Wagner College

What Wagner College does

Wagner College is a private, nonprofit liberal arts institution located on a 110-acre residential campus on Grymes Hill in Staten Island, New York, founded in 1883 as the Lutheran Proseminary of Rochester and relocated to Staten Island in 1918. The college serves approximately 2,000 students (1,679 undergraduates and 318 graduate students) drawn from 39 U.S. states and 39 countries, delivering instruction through 126 full-time faculty at a 14:1 student-faculty ratio. Its core academic offering is the Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, a distinctive curriculum that integrates liberal arts coursework with three structured Learning Community phases, mandatory internships or practicums (completed by 100% of students), and community engagement.

The institution operates 24+ undergraduate majors and graduate programs in Nursing (MS, DNP), Education (MS Ed), Business (MBA, MS Accounting), Microbiology, and Physician Assistant studies, supplemented by the nationally ranked Wagner College Theatre program (#2 in Princeton Review 2025), 25 Division I sports, Horrmann Library, the Office of Career Planning and Development, and a Lifelong Learning/Continuing Education unit. The technology backbone is standard educational SaaS — Moodle LMS, myWagner student portal, OneLogin SSO, Handshake for career services, and Follett Discover Access for course materials — with no proprietary AI/ML systems or differentiated technology assets.

Wagner generates revenue primarily through tuition: $52,736 per year for full-time undergraduates and approximately $16,580 for housing and meal plans, supplemented by graduate tuition, continuing education fees, and donations. 99% of students receive financial aid, with an average need-based package of $32,001 and total scholarships and grants disbursed of $50,081,262 annually, representing a substantial offset to gross tuition. The college distributes its educational services through a sales-led admissions model combining undergraduate and graduate admissions offices, regional admissions counselor travel, college fair participation, campus visits (with application fee waiver incentives), and self-serve online applications via the Common Application and a Slate-based portal. In May 2026, the college completed the acquisition of the adjacent former St. John's University Grymes Hill campus, materially expanding its physical footprint under the leadership of 21st President Jeffrey A. Doggett (appointed July 2024).

Name

Wagner College

Legal name

Wagner College

Website

https://wagner.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Wagner College is a private nonprofit liberal arts college on Staten Island, NY, serving ~2,000 undergraduate and graduate students through its distinctive Wagner Plan curriculum integrating liberal arts with mandatory experiential learning and internships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Liberal Arts College)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA), Selective/Highly Selective Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAJ)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Liberal arts college
• Undergraduate programs
• Graduate programs
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Staten Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Full-time undergraduate tuition revenue at $52,736 per year. Revenue is recurring on an annual basis with students paying per academic year. This represents the primary revenue stream for the institution.
2. Graduate Tuition: Graduate programs generate tuition revenue from master's and doctoral programs including Nursing (MS, DNP), Education (MS Ed), Business (MBA, MS Accounting), Microbiology, and Physician Assistant studies. Programs are offered year-round in late afternoons, evenings, and weekends.
3. Housing and Dining Services: On-campus housing and meal plans generate auxiliary revenue at approximately $16,580 for housing and meals combined. Approximately 60% of first-year students live on campus, with multiple residence halls available.
4. Financial Aid (Revenue Offset): 99% of students receive some form of financial aid. Average need-based financial aid package is $32,001. Total scholarships and grants awarded per year is $50,081,262. This represents a significant offset to gross tuition revenue.
5. Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning: The Office of Lifelong Learning offers professional development programs, youth programs, conference services, and non-degree coursework for adult learners and community members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wagner College is a private nonprofit liberal arts college that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its signature Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, which integrates classroom learning with internships, Learning Communities, and community engagement. The college enrolls approximately 2,000 students across 24+ undergraduate majors and graduate programs in Nursing (MS, DNP), Education (MS Ed), Business (MBA, MS Accounting), Microbiology, and Physician Assistant studies, supplemented by Division I athletics, a nationally ranked theatre program, career planning services, and Lifelong Learning/continuing education.

Product overview

Wagner College is a private liberal arts college on Staten Island, New York, founded in 1883. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services centered on its distinctive Wagner Plan for the Practical Liberal Arts, which combines undergraduate and graduate degree programs across professional fields (business, nursing, theatre, physician assistant, education) with experiential learning, community engagement, and internship requirements. Core academic products include 24+ undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business, nursing, education, microbiology, and physician assistant studies. Supporting services include Horrmann Library with extensive databases and archives, the nationally recognized Wagner College Theatre program (ranked #2 nationally), the Office of Career Planning and Development with Handshake integration, Academic Advising and Accessibility services with peer tutoring and the Writing Center, Division I athletics, student radio (WCBG), and Lifelong Learning/continuing education offerings. The college enrolls approximately 1,679 undergraduates and 318 graduate students with a 14:1 student-faculty ratio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Wagner College offers undergraduate degree programs across 24+ majors and programs, including business administration, nursing, theatre, physician assistant studies, biology, psychology, education, and the liberal arts. Delivered through the Wagner Plan experiential learning model integrating Learning Communities, internships, and community engagement across three phases (First-Year, Intermediate, Senior). For traditional college-aged students seeking a four-year residential degree with professional preparation.
• Graduate Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Wagner grads' salaries in top 12% nationwide on PayScale 2020-21 College Salary Report
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Integration7 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LIU Post: Long Island University Post campus — private, NYC-metro, NCAA Division I, with comparable mix of undergraduate and graduate programs in business, education, nursing, and health sciences.
• Iona University: New Rochelle, NY private university with comparable enrollment, NCAA Division I athletics (Gaels), business and nursing programs, and a similar NYC-area residential liberal arts model.
• Manhattan College: Riverdale, NY-based private Catholic college with similar undergraduate scale, professional programs (engineering, business, nursing), NCAA Division I athletics, and a NYC-area residential model overlapping Wagner's positioning.
• Sacred Heart University: Fairfield, CT private university with similar Carnegie classification (Professions-Focused Master's Small/Medium), Division I athletics, and comparable undergraduate/graduate program mix anchored by nursing and business.
• College of Mount Saint Vincent: Riverdale, NY liberal arts college with comparable enrollment (~1,800-2,000 students), strong nursing/health sciences programs, NCAA Division III athletics, and a similar small-campus feel near NYC.
• Mount Saint Mary College: Newburgh, NY private college with similar enrollment scale (~2,000 students), strong nursing and education programs, NCAA Division III athletics, and comparable tuition-driven residential model.
• University of New Haven: CT-based private university with comparable scale, NCAA Division II athletics, professional programs (engineering, business, forensic science, health sciences), and similar tuition-discounting economics.
• Adelphi University: Garden City, NY private university with similar enrollment, NCAA Division II athletics, strong nursing and education programs, and similar NYC-metro residential liberal arts positioning.
• Merrimack College: North Andover, MA private college with similar Carnegie classification (Professions-Focused Undergraduate/Graduate Master's Small), NCAA Division II athletics, and business/engineering/health sciences programs. Notably, Wagner President Doggett joined from Merrimack.

Broad incumbents

• St. John's University: Larger Queens-based Catholic university with extensive NCAA Division I athletics, broad graduate and professional school offerings. Direct Grymes Hill campus predecessor to Wagner's recent acquisition; competes in same NYC market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wagnercollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/wagnercollegenyc
• Facebookfacebook.com/66910866910
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wagner-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/wagnercollege

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Wagner College