Arizona Christian University

What Arizona Christian University does

Arizona Christian University is a private, nonprofit Christian liberal arts university founded in 1960 and headquartered at 1 W Firestorm Way, Glendale, Arizona, in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The institution operates with 251-500 employees, serves 1,600+ students, and maintains a 16:1 student-faculty ratio with average class sizes of 18.5 across 45+ areas of study. Academic programs are delivered through four named colleges/schools (College of Arts & Humanities, Shelly Roden School of Education & Professional Studies, Honors College, and School of Graduate Studies) and integrate a conservative biblical worldview. ACU has achieved record enrollment with its largest freshman class, indicating sustained enrollment growth.

The university's technology stack is built on the Canvas Learning Management System (LMS) for online degree and certificate delivery, supplemented by virtual tour infrastructure for prospective students and self-paced online learning environments featuring video presentations, interactive exercises, downloadable templates, and instructor inbox access. The continuing education portfolio is delivered through a strategic co-development partnership with Zschool, offering Fast-Track certificates at $450 per person (4 hours) and Mastery-Track certificates at $4,995 per person (8 modules, 24-32 hours). Operational Readiness training for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) crisis response is built on proprietary frameworks (CARE, CARE-Under-Pressure, CARE-Plus, and FAST) priced at $450 per course, serving law enforcement, first responders, and correctional officers via dedicated direct sales.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring tuition and fees for traditional degree programs, augmented by one-time-fee executive education certificates and specialized OUD training courses. The go-to-market model is sales-led for traditional admissions via dedicated counselors, direct-to-consumer for open-enrollment certificate programs, and event-driven through campus visits and open houses. Customer segmentation spans first-year undergraduates, transfer and international students, online learners, corporate training teams, and public safety agencies, producing a long-tail individual enrollment base with no single dominant enterprise customer.

Name

Arizona Christian University

Legal name

Arizona Christian University

Website

https://arizonachristian.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Arizona Christian University is a private nonprofit Christian liberal arts university in Glendale, Arizona, enrolling 1,600+ students in undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs. Revenue is generated through tuition, a Zschool-partnered executive education division, and proprietary public safety training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Higher Education

NAICS

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 higher education
• Liberal arts degrees
• Executive certificate programs
• Online degree programs
• First responder training

Headquarters

HQ city

Glendale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Traditional Degree Programs: Tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university offers affordable private Christian education with financial aid, scholarships, grants, and loans available to students.
2. Executive Education Certificate Programs: Professional continuing education certificates offered through partnership with Zschool. Fast-Track programs at $450 per person and Mastery-Track programs at $4,995 per person. Group discounts available for teams of 3 or more.
3. Operational Readiness Training: Specialized OUD crisis training programs for law enforcement, first responders, and correctional officers at $450 per course per person. Corporate group rates available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Arizona Christian University is a private Christian liberal arts university that sells undergraduate and graduate degree programs, online degrees, continuing education, and executive education certificate programs. Offerings span on-campus and self-paced online formats, integrating a conservative biblical worldview with academic instruction across 45+ areas of study, and include specialized operational readiness training for law enforcement, first responders, and correctional officers.

Product overview

Arizona Christian University offers a comprehensive educational portfolio consisting of undergraduate and graduate degree programs through its colleges (College of Arts & Humanities, Shelly Roden School of Education & Professional Studies, Honors College, and School of Graduate Studies). The university also operates ACU Online for remote learners and Executive Education certificate programs in partnership with Zschool. The Executive Education division includes Fast-Track programs (4 hours, $450) and Mastery-Track programs (24-32 hours, $4,995), covering professional certificates in Digital Marketing, Strategic AI, Transformative Leadership, and specialized Operational Readiness training for Corrections, First Responders, and Law Enforcement personnel dealing with Opioid Use Disorder crisis situations. The university's distinctives center on integrating a conservative biblical worldview across all academic offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Bachelor's degree programs across multiple areas of study that integrate a conservative biblical worldview with academic instruction, delivered on-campus and online for traditional and transfer students.
• Graduate Degree Programs Master's and professional graduate degree programs designed for career advancement, delivered with faith-based academic rigor.
• ACU Online Programs Self-paced online degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, integrating biblical worldview with academic excellence for remote learners.
• Certificates and Minors Credential programs allowing students to specialize in specific fields or add complementary areas of study to their degree.
• Digital Marketing Certificate Program Eight-module mastery-track professional certificate teaching omni-channel marketing, social media strategy, marketing analytics, customer acquisition, and retention, priced at $4,995 per person.
• Strategic Artificial Intelligence Certificate Program Eight-module mastery-track professional certificate covering AI fundamentals, strategic implementation, ethical considerations, and business transformation, priced at $4,995 per person.
• Transformative Leadership Certificate Program Eight-module mastery-track professional certificate developing leadership skills for organizational change, strategic decision-making, and team motivation, priced at $4,995 per person.
• Operational Readiness: OUD Crisis Training for Law Enforcement Two-part training program (1.0 and 2.0) for law enforcement officers covering opioid use disorder response, de-escalation techniques, and crisis intervention, priced at $450 per course per person.
• Operational Readiness: OUD Crisis Training for First Responders Four-hour online certificate program for firefighters, EMTs, and paramedics covering opioid use disorder crisis response, Naloxone administration, and de-escalation, priced at $450 per person.
• Operational Readiness: OUD Crisis Training for Corrections Four-hour online certificate program for correctional officers covering opioid use disorder response, behavioral health challenges, and trauma-informed communication, priced at $450 per person.
• Continuing Education Non-credit educational programs for professional development and lifelong learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16:1 student to faculty ratio enabling personalized education
• +3 more outcomes

Segments11 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ZschoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZschool partners with Arizona Christian University to provide forward-thinking professional education programs. Zschool brings together educational programs and Fortune 500 corporations for partnerships that provide mutual benefit and growth. The collaboration delivers exceptional, highly engaging curriculum to professionals across various industries, combining academic rigor with real-world practicality. Zschool handles program coordination, development, marketing, and facilitation while ACU provides the university-backed credentialing and academic infrastructure.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Grand Canyon University: Large private Christian university headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, with extensive online programs. Strongest geographic and segment overlap with ACU, but operates at much larger scale with broader program portfolio.

Direct peers

• Biola University: Private Christian liberal arts university in Southern California offering undergraduate and graduate degrees with biblical integration. Closest peer in mission, size, and residential liberal arts model.
• Wheaton College: Top-tier residential Christian liberal arts college with strong academic reputation and biblical integration across curriculum. Highly comparable in residential liberal arts model with faith-based differentiation.
• Oral Roberts University: Private Christian university in Tulsa, Oklahoma offering undergraduate and graduate programs with charismatic evangelical identity. Comparable in faith-based mission, residential model, and conservative positioning.
• Houston Christian University: Private Baptist-affiliated university in Texas offering liberal arts and professional programs with biblical integration. Closely comparable in size, mission, and faith-based liberal arts positioning.
• Regent University: Private Christian university in Virginia Beach with significant online program offerings in business, law, and divinity. Comparable faith-based mission with stronger emphasis on online and graduate enrollment.
• Point Loma Nazarene University: Private Wesleyan-Holiness residential liberal arts university in San Diego with biblical worldview integration. Comparable in size, religious affiliation, and residential liberal arts positioning.
• Colorado Christian University: Private interdenominational Christian university in Lakewood, Colorado with significant online enrollment and adult degree completion programs. Comparable in faith-based mission, geographic region, and online/distance learning strategy.
• Bob Jones University: Private fundamentalist Christian university in Greenville, South Carolina, known for conservative biblical worldview integration across all academic programs. Comparable in ideological positioning and faith-based academic mission.

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: Largest evangelical Christian university in the US with massive online enrollment and conservative biblical worldview positioning. Comparable faith-based mission and online delivery model but operates at substantially larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acu_az
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ArizonaChristianUniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/arizonachristianuniversity
• Instagraminstagram.com/arizonachristian

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Arizona Christian University