Arapahoe Community College

What Arapahoe Community College does

Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is a public, two-year community college founded in 1965 in Littleton, Colorado, and operating as one of 13 institutions within the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). It serves the south Denver metro area through three physical campuses — the Littleton headquarters, the Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock, and the DCSD Legacy Campus in Lone Tree — alongside a statewide and beyond online program delivered via Canvas LMS. ACC offers associate degrees, seven bachelor's degree programs, and certificates across seven academic pathways, plus targeted workforce products including the Colorado Space Institute, the A+ Accelerator IT bootcamp, Elevate (inclusive post-secondary education for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities), apprenticeships, and concurrent enrollment (#1 in CCCS).

The institution operates a low-cost, high-volume educational model with resident tuition at $183.75/credit after the Colorado Opportunity Fund stipend, a 20:1 student-faculty ratio, and revenue diversification across per-credit tuition, state appropriations, foundation philanthropy (notably up to $10M from the Sturm Family Foundation in March 2019 with $5M+ matching), federal HEERF COVID-relief pass-throughs ($7.2M cumulative), and employer-aligned workforce contracts. Core technology is commodity EdTech infrastructure: Canvas LMS (D2L Brightspace), the Ellucian Cloud myACC student portal, and BankMobile for financial aid disbursement; there is no evidence of proprietary AI/ML systems. Student outcomes are evidenced by 4,439 honors recipients in Spring 2026 and large-scale financial aid distribution ($15.4M in 2024-25).

Strategically, ACC has repositioned itself from a regional transfer college into a workforce-aligned institution anchored by flagship partnerships with NASA (Aerospace State Hubs), Lockheed Martin (SWAP software talent pipeline), Colorado School of Mines (Mines Academy and BattChallenge), CSU, and Douglas County School District. Designated as a Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary and a Basic Needs Comprehensive Campus (2026-29), ACC is leveraging federal/state workforce policy and philanthropic capital to expand into aerospace, IT, health sciences, and skilled trades — markets with documented labor shortages in Colorado.

Name

Arapahoe Community College

Legal name

Arapahoe Community College

Website

https://arapahoe.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Arapahoe Community College is a public two-year college within the Colorado Community College System, serving the south Denver metro through three campuses and online programs with associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, certificates, and workforce training in aerospace, IT, health, and skilled trades.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (61121), Junior Colleges (6112)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH), Online Community Colleges (2-Year, Degree/Transfer) (EDAHALAC)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Associate degree programs
• Workforce training
• Transfer pathways
• Concurrent enrollment

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and fees. Colorado residents pay significantly lower rates ($183.75 per credit after COF stipend) compared to non-residents ($754.25 per credit). Additional revenue from course fees, parking passes, and various program fees.
2. State Funding: Public community college operating under the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), receiving state funding allocations and appropriations.
3. Foundation Donations and Grants: ACC Foundation raises funds through donations and manages grant programs including the Sturm Family Foundation gift of up to $10 million with matching opportunities.
4. Federal COVID Relief Funds (HEERF): Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund distributions from CARES Act, CRRSAA, and American Rescue Plan to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. Total HEERF III allocation of $5,156,577.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Arapahoe Community College delivers post-secondary education through associate degrees, bachelor's degrees (7 programs), and certificates across seven academic pathways, plus non-credit workforce and community programs. It serves south Denver metro area learners across three campuses and online, with specialized offerings such as the Elevate inclusive post-secondary program, the A+ Accelerator IT Bootcamp, the Colorado Space Institute, and concurrent enrollment for high school students.

Product overview

Arapahoe Community College (ACC) is a community college institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services. The institution provides credit programs including associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificates across 7 academic pathways, along with specialized programs such as Elevate (inclusive post-secondary education for students with disabilities), the Colorado Space Institute, and the A+ Accelerator Bootcamp. Non-credit offerings include workforce development, professional education, and community programs. Student support is delivered through the myACC portal, D2L learning management system, and various on-campus services including library, fitness center, and art galleries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock: A partnership campus with Douglas County School District and CSU offering programs and courses.
• DCSD Legacy Campus
• Colorado Space Institute at ACC
• Elevate at ACC
• Colorado Gallery of the Arts

Products and services

• Degree and Certificate Programs Associate degrees, bachelor's degrees (7 programs), and certificate programs offered across 7 academic pathways including Arts/Communication/Design, Business, Health, Math/Sciences, Public Services, Technology, and Global/Human/Social Sciences. For prospective and current students seeking post-secondary credentials.
• A+ Accelerator Bootcamp A 10-week intensive IT career bootcamp providing hands-on training designed to help students launch careers in information technology. For adult learners and workforce-development candidates.
• Elevate at ACC Inclusive post-secondary transition program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities, providing student-centered planning, internship opportunities, peer mentoring, career planning, self-determination assistance, individualized academic planning, campus life involvement, and independent living skill development.
• Space Educator Bootcamp Professional development program for educators to learn interdisciplinary approaches to integrating space-related content into course development, preparing students for Colorado's space economy.
• Colorado Space Institute A specialized institute that leverages collaboration with aerospace industry partners to provide innovative, competency-based education programs meeting the needs of national security, civil, and commercial space sectors. Selected as one of 15 NASA Aerospace State Hubs.
• Apprenticeships Workforce development apprenticeship programs delivered under ACC's Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary (QAI) designation. For adult learners and employer partners.
• Concurrent Enrollment Program Programs allowing high school students to earn college credits while still in high school at a fixed rate of $299.75/credit across all modalities. ACC ranks #1 in the Colorado Community College System for concurrent enrollment students.
• HEERF Emergency Student Grant Programs Federal emergency financial aid programs providing grants to students for expenses related to COVID-19 disruptions, including technology, internet service, course materials, rent, food, childcare, and healthcare expenses.
• Workforce & Community Programs Continuing education and professional development courses including Summer Youth Camps, Business and Community Partnerships, Career Forward, Colorado Health Careers Academy, Littleton Leadership Academy, Mobile Learning Lab, and Year to Career programs.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Douglas County School District (DCSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCSD is a key partner in both the Sturm Collaboration Campus at Castle Rock and the DCSD Legacy Campus at Lone Tree. These partnerships enable shared facilities, integrated educational pathways, and collaboration on workforce development programs with Douglas County students.
• Colorado State University (CSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSU partners with ACC at the Sturm Collaboration Campus, providing pathways for students and collaboration on academic programs. The partnership supports the 'Big Blur' vision eliminating traditional barriers between high school, post-secondary education, and career pathways.
• Lockheed MartincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLockheed Martin recruits ACC students and graduates through Software Associate Degree Program (SWAP) and Community College STEM hiring initiative for software and cyber-related careers. Currently 7 ACC students/graduates employed at Lockheed Martin. Partnership supports talent pipeline for aerospace and defense industry.
• Colorado School of MinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Mines Academy at ACC provides direct pathway for ACC students to earn bachelor's degree at Colorado School of Mines. Also collaborating on Battery Workforce Challenge (BattChallenge) competition and Solar Decathlon design projects.
• NASAflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado Space Institute at ACC selected as one of 15 NASA Aerospace State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce Initiative from competitive nationwide pool. Leads statewide effort to develop aerospace workforce training programs addressing critical shortage of 1 million workers in aerospace/defense by 2030.
• Apprenticeship Colorado (CDLE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormally recognized as a Qualified Apprenticeship Intermediary (QAI) to support workforce development and apprenticeship programs across Colorado.
• Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDHE provides Basic Needs Campus Designation and supports various institutional initiatives including Open Educational Resources grants and first-generation student programs.
• ALL IN Campus Democracy ChallengeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting student civic engagement and voter participation. ACC has received 'Most Engaged Campus' and 'Highly Established Action Plan' recognitions.
• Coca-Cola Scholars FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC students Dustin Johns and Olha Tymoshchuk named Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise Scholars. Foundation supports community college student achievement.
• Campus CompactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational coalition supporting ACC student Isaac Winchester as Newman Civic Fellow, recognizing civic leadership and community engagement.
• Community College of Denver (CCD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Colorado Health Careers Collaborative (CHCC) academy with 152 students successfully completing inaugural program.
• Educational Opportunity Center at CCDminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership providing free virtual assistance with FAFSA completion for ACC students through Community College of Denver's Educational Opportunity Center.
• Sunshine Artist MagazineminorOthersACC's Affordable Arts Festival ranked #1 festival in the nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine publication.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACC and Mines students participated in DOE's Solar Decathlon competition with ACC design winning approval.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Front Range Community College: Sister CCCS institution serving the northern Denver metro with a comparable mix of associate degrees, transfer pathways, and workforce programs. Most direct system peer to ACC given overlapping geography, scale, and mission.
• Pikes Peak State College: CCCS institution serving Colorado Springs with comparable comprehensive community college offerings including transfer, workforce, and military-connected programming. Same-system peer at similar institutional scale.
• Emily Griffith Technical College: Denver-based CCCS institution with a stronger technical/trade emphasis but overlapping adult-learner and workforce-development mission; competes for similar non-traditional and employer-funded students in the metro area.
• Community College of Denver: CCCS institution in central Denver; ACC even partners with CCD on the Colorado Health Careers Collaborative. Functions as both a peer (same system, overlapping programs) and a co-marketing partner in the Denver metro.
• Lamar Community College: Rural CCCS peer in southeastern Colorado; smaller in scale but operates under the same system structure, funding model, and CCCS governance that defines ACC's operating environment.
• Red Rocks Community College: Adjacent CCCS college in Lakewood/Golden offering similar associate, transfer, and technical programs to the west-Denver market. Direct peer given geographic proximity within the same state system and overlapping program portfolios.

Regional players

• Aims Community College: Colorado community college based in Greeley serving northern Colorado with similar comprehensive offerings; same regulatory environment as ACC but geographically distinct, making it more of a regional peer than a direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Pasadena City College: Large California community college with notable aerospace-adjacent workforce programming and transfer breadth. Comparable to ACC in mission breadth and in targeting workforce-aligned credentials alongside transfer pathways.
• Western Governors University: National nonprofit online university offering competency-based, affordable bachelor's and master's degrees. Competes with ACC's online programs and Mines Academy pathway for working-adult and price-sensitive learners in Colorado and beyond.

Broad incumbents

• Northern Virginia Community College: One of the largest community colleges in the U.S. with a similarly broad portfolio of transfer, workforce, and employer partnerships. Useful scale and program-completeness comparable to ACC's comprehensive positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArapahoeCC
• Facebookfacebook.com/126101925960
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arapahoe-community-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/arapahoe_cc
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ArapahoeCC

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Arapahoe Community College