Crowley's Ridge College

What Crowley's Ridge College does

Crowley's Ridge College (CRC) is a private, four-year Christian liberal arts college located at 100 College Drive in Paragould, Arkansas, founded in 1964 and affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is one of only 12 remaining Christian Liberal Arts Residential Colleges connected with Churches of Christ, and operates four academic divisions — Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business & Technology, and Teacher Education — offering Associate's and Bachelor's degrees plus a new Bachelor of Arts in Psychology launched in January 2025. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and competes in NAIA athletics within the American Midwest Conference.

CRC delivers instruction through a 1:1 student-to-faculty ratio with approximately 20 faculty and staff across four academic divisions, leveraging commodity education technology including the Populi student information system, Moodle LMS, Parchment transcript services, and Insignia library system. Its core technology posture is non-proprietary, relying on standard higher-ed tooling rather than custom platforms. The college's instructional footprint is augmented by joint programs with Harding University (graduate degrees, accelerated Pharm.D.), Freed-Hardeman University (2+2 Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Marketing), and articulation agreements with Black River Technical College (Business, Teacher Education).

The college generates revenue primarily through tuition at $465 per credit hour (uniform in-state and out-of-state), supplemented by donations and an active Mission Possible $12M Capital Campaign, plus minor athletic and NIL income. Distribution is regional — direct campus enrollment in Paragould plus concurrent enrollment partnerships across Central and Northeast Arkansas and West Memphis, church presentations nationwide, and NAIA athletic recruitment across nine sports. CRC reported record enrollment of 311 students in Spring 2026, its sixth consecutive semester of enrollment growth since 2020.

Name

Crowley's Ridge College

Legal name

Trustees of Crowley's Ridge College

Website

https://crc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Crowley's Ridge College is a private four-year Christian liberal arts college in Paragould, Arkansas, affiliated with Churches of Christ, offering Associate's and Bachelor's degrees across four academic divisions to a record 311-student body recruited regionally through church, high school, and athletic channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Religiously Affiliated Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM), Bible Colleges (Undergraduate Ministry & Biblical Studies) (EDAHAKAB)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Liberal arts college
• Biblical studies
• Teacher education
• Concurrent enrollment

Headquarters

HQ city

Paragould

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition at $465 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students, significantly lower than most private and some public universities in Arkansas.
2. Donations and Fundraising: Mission Possible $12 Million Capital Campaign, CRC Day annual giving, general donations, memorial/honor gifts, and special appeals for wastewater system.
3. Athletic Programs: Revenue from NAIA athletic programs including the recent NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deal with Rockin' Nutrition for women's basketball.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Crowley's Ridge College is a private, four-year Christian college in Paragould, Arkansas, affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It offers associate's and bachelor's degree programs across four academic divisions (Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business & Technology, and Teacher Education), plus NAIA athletics and concurrent enrollment for high school students.

Product overview

Crowley's Ridge College offers a comprehensive higher education portfolio organized across four academic divisions (Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business & Technology, and Teacher Education) providing associate and bachelor's degree programs with articulation agreements enabling seamless transfers. The college operates concurrent enrollment programs for high school students and joint graduate programs with partner universities. Student support is delivered through a learning management system (Moodle), student information portal (Populi), and library services (Insignia). Financial support includes institutional scholarships, the Mission Possible capital campaign, and participation in the Arkansas Teacher Academy scholarship program. The institution recently launched a new Bachelor of Arts in Psychology (January 2025) and is constructing a state-of-the-art Chemistry facility (Fall 2025) to support expanded STEM programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Associate's degree programs Two-year undergraduate degree programs offered across the four academic divisions, designed for students seeking an associate-level credential or intending to transfer to a four-year program.
• Bachelor's degree programs Four-year undergraduate degree programs across four academic divisions: Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business & Technology, and Teacher Education. Offered to traditional residential students and transfer students.
• Concurrent enrollment program Program that allows high school students to enroll in college courses and earn transferable college credit while still in high school, at the standard $465 per credit hour rate.
• NAIA Pioneer athletics Collegiate athletic competition in NAIA men's and women's sports, offered to enrolled students who compete as the Pioneers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record enrollment of 311 students for Spring 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arkansas Teacher Academy (TAC)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 May 2026CRC approved for Arkansas Teacher Academy Scholarship Program providing up to $12,000/year (potentially $48,000 over 4 years) for students pursuing teacher licensure. State-supported initiative to address teacher workforce needs.
• Black River Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Teacher education articulation agreement signed March 13, 2026 creating a pipeline for educator training in Northeast Arkansas. BRTC's A.S.E. to B.S.E. Elementary Education pathway enables students to train close to home. BRTC has campuses in Pocahontas, Paragould, and Piggott.
• North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 29 July 2025CRC accepted to membership; now listed on FindYourChristianCollege.com for high school students seeking Christian colleges. Access to college fairs, virtual tours, and planning resources.
• Black River Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 July 2025Business articulation agreement enabling seamless transfer from BRTC's Associate of Science in Business to CRC's Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Marketing programs. Agreement entered academic year 2025-2026.
• Freed-Hardeman UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2025Joint programs including 2+2 Bachelor of Science in Nursing, A.S. to B.S. Biology, A.S. to B.S. Chemistry, A.S. to B.S. Marketing. Partnership supports new Chemistry facility and science programs.
• Rockin' NutritionminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 April 2024Historic first NIL deal for CRC women's basketball program. Rockin' Nutrition sponsors Player of the Game and Player of the Month in exchange for brand marketing. Deal enables student-athlete compensation.
• Harding UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2024Memorandum of Understanding for graduate programs providing CRC alumni and employees 15% tuition discount on Master's degrees (Organizational Leadership, Executive Coaching, HR Management, Training and Development). Current May 2024 graduates eligible.
• American Midwest Conference (AMC)coreOthers · 1 January 2024CRC athletics joined AMC (NAIA) for 2024-25 academic year. 12-member conference including Baptist Bible College. Sponsors baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, golf, cross country.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Harding University: Harding University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas. It is CRC's closest peer in denomination, geography, and mission, and is also a formal graduate-program partner.
• Heritage Christian University: Heritage Christian University is a small, biblically-focused institution affiliated with Churches of Christ in Florence, Alabama. Highly comparable in denomination, religious emphasis, and very small enrollment scale.
• Lubbock Christian University: Lubbock Christian University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. Comparable in denomination, religious liberal arts mission, and similar enrollment scale.
• Freed-Hardeman University: Freed-Hardeman University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Henderson, Tennessee. It runs multiple joint degree programs (Nursing, Biology, Chemistry, Marketing) with CRC and shares the same denominational mission.
• Mid-Atlantic Christian University: Mid-Atlantic Christian University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Comparable in denomination, biblical education focus, and small-college enrollment scale.
• Alabama Christian University (formerly Faulkner affiliate): Alabama Christian University (formerly Alabama Christian College of Theology) is a private biblical higher education institution in Montgomery, Alabama affiliated with Churches of Christ. Comparable in denomination and Christian education focus.
• Faulkner University: Faulkner University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Montgomery, Alabama. Comparable in mission, denomination, and offering of liberal arts plus professional programs at a similar small-to-mid scale.
• Point University: Point University is a private Christian liberal arts college in West Point, Georgia affiliated with Christian churches and churches of Christ. Comparable in faith-based mission, liberal arts offerings, and small-college scale.
• Oklahoma Christian University: Oklahoma Christian University is a private Christian university affiliated with Churches of Christ in Oklahoma City. Comparable in denomination, faith-based liberal arts identity, and small-college scale.

Emerging players

• Black River Technical College: Black River Technical College is a public two-year college with campuses in Pocahontas, Paragould, and Piggott, Arkansas. It is a formal articulation partner feeding CRC's bachelor's programs in Business and Teacher Education, making it a key feeder/competitor for adult learners in the same region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/crowleysridgecollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/215870213838
• Xx.com/CRCPioneers

Compliance4 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 Crowley's Ridge College