Paradigm Education Solutions
Paradigm Education Solutions, a Kendall Hunt division based in Dubuque, Iowa, delivers cloud-based courseware and the Cirrus 2.0 learning platform to higher education, secondary education, corrections, workforce development, and allied health institutions across the U.S. and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDubuque, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Paradigm Education Solutions does
Paradigm Education Solutions is a private U.S. educational technology company headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa, operating as the educational solutions division of Kendall Hunt. The company delivers courseware and learning solutions to five primary customer segments: Higher Education, Secondary Education, Corrections, Workforce Development, and Allied Health Education. Its product portfolio spans Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 applications, computer concepts, keyboarding, computerized accounting (QuickBooks), medical assisting, pharmacy technician training, and career-and-life-skills content, with selective bundles such as PharmCon FreeCE's PTCE Exam Review attached to allied-health titles.
The company's core technology is Cirrus 2.0, a cloud-based learning platform that delivers course content and assessment without local software installation and is accessible from PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks. Cirrus 2.0 integrates with the four major learning management systems (Blackboard, Canvas, D2L Brightspace, and Moodle), supports gradebook synchronization, and provides step-by-step student progress tracking with personalized feedback. Courseware aligns with Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification objectives, tying the platform's value proposition to external industry credentials.
Paradigm operates a regional direct-sales go-to-market model with five territory-based account management teams (Western, Midwest, Eastern, Southern, and a national Career & Life Skills team) covering all 50 U.S. states, supplemented by two Canadian channel partners (Northrose Educational Resources for Allied Health and Computer & Business Technology; CLSR for Career & Life Skills) and a single designated international contact. The company monetizes primarily through institutional site licenses with annual billing, with complimentary instructor and administrative resources bundled into adoption. Individual students are routed to institutional bookstores or instructor channels for retail purchases of supplementary items. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with limited public retail pricing on standalone products such as DVDs and workbooks.
Paradigm Education Solutions firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Paradigm Education Solutions
- Legal name
- Paradigm Education Solutions
- Website
- https://paradigmeducation.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Paradigm Education Solutions, a Kendall Hunt division based in Dubuque, Iowa, delivers cloud-based courseware and the Cirrus 2.0 learning platform to higher education, secondary education, corrections, workforce development, and allied health institutions across the U.S. and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Paradigm Education Solutions industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Technology Courseware
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Educational Services (611), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units) (EDAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships) (EDAJAMAO), Digital Learning Content Development (eLearning, Labs, Simulations) (BPAEANAD), Higher Education Digital Courseware & Modules (EDAGAEAB)
Keywords
Where Paradigm Education Solutions is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dubuque
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Paradigm Education Solutions business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Courseware and Learning Materials Sales: Sale of educational courseware including textbooks, digital content, video series, and assessment tools to educational institutions and workforce development programs. Products are sold as site licenses for educational use with complimentary instructor resources included with adoption.
- Digital/Online Platform Access: Digital access to Cirrus 2.0 platform for course delivery, featuring online student portals and instructor portals for managing courses and tracking student progress.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Institutional site licenses for educational institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Paradigm Education Solutions product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Paradigm Education Solutions develops and delivers cloud-based educational courseware and learning solutions through its Cirrus 2.0 platform. The company provides complete training and assessment content spanning Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 applications, computer concepts, allied health careers, computerized accounting, keyboarding, and career readiness. Products are licensed to educational institutions and workforce programs across higher education, secondary education, corrections, and workforce development verticals.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cirrus 2.0 Learning Platform Cloud-based learning environment delivering complete training and assessment for Microsoft Office, computer concepts, health careers, accounting, and career readiness. Platform-independent, accessible from PCs, Macs, and Chromebooks with no installations required. Includes gradebook tracking, video demonstrations, and immediate personalized feedback for students. Designed for educational institutions and workforce programs.
- Marquee Series Courseware Microsoft Office Suite training courseware providing accelerated, step-by-step, project-based instruction for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Outlook. Designed for higher education students preparing for business and personal use of Microsoft Office applications.
- Benchmark Series Courseware Comprehensive computer applications courseware covering database management, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation software. Provides step-by-step competency-based instruction for college students across multiple computer skills areas.
- Microsoft Outlook for Microsoft 365 Courseware Courseware training students in Microsoft Outlook for Microsoft 365, covering Email, Calendar, People, and Tasks functionality.
- Keyboarding and Document Formatting Essentials Sessions 1-60 Keyboarding and document formatting courseware with new Keyboarding Online Lab featuring key-reach videos, drills, timings, and TinyMCE rich text editor integration. Designed to take students from 0-60 WPM.
- Keyboarding Sessions 1-33 Foundational keyboarding courseware with the new Keyboarding Online Lab providing key-reach videos, drills, and timings for students developing typing proficiency.
- Medical Assisting Courseware Medical assisting training courseware covering clinical and administrative skills for students preparing for careers in medical assisting. Used by allied health education programs.
- Pharmacy Technician Courseware Pharmacy technician training courseware including pharmacy calculations, sterile compounding techniques, and PTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam) Review from PharmCon FreeCE. Designed to prepare students for certification exams and pharmacy careers.
- Computerized Accounting for QuickBooks Online 2026 Courseware teaching computerized accounting using QuickBooks Online 2026. Available for Fall classes and designed for higher education accounting programs.
- Road to Reentry Video Series DVD-based reentry video series for correctional facilities and reentry programs. Priced at $175 and designed to provide digital literacy instruction and life skills for returning citizens.
- Overcoming Barriers to Employment Success Workbook Workbook for workforce development programs addressing employment barriers, career exploration, and soft skills development for job seekers. Priced at $28 per copy.
Companies that use Paradigm Education Solutions
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Paradigm Education Solutions technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature4 records
Paradigm Education Solutions partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.
- Northrose Educational ResourcescoreOfficial Canadian corporate partner handling Allied Health and Computer & Business Technology product inquiries for Paradigm Education Solutions. Located in Canada with contact phone 905-665-1842. Serves as primary distribution channel for these product categories in Canada.
- CLSR (Career & Life Skills Resources)coreOfficial Canadian corporate partner for Career & Life Skills products. Contact at 1-877-680-0200 or 905-760-0111. Handles distribution and inquiries for Paradigm's career development and life skills content in the Canadian market.
- MicrosoftcoreParadigm's Cirrus 2.0 platform and courseware are designed around Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Windows. Courseware aligns with Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification objectives and provides preparation for MOS exams.
- BlackboardcoreCirrus 2.0 integrates seamlessly with Blackboard learning management system, allowing educational institutions to deploy Paradigm courseware within their existing LMS infrastructure.
- Canvas (Instructure)coreCirrus 2.0 integrates seamlessly with Canvas LMS, enabling institutions to embed Paradigm courseware and track student progress within the Canvas environment.
- D2L (Desire2Learn)coreCirrus 2.0 integrates with D2L Brightspace LMS, allowing deployment within D2L-powered educational institutions.
- MoodlecoreCirrus 2.0 integrates with Moodle open-source LMS, enabling institutions using Moodle to deploy Paradigm courseware within their existing platform.
- PharmCon FreeCEnotablePTCE (Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam) Review from PharmCon FreeCE is now included with all Pharmacy Technician titles, providing bundled certification exam preparation as part of Paradigm's pharmacy technician curriculum.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Paradigm Education Solutions competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cengage Group: Major US educational publisher and digital courseware provider serving higher education with textbook and online learning platforms. Directly comparable to Paradigm's higher-ed and continuing education courseware business, with overlapping subject matter in computer applications and business technology.
- Pearson Education: Global education publisher offering higher-education courseware, MyLab digital platforms, and certification prep. Directly comparable as a higher-ed and professional/IT training publisher competing for institutional adoption against Paradigm's Cirrus 2.0 platform.
- McGraw-Hill Education: Educational publisher delivering K-12, higher-ed, and professional courseware with digital learning platforms. Comparable to Paradigm across higher-ed courseware, CTE/secondary offerings, and adaptive digital delivery.
- Wiley (Wiley Education Services): Publisher and education services provider serving higher education with courseware, online program management, and digital learning tools. Directly comparable to Paradigm's higher-ed digital courseware model.
Broad incumbents
- Skillsoft: Large enterprise and IT training provider offering tech, business, and compliance courseware with a cloud learning platform. Overlaps with Paradigm's computer applications and business technology courseware, but addresses a broader enterprise workforce audience.
- Coursera: Online learning platform partnering with universities and companies to deliver courses, certificates, and degree programs. Comparable as a higher-ed and workforce digital learning provider, with a much broader catalog and consumer/institutional hybrid model.
- Elsevier (Relx Education): Major academic publisher with health sciences and higher-ed courseware offerings. Comparable through its allied health and professional education content, overlapping with Paradigm's medical assisting and pharmacy technician courseware.
Emerging players
- Pluralsight: Technology skills training platform focused on developers, IT professionals, and creative practitioners. Comparable to Paradigm's computer applications and digital skills courseware, with greater depth in developer/IT certifications versus Paradigm's Microsoft Office focus.
- Codecademy: Online learning platform for coding and tech skills, recently expanding into broader digital skills. Partial overlap with Paradigm's computer applications training, but focused on consumer/learner-direct delivery rather than institutional licensing.
Regional players
- Barnes & Noble Education: Operates college bookstores and digital learning platforms serving US higher education institutions. Comparable as a distribution and digital access channel partner for higher-ed courseware, including the bookstore/fulfillment pathway Paradigm uses for student purchases.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Paradigm Education Solutions social profiles
Digital presenceParadigm Education Solutions financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Paradigm Education Solutions leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Paradigm Education Solutions funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Paradigm Education Solutions M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Paradigm Education Solutions
What does Paradigm Education Solutions do?
Paradigm Education Solutions develops and delivers cloud-based educational courseware and learning solutions through its Cirrus 2.0 platform. The company provides complete training and assessment content spanning Microsoft Office and Microsoft 365 applications, computer concepts, allied health careers, computerized accounting, keyboarding, and career readiness. Products are licensed to educational institutions and workforce programs across higher education, secondary education, corrections, and workforce development verticals.
Is Paradigm Education Solutions a public or private company?
Paradigm Education Solutions is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Paradigm Education Solutions founded?
Paradigm Education Solutions was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Paradigm Education Solutions based?
Paradigm Education Solutions is headquartered in Dubuque, United States, in the North America region.
How does Paradigm Education Solutions make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Courseware and Learning Materials Sales are the primary driver. The others are digital/Online Platform Access.
Who are Paradigm Education Solutions's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cengage Group, Pearson Education, McGraw-Hill Education and Wiley (Wiley Education Services). Broad incumbents are Skillsoft, Coursera and Elsevier (Relx Education). Emerging players are Pluralsight and Codecademy. Barnes & Noble Education is listed as a regional player.
Does Paradigm Education Solutions have an API?
No public API is recorded for Paradigm Education Solutions.
What industry is Paradigm Education Solutions in?
Paradigm Education Solutions's product category is Educational Technology Courseware. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFACAA, Core Digital Curriculum & Courseware (Full Programs & Units), with a secondary code of EDAJAMAO, Career & College Readiness Platforms (Guidance, Planning, Scholarships). Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 7372.