What Cardinal Stritch University does

Cardinal Stritch University was a private, non-profit Catholic-Franciscan institution of higher education founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi and chartered by the State of Wisconsin. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the university served students of all ages, faiths, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds through more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning business, education, liberal arts, leadership, nursing, and sciences. At its peak, Stritch was described as one of the largest Franciscan institutions of higher education in North America, supported by an alumni network of more than 40,000 worldwide.

The university's revenue model followed a traditional non-profit higher education structure, with income generated primarily from tuition and fees across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs delivered through on-campus instruction in the Midwest U.S. Its go-to-market relied on direct recruitment of incoming student cohorts, brand positioning around Franciscan values and servant leadership, and the institutional reputational benefits of a long-standing Catholic liberal arts tradition. There were no indications of venture, equity, or corporate ownership structures.

Cardinal Stritch University ceased operations and officially closed in 2023. In connection with the closure, the institution entered into approximately 15 teach-out and transfer agreements with receiving institutions including Alverno College, Carroll University, Concordia University Chicago, Edgewood College, UW-Stout, Marian University, Mount Mary University, and others to facilitate student degree completion. Transcripts are now custodied by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU), and verification and credentialing services are routed through the National Student Clearinghouse and Tiffin University. The institution remained fully accredited at the time of closure, and its previously conferred degrees remain valid.

Name

Cardinal Stritch University

Legal name

Cardinal Stritch University

Website

https://stritch.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cardinal Stritch University was a private, non-profit Catholic-Franciscan institution of higher education in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founded in 1937 by the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi. It offered 60+ undergraduate and graduate degree programs before closing in 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

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

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA), Open-Access/Non-Selective Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Liberal arts education
• Professional nursing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Cardinal Stritch University was a private, non-profit Catholic Franciscan institution of higher education that delivered undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across more than 60 areas of study including business, education, liberal arts, leadership, nursing, and the sciences. Following its 2023 closure, the institution no longer enrolls new students but continues to provide alumni services such as official transcript ordering and degree/employment verification.

Product overview

Cardinal Stritch University was a single, unified higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple disciplines. At closure in 2023, the university provided more than 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs spanning business, education, liberal arts, leadership, nursing, and sciences. The institution also offered supporting services including official transcript ordering (now managed by WAICU), employment and degree verification, and academic records management. The university has closed and no longer enrolls new students or offers educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs Undergraduate academic programs providing liberal arts education with majors in business, education, liberal arts, leadership, nursing, and sciences for students of all ages, faiths, races, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Graduate Degree Programs Graduate-level academic programs including master's and doctoral degrees across multiple disciplines to help students develop advanced skills, gain career-related experience, and build professional networks.
• Official Transcripts Complete record of student enrollment at the university, including all undergraduate and graduate (including doctoral) courses, now managed by the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (WAICU) for a $10.00 fee per transcript following the university's 2023 closure.
• Degree and Employment Verification Verification services for employers to confirm degree attainment and student attendance/dates of enrollment, available through the National Student Clearinghouse, WAICU, and Tiffin University (which also handles employment verification requests for former Cardinal Stritch employees).

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Alverno CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students in good academic standing, guaranteed acceptance of 100% successfully completed credits, comparable net tuition.
• Carroll UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Waukesha, Wisconsin. Education programs also available via transfer options. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Concordia University ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Chicago, Illinois. Automatic admission for current Stritch students in good academic standing, guaranteed acceptance of successfully completed credits.
• Edgewood CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Madison, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students in good academic standing, guaranteed acceptance of successfully completed credits.
• Herzing UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - multiple locations. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Holy Cross CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Notre Dame, Indiana. Automatic admission for current Stritch students in good academic standing, guaranteed acceptance of successfully completed credits.
• Lakeland UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Plymouth, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Marian UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students in good academic standing, guaranteed acceptance of successfully completed credits.
• Millikin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Decatur, Illinois. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Mount Mary UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• St. Norbert CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Green Bay, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Tiffin UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Tiffin, Ohio. Also handles employment verification requests for former Cardinal Stritch employees. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance.
• Viterbo UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - La Crosse, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• Wheeling UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Wheeling, West Virginia. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• UW-StoutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeach-Out Agreement institution - Menomonie, Wisconsin. Automatic admission for current Stritch students, guaranteed credit acceptance, comparable net tuition.
• WAICU (Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities)coreOthersNow holds all transcripts for Cardinal Stritch University following closure. $10.00 fee for each transcript. Also handles verification requests beyond National Student Clearinghouse.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Market position

Strengths1 record

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/stritchu
• Facebookfacebook.com/cardinalstritch
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cardinal-stritch-university

Compliance1 record

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 Cardinal Stritch University