Forbes School of Business & Technology

What Forbes School of Business & Technology does

The Forbes School of Business & Technology is a college within the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), a private online university affiliated with the University of Arizona system. The Forbes School was founded in 2016 and became part of UAGC in 2020 when Ashford University was acquired and rebranded under the University of Arizona umbrella. UAGC delivers over 50 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs entirely online through an asynchronous proprietary learning platform with 5-6 week accelerated course sessions. The Forbes School focuses specifically on the business and technology disciplines within that portfolio, including business administration, business information systems, MBA programs, and information technology degrees, supported by dedicated faculty leadership including an MBA Program Chair.

The institution generates revenue through per-credit tuition ($460/credit undergraduate, $600-$740/credit master's, $812/credit doctoral) supplemented by federal financial aid (Pell Grants, subsidized loans), military tuition assistance, employer-sponsored tuition discounts, and institutional scholarships. It serves non-traditional adult learners as the primary segment, with secondary segments including military service members and families (24% of student body), healthcare professionals (notably RN-to-BSN), and employer-sponsored students from over 1,500 corporate partners. The student demographic skews toward need-based populations (47% Pell Grant recipients), female (62%), and ethnically diverse (White 40%, Black 28%, Hispanic 21%). Accreditations include WSCUC institutional accreditation and IACBE programmatic accreditation for business programs, plus CAHIIM and CCNE for healthcare/nursing programs.

The go-to-market model combines direct-to-consumer online enrollment with inside-sales support from Admission Specialists, plus channel partnerships with the U.S. military (all six branches), corporate employers, and community colleges for transfer-credit pathways. Distribution covers both an owned application portal (cloud.mail.uagc.edu) and channel-driven enrollment. Reported customer outcomes are mixed: 58% of students rated their experience 'Excellent' on the 2023 NSSE survey, but first-time/full-time bachelor's retention stands at 35% and six-year bachelor's graduation rate at 20%, indicating operational challenges in student persistence that materially affect lifetime revenue per enrollment.

Name

Forbes School of Business & Technology

Legal name

University of Arizona Global Campus

Website

https://uagc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Forbes School of Business & Technology is an online business and technology college within the University of Arizona Global Campus, delivering fully online associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees to non-traditional adult learners, military-affiliated students, and corporate-sponsored employees through an asynchronous proprietary learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Operations, Supply Chain & Logistics Management Schools (EDAHAHAF), STEM/Business/Discipline-Specific Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAH)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Business degree programs
• Distance learning degrees
• Adult online learning
• Information technology education

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Undergraduate: Credit-based tuition for associate and bachelor's degree programs charged per credit hour. Students typically take one course at a time in accelerated 5-6 week sessions.
2. Tuition - Master's: Graduate-level tuition for master's degree programs at per-credit rates ranging from $600-$740 per credit depending on program.
3. Tuition - Doctoral: Doctoral program tuition at $812 per credit for PhD and PsyD programs.
4. Financial Aid and Military Benefits: Revenue supported by federal financial aid (Pell Grants, Subsidized/FFEL loans), military education benefits, employer tuition assistance programs, and institutional scholarships and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Forbes School of Business & Technology delivers fully online, asynchronous academic degree programs at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels across Business and Information Technology disciplines, including MBA and Master of Information Systems Management (MISM). Courses are taught in accelerated 5-6 week sessions, with no standardized testing required for enrollment, credit for prior learning and military experience, and delivery through the proprietary myUAGC online learning platform. The school supplements core tuition with targeted channels for military service members, employers offering tuition assistance, and community college transfer students.

Product overview

University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) is an accredited online university offering a comprehensive portfolio of over 50 degree programs delivered 100% online through its proprietary asynchronous learning platform. The core offering consists of four degree levels: Associate of Arts (AA), Bachelor's degrees (BA/BS), Master's degrees (MA/MBA/MS), and Doctoral degrees (PhD/PsyD/DPS). Programs span seven academic disciplines: Business, Criminal Justice, Education, Health Care, Information Technology, Liberal Arts, and Social & Behavioral Science. The institution provides an integrated ecosystem comprising the myUAGC student portal for academic management and a dedicated online learning platform for coursework delivery. UAGC differentiates through specialized support services including military education programs with branch-specific pathways, employer partnership tuition discounts, and academic credit transfer arrangements with community colleges. The institution emphasizes accessibility with 5- and 6-week accelerated class sessions, no standardized testing requirements, and credit for prior learning and military experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• College of Professional Advancement: One of two colleges at UAGC offering degree programs
• College of Integrative Learning

Products and services

• Online Associate Degrees (AA) Fully online Associate of Arts degree programs for students seeking an entry-level college credential, including specializations in Business, Early Childhood Education, Military Studies, and Organizational Management.
• Online Bachelor's Degrees (BA/BS) Online bachelor's degree programs (BA/BS) across multiple disciplines for working adults and non-traditional learners, including transfer credit acceptance up to 90 approved credits.
• Online Master's Degrees (MA/MBA/MS) Online master's degree programs including MBA, MISM, Master of Public Health, and other specialized MA/MS programs for adult learners seeking graduate credentials.
• Online Doctoral Degrees (PhD/PsyD/DPS) Online doctoral degree programs including PhD and PsyD degrees for students pursuing the highest level of academic credentials in their field.
• Post Baccalaureate Teaching Certificate A post-baccalaureate certificate program for educators who already hold a bachelor's degree and seek additional teaching credentials.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35% retention rate for first-time/full-time bachelor's students (Fall 2023)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• University of ArizonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAGC is affiliated with the University of Arizona, providing students access to the University of Arizona community of students and alumni, Wildcat branding, and institutional resources.
• U.S. Military BranchescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMilitary Alliance partnerships with U.S. Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, and Space Force providing education benefits and tuition savings for service members and their families.
• Corporate Employers (1,500+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 1,500 employers offer tuition assistance benefits to employees through UAGC partnership programs, including CDK Global, CDW Corporation, Cox Automotive, and CVS Health.
• Community Colleges (Arizona College Partner)secondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic partnership agreements enabling students to transfer credits from community colleges toward UAGC degree programs.
• Council for Professional RecognitionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerUAGC is a partner of the Council for Professional Recognition. Coursework in the AA in Early Childhood Education program may satisfy 120 hours of education toward Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential requirements.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National University: Nonprofit private university offering online and hybrid programs with a four-week course format and a strong military-affiliated student population. Comparable accelerated asynchronous model and adult-learner focus.
• Capella University: Online for-profit university owned by Strategic Education, focused on adult learners pursuing bachelor's through doctoral degrees in business, IT, healthcare, and education. Highly comparable program mix, pricing model, and self-paced/flexible delivery to UAGC's portfolio.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Nonprofit online university with very large adult-learner enrollment, transfer-friendly admissions, and strong military partnerships. Competes head-to-head with UAGC for non-traditional, Pell-eligible, and military-affiliated students across online bachelor's and master's programs.
• Purdue University Global: Online university affiliated with Purdue University serving non-traditional adult learners, similar to UAGC's University of Arizona affiliation. Competes on credibility from a flagship public-brand parent while targeting working adults and military students.
• University of Phoenix: Iconic for-profit online university that historically dominated the adult-learner and corporate-tuition segment. Closest functional analogue to UAGC in pricing, GTM motion, and target segments—often head-to-head on paid search and employer partnership deals.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online university serving adult and non-traditional learners with competency-based, accelerated programs. Directly comparable to UAGC's asynchronous, transfer-credit-friendly model and similar adult-learner target market, with a stronger outcomes track record that UAGC benchmarks against.
• American Public University System: Online for-profit university system with one of the largest concentrations of military-affiliated students in the U.S. Directly comparable to UAGC's military enrollment channel and tuition-assistance positioning, competing for the same DoD-funded adult learners.
• Liberty University Online: Large private online university offering associate through doctoral programs with strong military and veteran enrollment. Comparable delivery model (asynchronous online, accelerated 8-week terms) and similar mix of business, IT, and healthcare programs.
• Walden University: Online for-profit university also owned by Strategic Education, with a strong social and behavioral sciences, healthcare, and education focus. Comparable in serving working professionals, leveraging practitioner faculty, and emphasizing flexibility for non-traditional students.

Broad incumbents

• Grand Canyon University: Large for-profit-turned-nonprofit university with significant online enrollment serving traditional and non-traditional students. Operates a broader portfolio (campus + online + K-12 partnerships) but competes directly with UAGC in online business, IT, healthcare, and education degrees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UAZGlobalCampus
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForbesBusinessSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forbes-school-of-business-and-technology

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forbes School of Business & Technology