Sterling College (Kansas)

What Sterling College (Kansas) does

Sterling College is a private, non-profit, Christ-centered four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 in Sterling, Kansas, and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves approximately 650 students across a single residential campus in Sterling and a global online program branded Sterling College Online (launched 2007). The institution offers more than 20 majors and over 80 programs of study spanning Business Administration, Elementary Education, Criminal Justice Administration, History, Sports Management, and Christian Thought, plus graduate programs including the Master of Arts in Sports Ministry and a Special Education Add-On Endorsement. Student body geography spans 37 states and 16 countries, with 25.5% ethnic minorities, an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, 18 NAIA Division II athletic teams, and student life anchored by faith integration, servant-leadership development, and a HOST family community program.

Technology infrastructure is a standard higher-education stack: Canvas LMS for course delivery, mySterling for student information, and Microsoft Office 365 for email and collaboration. Sterling College Online delivers undergraduate and graduate programs asynchronously via Canvas, and articulation agreements with six Kansas community colleges (Butler, Cloud County, Colby, Coffeyville, Hesston, Hutchinson) formalize transfer pathways. Auxiliary products include the Warrior Wearhouse merchandise store and a Legacy Brick commemorative program.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees, with per-credit-hour pricing differentiated by program ($175 online undergraduate, $400 M.A. Sports Ministry, $613 Special Education Add-On Endorsement) plus technology, resource, registration, and program-specific data fees. Additional revenue derives from residential room and board, athletics, and auxiliary services. Sterling College is governed by an independent self-perpetuating Board of Trustees, has no parent company or equity ownership, and reports financial figures only through non-profit channels rather than public filings.

Name

Sterling College (Kansas)

Legal name

Sterling College

Website

https://sterling.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1887

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sterling College is a private, non-profit Christ-centered four-year liberal arts college in Sterling, Kansas, founded in 1887, serving approximately 650 students through residential undergraduate programs, online degree completion, and graduate offerings across more than 20 majors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

Keywords

• Christian liberal arts education
• Online degree programs
• Higher education institution
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate theological education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sterling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, fees including technology and resource fees, and registration fees for on-campus and online programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sterling College is a private, non-profit Christ-centered four-year liberal arts college offering more than 20 majors and 80+ programs of study at the undergraduate and graduate levels. It delivers education through both on-campus residential programs in Sterling, Kansas (650 students, 11:1 student-faculty ratio) and online distance learning via Sterling College Online, with tuition charged per credit hour and additional fees for technology and resources.

Product overview

Sterling College operates as a Christ-centered four-year liberal arts institution offering both on-campus residential and online distance education programs. The primary academic offerings span more than 20 majors and 80+ programs of study, including undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, Elementary Education, Criminal Justice Administration, History, Organizational Management, Sports Management, and Christian Thought, as well as graduate programs including the Master of Arts in Sports Ministry and Special Education Add-On Endorsement. The institution's products include Sterling College Online (Canvas-based distance learning platform), academic support services, campus ministry programs, athletic training clinic services, and branded merchandise through the Warrior Wearhouse. The college also offers commemorative products including personalized Legacy Bricks for the campus Legacy Walk.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sterling College Online Online learning platform offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs delivered asynchronously via Canvas LMS, including Business Administration, Elementary Education, Criminal Justice Administration, and Master of Arts in Sports Ministry, accessible to students globally.
• Undergraduate Tuition Program On-campus and online undergraduate education program with tuition at $175 per credit hour, plus a $150 per semester Technology and Resource Fee and a $50 registration fee upon acceptance.
• Master of Arts in Sports Ministry Graduate-level theological and sports management program priced at $400 per credit hour, designed to prepare leaders for sports ministry contexts.
• Special Education Add-On Endorsement Graduate-level teacher certification program at $613 per credit hour for educators seeking a special education endorsement.
• Warrior Wearhouse Branded merchandise store selling Sterling College apparel and accessories to students, alumni, and supporters.
• Legacy Brick Program Personalized commemorative bricks for the campus Legacy Walk pathway, allowing up to 3 lines of 20 characters each for custom inscriptions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% medical school acceptance rate over 40 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Butler Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement facilitating seamless transfer of credits from Butler CC to Sterling College degree programs
• Cloud County Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for credit transfer to Sterling College programs
• Colby Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for credit transfer to Sterling College programs
• Coffeyville Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for credit transfer to Sterling College programs
• Hesston CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for credit transfer to Sterling College programs
• Hutchinson Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement for credit transfer to Sterling College programs
• Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in national organization of Christian colleges; provides networking and resource sharing
• The Institute for Christians, The Coalition of Christian CollegescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership in Christian college association providing educational resources and collaboration
• National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division IIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of NAIA Division II with 18 intercollegiate athletic teams
• Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of regional athletic conference for NAIA schools in Kansas

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• McPherson College: McPherson College is a small private liberal arts college in McPherson, Kansas affiliated with the Church of the Brethren, offering NAIA athletics and a comparable enrollment profile to Sterling College.
• Tabor College: Tabor College is a small private Christian liberal arts college in Hillsboro, Kansas with a similar Christ-centered mission, NAIA athletics, and comparable size; several Sterling admissions staff are Tabor graduates, indicating direct overlap in talent and student segments.
• Friends University: Friends University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Wichita, Kansas offering undergraduate and graduate programs with similar faith-based positioning and an emphasis on adult/online learners, directly comparable to Sterling's profile.
• Oklahoma Baptist University: Oklahoma Baptist University is a private Baptist-affiliated Christian liberal arts university in Shawnee, Oklahoma with comparable enrollment scale (~2,000), faith-based mission, NAIA athletics, and similar emphasis on servant leadership outcomes.
• Hesston College: Hesston College is a small two-year Mennonite liberal arts college in Hesston, Kansas that is both an articulation partner with Sterling and a direct feeder competitor, with overlapping Christ-centered mission and shared regional student pool.
• Kansas Wesleyan University: Kansas Wesleyan University is a small private United Methodist-affiliated liberal arts university in Salina, Kansas with comparable enrollment scale, NAIA athletics, and a faith-based liberal arts value proposition that competes head-to-head with Sterling.
• Ottawa University: Ottawa University is a private Baptist-affiliated university with a main campus in Ottawa, Kansas and adult/online programs, directly comparable to Sterling College across residential undergraduate, online undergraduate, and graduate program segments.
• Southwestern College (Kansas): Southwestern College is a private United Methodist-affiliated liberal arts college in Winfield, Kansas offering undergraduate, online, and graduate programs; it is a member of the same Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference as Sterling and competes for similar students.
• MidAmerica Nazarene University: MidAmerica Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts university in Olathe, Kansas offering undergraduate, online, and graduate programs with similar faith-based positioning, NAIA athletics, and comparable student demographics to Sterling College.
• Bethel College (Kansas): Bethel College is a private Mennonite-affiliated liberal arts college in North Newton, Kansas with similar enrollment scale, NAIA athletics, and a Christian liberal arts curriculum that directly competes with Sterling for the same student segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sterlingclife
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sterlingcollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/sterlingcollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/sterlingcollege
• Pinterestpinterest.com/sterlingcollege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

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 Sterling College (Kansas)