Knoxville College

What Knoxville College does

Knoxville College is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) Historically Black College and University (HBCU) founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America, operating from a 58-acre historic campus in Knoxville, Tennessee. The institution currently functions primarily as an online distance learning provider, delivering a single core academic product — an Associate of Arts (AA) degree in General Studies with nine concentration tracks including Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Management, Public Health, Environmental Health, Health Literacy, and Religious Studies. Courses are delivered fully online via the third-party Classe365 student portal and learning management system, with Microsoft Office 365 supporting administrative operations and student email.

The college generates revenue through per-credit tuition ($350/credit hour), semester fees ($400), a work-college tuition-waiver program for Pell-eligible students, supplementary fees (late registration, duplicate IDs, tuition deposits), and an active donations and fundraising program targeting a $4.4 million campaign to preserve its historic campus. Distribution is entirely self-serve online admissions with no minimum ACT/SAT or FAFSA requirement, complemented by articulation partnerships with the University of Tennessee and Johnson University Florida for transfer pathways. Authorized annually by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the college employs 101–250 staff and is executing a 2021–2031 Vision Plan targeting 1,200 students over a decade, alongside a campus master plan encompassing over 362,700 square feet of renovation or new construction.

Name

Knoxville College

Legal name

Knoxville College

Website

http://www.knoxvillecollege.edu/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Knoxville College is a private nonprofit 501(c)(3) HBCU in Knoxville, Tennessee, founded in 1875, that operates primarily as an online institution delivering an Associate of Arts degree in General Studies to adult, transfer, and international learners via the Classe365 platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from tuition charges per credit hour ($350/credit) and associated fees including general/activity/technology fees ($400/semester). Students pay per semester based on enrollment.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable contributions from alumni, supporters, and community members. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization soliciting donations to support campus preservation ($4.4 million campaign) and general operations.
3. Application and Special Fees: Revenue from deferred payment plan deposits ($100 tuition deposit), late registration fees, overload fees, and transcript fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Knoxville College operates as an online nonprofit HBCU offering an Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in General Studies delivered entirely through distance learning. Students enroll in courses via the Classe365 student portal and can choose from concentrations in Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Management, Public Health, Environmental Health, Health Literacy, and Religious Studies. The college also supports the institution through a Shopify-powered e-commerce store for merchandise, event tickets, and charitable donations supporting campus preservation.

Product overview

Knoxville College operates as a primarily online educational institution offering a single core product: the Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in General Studies. This degree is delivered entirely online through the Distance Learning platform using the Classe365 student portal, with multiple concentration tracks (Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Mathematics, Management, Public Health, Environmental Health, Health Literacy, Religious Studies). Supporting services include Student Support Services (Learning Resource Center, library access via Tenn-Share), and an E-Commerce Store powered by Shopify for merchandise and donations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate of Arts (AA) Degree in General Studies

Quantifiable outcome

• 50% wage increase compared to individuals with less than a high school diploma
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Tennessee (UT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner providing transfer pathways and collaborative academic opportunities. UT logo displayed on Knoxville College website as part of education partner section, indicating formal articulation or cooperative arrangement between institutions.
• Johnson University FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner listed alongside University of Tennessee, suggesting transfer pathway or academic cooperation agreement for students completing degrees at Knoxville College.
• MHM (Architecture Firm)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on 2021-2031 Vision Plan and campus master plan. Associated with Ross Fowler as Landscape Architect. IBI Group collaborated using parametric platform for master planning. Responsible for design of campus renovation and expansion including Alumni Library, Wallace Hall, and MLK Dormitory Complex.
• East Tennessee Community Development (ETCDC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner collaborating on community development and revitalization efforts in conjunction with campus master plan and 2021-2031 vision.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Phoenix: Large for-profit online university offering associate, bachelor's, and graduate degrees targeted at working adults. Comparable as an established online adult-learner provider with similar flexible, accessible admissions positioning.
• Western Governors University: Nonprofit online competency-based university offering associate, bachelor's, and graduate programs with flat-rate tuition. Comparable as a low-cost, fully online, self-paced alternative competing for the same adult-learner segment.
• Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU): Large nonprofit university with a dominant online program portfolio, including associate degrees with strong transfer pipelines. Comparable as a scaled online AA/BA provider setting the price/UX benchmark for online non-traditional learners.

Direct peers

• Philander Smith University: Private HBCU in Little Rock, Arkansas affiliated with the United Methodist Church and offering primarily undergraduate programs. Comparable as a small, faith-affiliated HBCU focused on liberal arts and social-justice mission.
• Bethune-Cookman University: Private HBCU in Daytona Beach, Florida affiliated with the United Methodist Church offering undergraduate liberal arts programs. Comparable as a faith-affiliated HBCU with similar enrollment scale and mission-driven positioning.
• LeMoyne-Owen College: Small private HBCU in Memphis, Tennessee offering primarily undergraduate liberal arts education with operational and demographic parallels to Knoxville College. Directly comparable as a small, private, faith-rooted HBCU navigating enrollment and financial sustainability challenges.
• Paul Quinn College: Private HBCU in Dallas, Texas operating as a small work-college with a tuition-waved model and urban community focus. Closely mirrors Knoxville College's work-college tuition-waiver structure and HBCU brand positioning.

Others

• University of Tennessee (Transfer Partner): Public research university in Knoxville serving as a primary transfer destination for KC students. Comparable as an articulation partner shaping KC's transfer value proposition and downstream enrollment funnel.

Regional players

• Pellissippi State Community College: Public community college in the Knoxville area offering associate degrees with strong transfer pathways to University of Tennessee. Comparable as a Tennessee-based two-year institution competing for similar online/transfer students.
• Roane State Community College: Tennessee public community college serving the Knoxville region with associate degree and transfer programs. Comparable as a low-cost, regionally accessible alternative for East Tennessee two-year students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/KnoxvilleCollege1875
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/knoxville-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/knoxvillecollege1875

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Knoxville College