's revenue model is diversified across four streams: tuition and fees (with sticker pricing 21% below the national private college average and a typical out-of-pocket cost of $7,346/year after aid), room and board from on-campus housing and dining, donations and fundraising managed through the Advancement Office, and career/student services. Over 95% of students qualify for financial aid, with $40.8M disbursed in 2022-2023 and an average aid package of approximately $25,690/year. GTM is a sales-led enrollment model using campus visits, virtual tours, regional recruiters, and an online application portal. Alex Bryan has served as president since 2024, and the institution is governed by a Board of Trustees under the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

Name

Walla Walla University

Legal name

Walla Walla University

Website

https://wallawalla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Walla Walla University is a private, nonprofit Seventh-day Adventist university in College Place, Washington, enrolling 1,800+ students from 46 states in 100+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs, with tuition 21% below the private college average and 95%+ of students receiving financial aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Affiliated Private Research Universities (EDAHABAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Christian university education
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

College Place

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Core revenue stream from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with rates 21% below national private college average. Application fees ($20-$75) also contribute.
2. Room and Board: On-campus housing (residence halls and village apartments/houses) and dining services generate housing revenue.
3. Donations and Fundraising: Advancement office manages donations, scholarships, Walla Walla University Fund, gift planning, and donor services. SLMC renovation fundraising campaign active.
4. Career and Student Services: Handshake platform for job/internship connections, employer relations, and student employment positions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Walla Walla University is a private Seventh-day Adventist institution offering over 100 degree programs across associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels in fields spanning biological sciences, business, engineering, nursing, social work, and theology. The university delivers academic instruction alongside student support services including career services, peer tutoring, disability accommodations, financial aid, and health and wellness counseling at its main 83-acre College Place campus and satellite locations.

Product overview

Walla Walla University is a private Seventh-day Adventist institution offering a comprehensive suite of educational and student support services. The university operates a multi-tiered service structure consisting of academic degree programs (undergraduate and graduate), the Student Development Center (which bundles Career Services, Peer Tutoring, and Disability Support), Health & Wellness services, Information Technology support, and Student Financial Services. These services work together to support student success from enrollment through career placement. The university's technology infrastructure includes six computer labs, Help Desk services, enterprise software, and student-facing portals for disability accommodations, career networking, and career assessment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Degree Programs Over 100 degree programs across associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels spanning biological sciences, business, engineering, nursing, social work, theology, and pre-professional tracks. Targeted at prospective undergraduate, graduate, and pre-professional students.
• School of Nursing (Portland Campus) Nursing degree program delivered at the Portland, Oregon satellite campus for prospective nursing students.
• Graduate Social Work Program (Billings & Missoula, Montana) Graduate-level social work program (MSW/DSW) at Montana satellite campuses serving regional working professionals.
• Online MSW and M.Ed. Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Loan default rate of 0.4% compared to 11.3% national average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Adventist Colleges AbroadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational exchange program allowing students to study languages (French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish) at Adventist institutions abroad. Extends academic offerings beyond campus-based language programs.
• Columbia County Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides the College Place Health Clinic offering primary care, family medicine, preventative medicine, women's health, behavioral health collaboration, medication management, sports physicals, acute illness/injury care, chronic disease management, and limited lab testing for WWU students.
• Washington State Small Business Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides certified business advisors for U-Pitch entrepreneurship competition. Paul Bowen served as panelist for student entrepreneurship event.
• Blue Mountain CommunityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKol Medina, President and CEO of Blue Mountain Community, served as panelist for U-Pitch entrepreneurship competition finals.
• City of College PlacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual collaboration with city for Spring Block Party event. Nearly 80 booths and 2,500+ attendees. Partnership strengthens connections between city and university and bridges gap between students and broader community.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Andrews University: Andrews University is the flagship Seventh-day Adventist institution in Berrien Springs, Michigan, offering broader graduate programs and seminary education. It is a direct peer within the Adventist higher education system and shares governance and accreditation pathways with WWU.
• Loma Linda University: Loma Linda University is a private Seventh-day Adventist health sciences university in Loma Linda, California. It is a direct Adventist peer with much stronger healthcare and graduate program emphasis, anchoring the West Coast Adventist academic system.
• Whitworth University: Whitworth University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Spokane, Washington, with a similar-sized student body, similar tuition profile, and US News Regional Universities-West recognition. It competes directly with WWU for Pacific Northwest Christian higher education students.
• George Fox University: George Fox University is a private Christian university in Newberg, Oregon, offering comparable undergraduate and graduate programs including the D.Min. completed by WWU's current president. It is a direct peer in Pacific Northwest faith-based higher education.
• Seattle Pacific University: Seattle Pacific University is a private Christian university in Seattle, Washington, offering undergraduate and graduate programs in a similar tuition tier. It competes with WWU for Pacific Northwest Christian students seeking faith-based education.
• Corban University: Corban University is a private Christian university in Salem, Oregon, with a similar-sized student body and undergraduate liberal arts focus. It is a regional competitor in Pacific Northwest faith-based higher education.
• Southern Adventist University: Southern Adventist University is a private Seventh-day Adventist institution in Collegedale, Tennessee, offering a comparable mix of undergraduate and graduate programs with similar faith-based mission and small-campus culture. It is the most direct peer in Adventist higher education.
• Pacific Union College: Pacific Union College is a private Seventh-day Adventist liberal arts college in Angwin, California, with a similar-sized student body and undergraduate focus. It is a direct peer in Adventist higher education on the West Coast.

Regional players

• Walla Walla Community College: Walla Walla Community College is a public two-year institution in Walla Walla, Washington, geographically adjacent to WWU and competing for the same regional student pool. While it does not match WWU's faith-based identity, it competes on affordability and serves as a primary transfer pipeline.
• Northwest Christian University: Northwest Christian University (now part of Bushnell University) is a private Christian university in Eugene, Oregon, with similar faith-based identity and small-campus character. It is a regional peer in Pacific Northwest faith-based higher education with some programmatic overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/wallawallauniversity
• Xx.com/wwutournaments
• Facebookfacebook.com/17584257754
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/walla-walla-university

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

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 Walla Walla University