Pacific Crest

What Pacific Crest does

Pacific Crest is a private education services company founded around 1992 that develops and delivers Process Education curricula and active-learning content focused on teaching students how to learn. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, operates with 1–10 employees, and is founder-led. Its core product is the Learn to Learn for Success course, offered as a one-week in-person or four-week online program targeting college students at risk of dropping out or recovering from academic dismissal, with reported outcomes including a 76% college-success rate among completers. The company also operates the Self-Growth Institute (a personal-development program), self-paced faculty professional development workshops, and a portfolio of active-learning workbooks spanning chemistry, biochemistry, organic chemistry, algebra, and self-directed learning, supplemented by a monthly podcast and newsletter.

The underlying methodology is the proprietary Process Education framework paired with the SII (Strengths, Areas of Improvement, Insights) Assessment approach, developed over approximately 32 years of research originating from an experiment comparing college seniors' and freshmen's ability to learn new material. The framework is academically connected to the NSF-supported POGIL (Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning) Project and validated through the International Journal of Process Education. Pacific Crest earns revenue through three streams: custom-quoted institutional course licensing (minimum 25 students per section, multi-year contracts), recurring professional development subscriptions via mypcrest.com, and one-time book and digital activity sales through bookstore.pcrest.com (including a $15 '10 for $15' digital activity bundle).

Documented institutional customers include Western Governor's University, Hinds Community College (9+ year relationship, 66% nursing-program graduation rate among completers), and Grand Valley State University. In January 2023, Auston Van Slyke was appointed President, succeeding founder Dan Apple, who transitioned to Vice President of Research and Development. No external funding rounds, M&A activity, or revenue figures are disclosed.

Name

Pacific Crest

Legal name

Pacific Crest

Website

https://pcrest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pacific Crest is a private education services company that delivers Process Education curricula — including the Learn to Learn for Success course and active-learning workbooks — to colleges, universities, and individual educators seeking to improve retention and graduation outcomes for at-risk students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Professional Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC), Special Education / Intervention & Differentiated Instruction Content Development (EDAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Education services
• Professional development
• Process education
• Learner development
• Self-growth training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hampton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Licensing and Delivery: Pacific Crest offers the Learn to Learn for Success course as a 1-week in-person course for college-bound students or a 4-week online course. Institutions pay for course access and licensing, with pricing customized based on individual requirements and student enrollment (minimum 25 students per section).
2. Professional Development Workshops: Self-paced online workshops offered through mypcrest.com for faculty and professional development. Provides ongoing professional development revenue through institutional or individual subscriptions.
3. Book Sales: Sale of active learning workbooks and textbooks including Foundations of Chemistry, Foundations of Biochemistry, Foundations of Organic Chemistry, Solving Real Problems with Chemistry, Learning to Learn: Becoming a Self-Grower, Student Success Toolbox, and others. Includes instructor resources and site licenses.
4. Custom Activity Packages: The '10 for $15' program allows instructors to choose 10 digital activities from specific chemistry books for $15 total, providing a digital download. Individual activities available for $2 each in PDF format.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pacific Crest delivers the "Learn to Learn for Success" course, professional development workshops, and a self-growth institute grounded in its Process Education methodology. It also publishes related books and learning materials for both institutional and individual learners.

Product overview

Pacific Crest is an education services company offering a portfolio of learning-focused products and services centered on Process Education methodology. The core offerings include the Learn to Learn for Success course (a 1-week in-person or 4-week online learning skills program with demonstrated 76% student success rates), Professional Development workshops, and the Self-Growth Institute for personal development. Pacific Crest also publishes a comprehensive line of active learning workbooks spanning chemistry (Foundations of Chemistry, Foundations of Biochemistry, Foundations of Organic Chemistry, Solving Real Problems with Chemistry), mathematics (Foundations of Algebra), and self-directed learning (Learning to Learn: Becoming a Self-Grower, Student Success Toolbox). Supporting products include the 10 for $15 custom digital activity package and the Listening to Learn monthly podcast. The company serves higher education institutions, students recovering from academic dismissal, and faculty seeking professional development in active learning methodologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Learn to Learn for Success A signature course teaching students how to learn effectively, available to institutions and individuals.
• Professional Development Workshops Workshops and training programs delivered to educational institutions to enhance faculty capability and teaching effectiveness.
• Self-Growth Institute An institute offering self-growth and learning programs for individual learners seeking personal development.
• Pacific Crest Books Books and learning materials published by Pacific Crest on learning and process education, sold directly to consumers.

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Western Governor's UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacific Crest's Learn to Learn for Success course has been offered multiple times at WGU. 125 students were successful in first 5 offerings with 72% completion rate and 76% of re-enrolled students completing their next term. WGU students reported 95% found the course 'HIGHLY beneficial' and 54% rated it 'LIFE CHANGING'.
• Hinds Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 9 years, Hinds Community College has offered the Learn to Learn for Success course. Students who had been academically dismissed were allowed to return if they completed the course. 66% of those who completed graduated and became practicing nurses.
• Grand Valley State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSuccessfully implemented the Learn to Learn for Success course for academic recovery. GVSU used a 'train the trainers' approach to shift facilitation to their own faculty, demonstrating successful knowledge transfer. 2015-2017 data shows consistent student re-enrollment success.
• International Academy of Process EducatorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacific Crest is connected to this international organization dedicated to Process Education. The Academy promotes the Process Education approach and provides resources for educators implementing these methodologies.
• International Journal of Process EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPacific Crest is connected to this peer-reviewed journal focused on Process Education research and practice, supporting the academic validation of their educational methodologies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Course Hero: Course Hero is an online study resource platform serving college students with course-specific materials. Comparable to Pacific Crest in serving college students seeking academic support and supplemental learning resources, but as a broad consumer-facing platform rather than an institutional contract.
• EAB (Education Advisory Board): EAB delivers research, advisory services, and student success technology to higher education institutions. Comparable to Pacific Crest in serving college administrators focused on retention and graduation outcomes, but as a broader research and technology platform rather than a specific intervention course.
• Pearson Education: Pearson is a global education company publishing textbooks and digital learning platforms for higher education. Comparable to Pacific Crest in chemistry and STEM active learning content, plus institutional sales motion, but operates as a broad incumbent across many subjects.
• Knewton: Knewton provides adaptive learning technology for higher-ed publishers and institutions, including personalized STEM courseware. Overlaps with Pacific Crest in active learning and chemistry content delivered to college students, though via a software platform integrated into publisher products.
• Elsevier Education: Elsevier publishes textbooks and digital learning solutions in health sciences, chemistry, and life sciences for higher education. Comparable to Pacific Crest in chemistry/biochemistry active learning workbooks and institutional sales, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.
• McGraw-Hill Education: McGraw-Hill Education publishes higher-ed textbooks and adaptive learning platforms in STEM and other disciplines. Comparable to Pacific Crest in chemistry/algebra active learning workbooks and institutional channel, though it serves a much wider curriculum footprint.
• Cengage: Cengage is a major educational publisher offering textbooks, digital courseware, and student success tools across higher education. Overlaps with Pacific Crest in active learning chemistry content and higher-ed instructional materials, though at vastly larger scale and broader subject coverage.

Direct peers

• Civitas Learning: Civitas Learning provides student success analytics and predictive retention tools to colleges and universities. Directly comparable to Pacific Crest in targeting institutional buyers with the goal of improving retention, graduation rates, and stop-out recovery, though via a software/analytics stack rather than a course.
• StraighterLine: StraighterLine offers low-cost online general education and introductory college courses that transfer to partner institutions. Comparable to Pacific Crest in providing alternative pathways for non-traditional or underprepared college students, with a similar institutional partnership model.

Others

• POGIL Project: The POGIL Project is a national dissemination network for Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning, co-developed with Pacific Crest's founder Dan Apple. It is a strategic partner rather than competitor, sharing methodology and NSF-supported chemistry/STEM content that underlies Pacific Crest's Foundations workbooks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PC_Learn2Learn
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pacific-crest
• Instagraminstagram.com/pacificcrest1

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 Pacific Crest