What Cornerstone University does

Cornerstone University is a private, non-profit, independent Christian university founded in 1941 as the Bible Baptist Institute and headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The institution delivers more than 65 accredited academic programs spanning business, health science and technology, education and human services, ministry, media and the arts, and theological seminary studies, offered through four primary channels: traditional on-campus enrollment in Grand Rapids, 100% online degree programs, SOAR™ — the nation's first fully mobile-delivered business management degree accessed via a smartphone app — and international theological education through Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS) in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with face-to-face modules in cities across Asia.

The university's core technology is the SOAR mobile platform, which streams entire degree coursework through a smartphone application, supplemented by Handshake for career services integration with 1,400+ employers. Its 33-credit Cornerstone Core™ curriculum (effective Fall 2026) integrates Christian worldview, American founding wisdom, and marketplace intelligence including AI literacy. The institution is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (since 1977) and holds stacked programmatic accreditations across business (ACBSP, 2019), education (CAEP), engineering (ABET), nursing (CCNE), social work (CSWE), exercise science (CAAHEP), and theological education (ATS).

Cornerstone generates revenue primarily through tuition — undergraduate on-campus tuition reset to $22,000 per year in 2024-25 (a 22% reduction) with a freeze through 2026-27, plus graduate, online, seminary, and SOAR tuition. The business model relies on distributed individual-student enrollment across multiple channels, supplemented by partnerships (e.g., Golden Eagle Partnership with Project H.O.O.D.), scholarship programs (Cornerstone Commitment Grant for Pell-eligible Michigan residents), and community-supported channels including 91.3 WCSG radio. Enrollment grew 11% year-over-year in Fall 2025, with new freshmen and transfer students up 18%, and the institution is led by President Gerson Moreno-Riaño.

Name

Cornerstone University

Legal name

Cornerstone University

Website

https://cornerstone.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cornerstone University is a private, non-profit Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, founded in 1941, offering 65+ accredited degree programs on-campus, online, via the SOAR mobile app, and through Asia Biblical Theological Seminary in Thailand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs (EDAHAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

Keywords

• Private Christian university
• Higher education degrees
• Online degree programs
• Theological seminary
• Mobile-delivered degree

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Main revenue stream from undergraduate on-campus tuition. Reset to $22,000 for 2024-25 with tuition freeze extended through 2026-27. Competitive with many public universities before scholarships and aid.
2. Graduate and Online Tuition: Tuition revenue from graduate programs, online degrees, and SOAR mobile programs. Online tuition held flat for five years at the lowest rate in the region.
3. Seminary Programs: Revenue from Cornerstone Theological Seminary degree programs, including Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, and various ministry degrees offered on-campus and online.
4. Financial Aid and Scholarships: Cornerstone Commitment Grant provides free tuition for Pell-eligible Michigan Achievement Scholarship recipients. Various scholarships offered including endowed scholarships and partnership scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cornerstone University is a private, non-profit Christian university that delivers accredited associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through on-campus programs in Grand Rapids, Michigan, fully online programs, and SOAR, the nation's first 100% smartphone-streamed business management degree program. Offerings span Business & Innovation, Health/Science/Technology, Education & Human Services, Ministry/Media/Arts, and a Theological Seminary, supplemented by the Asia Biblical Theological Seminary extension serving students throughout Asia.

Product overview

Cornerstone University offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services centered on Christ-centered higher education. The core offerings include traditional on-campus undergraduate and graduate degree programs (65+ programs spanning business, health/science/technology, education, and ministry), online degree programs delivered 100% remotely, and the innovative SOAR™ Mobile Degrees — the nation's first 100% smartphone-streamed degree program for business management. Supporting these academic offerings are the CU LEAD Student Leadership Pathway (four-year development program), Career Services/Office of Career and Life Calling (coaching and placement), and The Cornerstone Core™ curriculum (33-credit general education integrating Christian worldview, American wisdom, and marketplace intelligence). Specialized offerings include the Wisdom & Influence Podcast for thought leadership, 91.3 WCSG radio ministry, and the Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS) extension in Thailand. The Cornerstone Advantage™ serves as the unifying educational philosophy across all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOAR™: The nation's first 100% mobile-delivered degree program offering smartphone-based business management degrees at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels
• CU LEAD
• The Cornerstone Core™
• Wisdom & Influence Podcast
• Golden Eagles
• CU Promise
• Cornerstone Advantage™
• The Cornerstone Commitment Grant

Products and services

• SOAR™ Mobile Degrees The nation's first 100% smartphone-delivered business management degree program at the associate, bachelor's, and master's levels, allowing students to earn an accredited degree entirely through a mobile app.
• Traditional On-Campus Undergraduate & Graduate Degrees Over 65 on-campus academic programs at the Grand Rapids, MI campus spanning business, health/science/technology, education/human services, ministry/media/arts, and theological seminary, ranging from associate to doctoral levels.
• Online Degree Programs Online undergraduate and graduate programs delivered 100% remotely, including business, biblical studies, ministry leadership, counseling, and education, designed for adult learners and remote students nationally.
• Cornerstone Theological Seminary Degrees Graduate theological education and ministry training including Master of Divinity, Master of Theology, and ministry leadership degrees, offered on-campus and online through Cornerstone University's wholly owned seminary subsidiary.
• Asia Biblical Theological Seminary (ABTS) Degrees U.S.-accredited theological degrees delivered to students throughout Asia through part-time online learning and face-to-face modules, based at the Chiang Mai, Thailand campus.
• The Cornerstone Commitment Grant Free-tuition grant program covering the gap for Pell-eligible Michigan Achievement Scholarship recipients, making a Cornerstone University education tuition-free for qualifying Michigan families.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11% total enrollment increase for fall 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Project H.O.O.D. (Helping Others Obtain Destiny)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 August 2025Golden Eagle Partnership with Project H.O.O.D., an influential nonprofit founded by Rev. Corey Brooks serving Chicago's South Side. Offers guaranteed admission to all undergraduate programs, dedicated scholarships, access to 65+ academic programs, and flexible affordable learning options for staff, community students, and church members. Cornerstone maintains regular onsite presence providing guidance, mentorship, and collaborative educational programming. Partnership includes collaborative educational programming, internship opportunities, and hands-on ministry and leadership experience.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Calvin University: Private Christian university also based in Grand Rapids, MI. Operates the same regional Christian higher-education market with overlapping faith-integrated curriculum and similar tuition tier.
• Moody Bible Institute: Chicago-based Christian higher-education institution with a strong seminary and theological training focus. Directly comparable in the theological education and Bible-college segment.
• Hope College: Faith-affiliated (Reformed Church) private liberal arts college in Holland, MI. Competes with Cornerstone for the same West Michigan Christian undergraduate pool and similarly priced private education.
• Oral Roberts University: Private, interdenominational Christian university with comparable theology-anchored curriculum, online programs, and undergraduate size.
• Wheaton College: National Christian liberal arts college in Illinois. Comparable Christ-centered residential model, similar size, and overlapping CCCU constituency.
• Dallas Baptist University: Private Baptist university offering traditional, online, and graduate programs with a similar faith-integration approach and comparable size.
• Trinity Christian College: Private Christian college in the Chicago suburbs offering similar liberal arts and pre-professional programs. Closely comparable in mission, size, and price point.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: Large evangelical university with extensive online degree programs and a Christ-centered mission. Competes with Cornerstone's online and adult-learner offerings at much greater scale.
• Grand Canyon University: Large for-profit Christian university with a major online enrollment footprint. Comparable Christ-centered branding and overlapping adult-learner target market.
• Indiana Wesleyan University: Large CCCU-affiliated Christian university with a substantial adult/online enrollment and similar faith-integration positioning. Operates at greater scale in the same segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmBD062CZPj8VQS5frFMDPg
• Facebookfacebook.com/cornerstoneuniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornerstone-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/cornerstoneu
• Xx.com/CornerstoneU

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Cornerstone University