Patten University

What Patten University does

Patten University is a private, non-profit online university headquartered in Oakland, California, operating under the Patten Educational Foundation (PEF)—a foundation established in 1944 by Bebe Patten that has historically operated multiple educational institutions including Patten Bible College, Patten Academy, and the Prison University Project. The university is accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) since 1998, recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA, holds California BPPE approval, and is licensed or authorized to operate in 27 U.S. states. It delivers all instruction through an asynchronous online Learning Management System (LMS) with assigned instructors, structured 16-week terms, monthly enrollment starts, and a stated 72-hour grading turnaround.

The institution operates two academic divisions. The School of Management offers graduate programs including two MBA concentrations (General Management, Project Management), a Master of Project Management degree, and graduate certificates in Management and Project/Program Management. The School of Ministry offers an Associate of Arts in Christian Ministry Leadership, a Bachelor of Arts in Global Strategic Leadership, and a Certificate in Christian Ministry. Academic partnerships include Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Sophia Learning (for general education course fulfillment), and an articulation agreement with the Church of God School of Ministry (TN).

The business model is tuition-based subscription-style recurring revenue priced per credit hour: $110/credit for all School of Ministry programs and $330/credit for all School of Management programs, with a reduced $200/credit tier for active-duty military not eligible for tuition assistance or VA benefits. Notably, Patten does not participate in federal or state financial aid programs for new students, does not use student loans or debt instruments, and offers an interest-free per-course payment plan. Go-to-market is conducted through the patten.edu website, organic search, and a small inside-sales admissions team reachable via [email protected] and phone. Primary customer segments are working professionals seeking affordable, accredited management credentials and ministry/church leaders seeking theological education combined with practical leadership training. No external funding, venture capital, or private equity investment is disclosed; the entity operates as a non-profit subsidiary of the Patten Educational Foundation.

Name

Patten University

Legal name

Patten University, LLC

Website

https://patten.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Patten University is a private, non-profit, DEAC-accredited online university headquartered in Oakland, CA, offering affordable undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs in management and Christian ministry to working professionals and ministry leaders via an asynchronous LMS.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHALAE

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAKAG

Christian Colleges with Theological Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Religious & Theological Colleges

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Distance learning programs
• Graduate management degrees
• Ministry leadership education
• Professional certificate programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fee Revenue: Patten University generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees charged per credit hour for undergraduate and graduate programs. The university offers an interest-free per-course tuition payment plan. School of Management charges $330 per credit hour while School of Ministry charges $110 per credit hour. The university does not utilize student loans or debt for students and explicitly states it does not participate in federal and state financial aid programs for new students, though currently-enrolled students may be eligible for DOD and VA benefits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Patten University delivers accredited online undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs through two academic schools—the School of Management (MBA in General Management, MBA in Project Management, Master of Project Management, and graduate certificates in Management and Project/Program Management) and the School of Ministry (Associate of Arts in Christian Ministry Leadership, Bachelor of Arts in Global Strategic Leadership, and Certificate in Christian Ministry). All programs are delivered asynchronously via a proprietary Learning Management System in 16-week terms, with enrollment available at the start of each month, instructor-graded student work typically returned within 72 hours, and tuition charged per credit hour.

Product overview

Patten University is an accredited online university offering a portfolio of degree and certificate programs through two academic divisions: the School of Management and the School of Ministry. The School of Management provides graduate programs including MBAs (General Management and Project Management concentrations), a Master of Project Management degree, and graduate certificates in Management and Project/Program Management. The School of Ministry offers undergraduate degrees (Associate of Arts in Christian Ministry Leadership and Bachelor of Arts in Global Strategic Leadership) and a Certificate in Christian Ministry. All programs are delivered through the university's adaptive online learning platform via 16-week terms using asynchronous learning modules, with courses structured as self-directed learning with assigned instructors. The university partners with Sophia Learning for general education course fulfillment and has articulation agreements with Defense Acquisition University and Church of God School of Ministry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBA - General Management Master of Business Administration in General Management focusing on core business principles and practices, delivered online asynchronously through the School of Management for working professionals.
• MBA - Project Management Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Program and Project Management, combining core MBA coursework with project management principles and skills, delivered online asynchronously through the School of Management.
• Master of Project Management Accredited 36-credit graduate degree program for industry and government professionals covering project and program planning, organization, and implementation, delivered online through the School of Management.
• Master's Certificate in Management 18-credit graduate certificate providing structured knowledge of business management practices including risk-assessment, decision-making, organizational behavior, and economics, delivered online through the School of Management.
• Master's Certificate in Project/Program Management 18-credit graduate certificate providing knowledge of organizational, human, business, and technical processes for managing projects and programs, delivered online through the School of Management.
• Associate of Arts in Christian Ministry Leadership Two-year associate degree for students planning ministerial studies or church lay ministry leadership, covering general education, biblical/theological studies, and church leadership, delivered online through the School of Ministry.
• Bachelor of Arts in Global Strategic Leadership 120-credit four-year degree for adult learners integrating leadership practices, coaching techniques, technological proficiency, theological understanding, and cross-cultural training for Christian ministry, delivered online through the School of Ministry.
• Certificate in Christian Ministry 24-unit certificate program enhancing students' ability to minister effectively in church and parachurch settings, with foundation in biblical principles and business skills for ministry development, delivered online through the School of Ministry.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Defense Acquisition University (DAU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatten University has a partnership with the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). DAU accepts one Patten course in fulfillment of four of their Level I and II certification courses. This partnership provides military and defense professionals with pathway options to meet DAU certification requirements.
• Sophia LearningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatten University has partnered with Sophia Learning to give students a flexible way to meet certain course requirements. Through this partnership, students can complete a selection of pre-approved courses on Sophia's online platform, which are fully recognized as equivalent to specific Patten courses. Students can fulfill general education requirements through Sophia at patten.sophia.org.
• Church of God School of Ministry (TN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatten University's School of Ministry currently participates in an articulation agreement with the Church of God School of Ministry (TN). Students planning to transfer from the Church of God School of Ministry (TN) to Patten University may contact the Registrar for information regarding course equivalencies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• University of Phoenix: Pioneer of large-scale online adult education with strong MBA, project management, and certificate offerings. Comparable in target audience (working adults), delivery (asynchronous online), and reliance on inside-sales admissions motion.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit, accredited online university with competency-based and monthly-term enrollment models serving working adults. Closely comparable in mission (affordable, flexible, accredited online higher ed) and competitor in the same buyer segment.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Major nonprofit online university with extensive program catalog and aggressive adult-learner marketing. Directly comparable in delivery model, target audience, and use of inside-sales admissions, competing for the same online MBA and bachelor's prospects.
• American Public University System: Online university system with strong military and defense student base, offering business and management programs at competitive tuition. Comparable in military/defense pipeline focus, online-only delivery, and affordability messaging.
• Liberty University Online: Large private university blending evangelical identity with broad online program offerings including business and ministry degrees. Most direct twin to Patten's dual Management + Ministry positioning at much larger scale.
• Purdue University Global: Online-focused university (formerly Kaplan University) offering competency-based and traditional online programs including MBAs and project management degrees. Comparable online adult-learner model competing for similar MBA and certificate prospects.
• Capella University: Online-focused university (now part of Strategic Education) with FlexPath competency-based MBA and business programs targeted at working professionals. Comparable in online-only delivery, MBA/management catalog, and adult-learner positioning.
• National University: Private nonprofit university with a large online footprint, monthly start terms, and a focus on working professionals and military-affiliated students. Comparable scale, audience, and online degree/certificate structure.
• Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS): Graduate theological seminary offering online ministry and Bible degrees. Directly comparable to Patten's School of Ministry in faith-based, graduate-level ministry education, especially for working pastors and lay leaders.
• University of the People: Tuition-free / very low-cost accredited online nonprofit university. Comparable in disruptive, no-loan, affordability-led positioning for adult learners globally, though operating at a different scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/patten-university

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Patten University