Elm Street Place

What Elm Street Place does

Cairn University (operating under the public-facing domain Elm Street Place) is a private, regionally accredited Christian higher education institution headquartered at 200 Manor Avenue in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia and Bucks County. Founded in 1916 as Philadelphia College of Bible, the university has operated continuously for over a century and now offers more than 70 academic programs across six schools: Divinity, Music, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business and Technology, and Counseling. Instructional delivery spans traditional on-campus undergraduate and graduate programs alongside Cairn Online, an asynchronous online learning platform offering 30+ degree programs at the associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels, using a 7-week modular course structure and adaptive learning tools.

The institution serves four primary student segments: traditional undergraduate students seeking biblically-integrated education, online and distance learners (working adults, military, missionaries), graduate students pursuing master's and doctoral credentials, and dual enrollment high school students earning college credit at $129 per credit. Revenue is generated primarily through tuition across three pricing structures — a block rate of $4,900 per semester for undergraduates (12-18 credits), per-credit graduate tuition ranging from $400 to $725, and online program tuition — supplemented by donations through The Cairn Fund and federal financial aid, with 97% of full-time undergraduates receiving some form of assistance. Distribution combines campus visits, SOAR orientation days, and a mobile app for current students with a self-serve online enrollment funnel for the Cairn Online portfolio, plus partnership-driven recruitment through Church Leaders Conference, homeschool conferences, and the new Planted Gap Year program.

Recent strategic activity includes MSCHE approval of an EdD in Educational Leadership (December 2024), the rebranding of the School of Business to the School of Business and Technology (March 2025), launch of the Cairn Fine Arts Festival (March 2025), and a Fall 2025 partnership with Planted Gap Year enabling students to earn up to 24 transferable credits. The university holds regional accreditation via MSCHE along with programmatic accreditations (PDE, NCATE, ACSI), and its School of Education graduates have achieved a 100% Title II pass rate.

Name

Elm Street Place

Legal name

Cairn University

Website

https://elmstreetplace.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cairn University is a private Christian university in Langhorne, PA offering 70+ undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across six schools, with both on-campus instruction and the asynchronous Cairn Online platform serving traditional students, working adults, and dual enrollment learners.

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

Denominational Theological Colleges (e.g., Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Evangelical) (EDAHAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD), Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Christian higher education
• Online degree programs
• Undergraduate education
• Graduate education
• Biblical studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Deerfield

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Block rate tuition for undergraduate programs, charged per semester for 12-18 credits
2. Graduate Tuition: Per-credit tuition for graduate programs ranging from $400-$725 per credit
3. Online Program Tuition: Asynchronous online degree programs at associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels
4. Financial Aid and Scholarships: 97% of full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance including scholarships, grants, and loans

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cairn University delivers Christ-centered higher education through more than 70 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across six academic schools (Divinity, Music, Education, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, and Counseling). Programs are delivered on the main campus in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and online via the Cairn Online platform, with tuition priced via undergraduate block rate ($4,900/semester), graduate per-credit ($400-$725), and dual enrollment ($129/credit), supplemented by financial aid and scholarships.

Product overview

Cairn University (Elm Street Place) is a Christian higher education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and campus services. The core offering consists of over 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs across six academic schools (Divinity, Music, Education, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, and Counseling). The institution operates Cairn Online, a robust online learning platform providing 30+ degree programs with adaptive learning technologies. Additional offerings include the Cairn Mobile App for student engagement, campus facilities (Fitness Center, Campus Store, Highlands dining), dual enrollment and gap year programs, and professional development events including the Church Leaders Conference and Empowering Educators Seminar. The university also offers accelerated dual-level degree programs combining bachelor's and master's completion in five years.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cairn Online: Online degree programs offering over 30 distinctly biblical, Christ-centered degree programs at associate's, bachelor's, and master's levels
• The Highlands
• Campus Store
• Mason Activity Center
• Fitness Center
• Smith Administration Building
• JAM (Junior High Adventures in Ministry)

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs
• Graduate Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of full-time undergraduate students receive financial aid
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Planted Gap YearcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Cairn University partnered with Planted Gap Year, a nine-month Christ-centered discipleship program in northern Pennsylvania. Starting Fall 2025, students can earn up to 24 college credits through Cairn while participating in Planted's immersive experience including farming, outdoor adventure, and intentional community. Students receive transferable credits applicable to all 70+ undergraduate programs. This partnership reinforces academic value while maintaining the formational experience and enables eligibility for federal financial aid.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Liberty University: Large private evangelical Christian university with a massive online program portfolio; directly comparable to Cairn in faith-based identity and undergraduate/graduate offerings but at substantially greater scale and national reach.

Direct peers

• Wheaton College: Top-tier private evangelical Christian liberal arts college and graduate school; comparable to Cairn in faith-based mission, though typically serves a more selective and academically elite segment.
• Biola University: Private evangelical Christian university in La Mirada, CA with a strong School of Theology, online programs, and a 100+ year history; comparable to Cairn in theological depth and faith-integrated curriculum.
• Oral Roberts University: Private Christian university in Tulsa offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs with a faith-integrated curriculum across multiple schools—closely comparable in mission, structure, and program breadth to Cairn.
• Gordon College: Private Christian liberal arts college in Wenham, MA offering undergraduate and graduate programs with an integrative faith-based curriculum; comparable in mission and program scope, though primarily residential.
• Bob Jones University: Private fundamentalist Christian university with comprehensive undergraduate and graduate programs and a faith-integrated curriculum; directly comparable in mission and program structure, though more ideologically restrictive.
• Azusa Pacific University: Private Wesleyan-Holiness Christian university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across multiple schools; comparable in faith-based comprehensive university structure.
• Regent University: Private evangelical university with extensive online degree programs in divinity, education, business, and law; comparable to Cairn's faith-based identity and online graduate/doctoral emphasis.

Regional players

• Eastern University: Private Christian university in St. Davids, PA with undergraduate, graduate, and online programs serving similar Philadelphia-area faith-based students; geographically closest direct competitor to Cairn.
• Messiah University: Private Christian university in Mechanicsburg, PA serving similar Pennsylvania and Mid-Atlantic faith-based student markets; comparable in regional footprint, faith identity, and tuition positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Elm Street Place