Adler University

What Adler University does

Adler University is a private, nonprofit graduate institution headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1952 and named after Alfred Adler, the Austrian psychologist who founded Individual Psychology. The university operates through three delivery channels: an in-person Chicago campus at 17 N. Dearborn St., a Vancouver, British Columbia campus at 520 Seymour Street, and a growing portfolio of fully online and hybrid programs. Its core academic offerings center on graduate-level programs in counselling psychology (MACP, MCP), clinical psychology (Psy.D.), clinical mental health counseling, industrial and organizational psychology, military psychology, forensic mental health leadership, couple and family therapy, art therapy, sport and human performance, organizational leadership, and several certificate programs. A defining curricular element is a 700-hour supervised practicum and the 200-hour Adler Social Interest Practicum, supported by a network of more than 1,500 community partners across the U.S. and Canada.

The institution generates revenue primarily through tuition, with disclosed master's programs priced at $65,000 to $76,000 for domestic and international cohorts respectively (MCP, MACP). It also runs three applied institutes: Adler Community Health Services (ACHS), which delivers mental health services in community settings while providing student clinical training; the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship (CAPS), which advances the Adlerian intellectual tradition and operates the Adlerpedia.org practitioner resource; and the Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ). The university serves graduate students seeking licensure-track credentials and career changers entering mental health and organizational psychology fields, with reported FY24 outcomes of 99.4% graduate degree completion, 90% employment rate within 12 months, and 358,000 student direct service hours delivered to approximately 14,000 community members annually. Adler University is governed as an independent nonprofit under Illinois law, with a separate Canadian registered charity (Adler University Vancouver Foundation) supporting its British Columbia operations, and is led by President Lisa Coleman, Ph.D.

Name

Adler University

Legal name

Adler University

Website

https://adler.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Adler University is a private, nonprofit graduate institution founded in 1952, offering master's, doctoral, and certificate programs in counselling psychology and related mental health fields across Chicago, Vancouver, and online delivery, serving licensure-track graduate students and career changers through practice-based learning with 1,500+ community partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Graduate Psychology and Counselling)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Management Research Institutes & Doctoral (PhD/DBA) Programs (EDAHAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Research, Capstone & Extended Essay Mentoring (IB EE, independent research) (EDANAKAH)

Keywords

• Graduate psychology programs
• Counselling psychology degrees
• Clinical psychology education
• Mental health graduate education
• Doctoral psychology programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Adler University generates revenue primarily through tuition payments for its graduate degree programs including master's, doctoral, and certificate programs in psychology, counselling, and related fields.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Adler University is a private graduate institution offering master's, doctoral, and certificate programs in counselling psychology, clinical psychology (Psy.D.), art therapy, military psychology, forensic mental health leadership, couple and family therapy, industrial/organizational psychology, sport and human performance, and organizational leadership. Programs are delivered in person at Chicago and Vancouver campuses, fully online, and through hybrid formats, supported by a required 700-hour practicum and a 200-hour Adler Social Interest Practicum.

Product overview

Adler University is a graduate education institution offering a diverse portfolio of academic programs across multiple delivery formats (in-person, online, and hybrid). The core academic offerings include master's and doctoral programs in counselling psychology, clinical psychology (Psy.D.), clinical mental health counseling, industrial/organizational psychology, military psychology, forensic mental health leadership, couple and family therapy, art therapy, sport and human performance, and organizational leadership. The institution operates three campuses (Chicago, Vancouver, and online) and supports its academic mission through specialized institutes including Adler Community Health Services (ACHS), the Center for Adlerian Practice and Scholarship (CAPS), and the Institute on Public Safety and Social Justice (IPSSJ). A distinctive feature is the Adler Social Interest Practicum, a required 200-hour community engagement component integrated into counseling psychology programs. The institution is named after Alfred Adler and rooted in Adlerian philosophy emphasizing community connection and social justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) Graduate-level counselling psychology program blending academic rigor with real-world practice, including a 700-hour practicum and faculty mentorship, preparing students as responsible, effective clinicians.
• Master of Counselling Psychology (MCP) Two-year master's program in counselling psychology for domestic and international students, offered in person and online.
• Clinical Mental Health Counseling M.A.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of graduates enter counselling or related roles within 12 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026KPU and Adler University partnership to expand graduate learning opportunities. The partnership provides a pathway for KPU graduates to access graduate education in mental health fields at Adler University, creating an educational pathway for students transitioning from undergraduate to graduate studies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: Chicago-headquartered, nonprofit graduate institution with a comparable mission-oriented, practice-based portfolio of psychology, counselling, and behavioural-health programs. Strongest direct peer given overlapping Chicago market, similar program mix, and comparable tuition positioning.
• Antioch University: Values-driven, multi-campus nonprofit graduate university with psychology, counselling, and social-justice-oriented programs. Comparable mission, decentralized delivery model, and reliance on tuition revenue make it a closely analogous institution.
• William James College: New England-based graduate psychology and counselling school with a comparable practice-based, social-justice-driven identity. Direct peer due to overlapping Psy.D., counselling, and applied-psychology programs serving similar licensure-track students.
• Fielding Graduate University: Predominantly online graduate university focused on psychology, counselling, and human/organizational development. Comparable because of its doctoral-level, practice-based, mostly-remote delivery model serving similar working-adult student segments.
• Saybrook University: Humanistic-psychology-focused nonprofit graduate university with online and low-residency delivery. Direct peer due to discipline overlap (counselling, psychology, organizational systems) and similar mission-led, niche positioning.
• Alliant International University: Graduate-focused university with prominent psychology (Psy.D., Ph.D., I-O), counselling, and organizational-leadership programs. Comparable program mix, licensure-track emphasis, and practitioner-scholar faculty profile.

Emerging players

• Sofia University: Small, mission-driven graduate university offering counselling, psychology, and transformative-education programs. Overlaps with Adler's practitioner-scholar identity and tuition-funded graduate model at a smaller scale.
• Pacific Oaks College: Nonprofit graduate institution emphasizing socially responsible practice in counselling, marriage and family therapy, and organizational leadership. Comparable in values orientation and licensure-track mix, though smaller in scale.

Broad incumbents

• Capella University: Large online university with substantial psychology, counselling, and doctoral program portfolios. Competes for the same online graduate prospects as Adler's online programs with significantly larger marketing and scale economics.
• Walden University: Major online institution offering psychology, counselling, and human-services doctoral and master's programs. Comparable because it serves the same working-adult, practice-oriented licensure-track audience Adler targets through its online channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/adleruniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/17221243715
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/adler-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/adleruniversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Adler University