What Compass Career College does

Compass Career College is a private, proprietary vocational training institution founded in 1997 and headquartered in Hammond, Louisiana, operating an extension campus in Slidell. It serves career-oriented individuals in Southeast Louisiana seeking short-duration, hands-on credentials rather than four-year degrees. The school offers five core programs: a Practical Nurse program (1,692 clock hours, ~18 months), Medical Assistant (~10 months), Medical Billing and Coding, Nurse Aide Training (~6 weeks / 100 clock hours), and Cosmetology. Earlier product diversification includes Welding Technician and Pipe Technician programs launched in 2018 targeting Gulf Coast petrochemical employers. The college is nationally accredited by the Council on Occupational Education, holds programmatic licensure from Louisiana state boards for nursing, cosmetology, and health and hospitals, and participates in Title IV federal student aid, with 82% of enrolled students receiving Federal Pell Grants.

Technology and platform architecture rely on third-party education infrastructure rather than proprietary systems: Canvas LMS provides hybrid course delivery, Elsevier Evolve supplies curriculum content, PayPal Checkout handles tuition and fee payments, and external bodies (Prometric, NAHP, AWS, LSBPNE, Louisiana State Board of Cosmetology) administer certification and licensure examinations. The college's cosmetology programs double as student-run salon services at both campuses, generating modest retail revenue while serving as a hands-on training lab.

The business model is tuition-driven and consumer-facing: students pay a non-refundable $20 application fee and a $100 registration fee plus program tuition, with significant reliance on federal Pell Grants and student loans, Louisiana state aid programs (TOPS Technical, MJ Foster Promise, Louisiana START), VA education benefits, and Workforce Investment Opportunity Act funding. Recruitment runs through a direct-to-consumer motion: admissions representatives, high school guidance counselor referrals, Louisiana Workforce Development Office partnerships, online school directories, and content marketing via a website, blog, and social channels. Total full-time enrollment for the 2025 reporting year is 291 students, with no publicly disclosed revenue, no identified parent company, and no private equity or venture capital backing.

Name

Compass Career College

Legal name

Compass Career College

Website

https://compasscareercollege.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Compass Career College is a private proprietary vocational school founded in 1997 in Hammond, Louisiana, offering Practical Nurse, Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Nurse Aide, and Cosmetology programs to career-oriented students in Southeast Louisiana through two campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Apprenticeships, Internships & Work-Based Learning Programs (BPACANAK), Career Readiness & Employability Skills (Resume, Interview, Networking) (EDAMAKAG)

Keywords

• Vocational nursing training
• Allied health education
• Medical assistant training
• Medical billing coding
• Cosmetology training

Headquarters

HQ city

Hammond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition payments and fees including application fees ($20), registration fees ($100), and program-specific tuition costs. Net Price Calculators available for each program.
2. Federal Student Aid: Federal Pell Grants and student loans for eligible students. Title IV participating institution.
3. State Financial Aid Programs: TOPS Technical, Louisiana MJ Foster Promise Program, Louisiana National Guard programs, Louisiana START program.
4. Veteran's Benefits: Department of Veterans Affairs education benefits for eligible veterans and dependents.
5. Workforce Development Funding: Vocational Rehabilitation, Louisiana Workforce Investment Opportunity Act, Chafee Educational Training Voucher, Motivational Education and Training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Compass Career College is a vocational training institution that delivers career-focused certificate and diploma programs in healthcare and beauty disciplines. Core programs include Practical Nurse (1692 clock hours, ~18 months), Nurse Aide Training (~6 weeks/100 hours), Medical Assistant (~10 months), Medical Billing and Coding, and Cosmetology, all designed to prepare students for state licensure and industry certifications. The institution operates a Main Campus in Hammond, LA and an Extension Campus in Slidell, LA.

Product overview

Compass Career College is a vocational training institution offering career-focused programs in healthcare and beauty industries. The institution operates as a single-location training provider with programs including Practical Nurse (1692 clock hours, 18 months), Medical Assistant, Medical Billing and Coding, Nurse Aide Training, and Cosmetology. Student salon services provide hands-on training for cosmetology students. Programs are accredited by the Council on Occupational Education and approved by respective Louisiana state licensing boards. The college has two campuses: Main Campus in Hammond, LA and Extension Campus in Slidell, LA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Practical Nurse Program Vocational nursing program of 1692 clock hours over approximately 18 months, preparing students for the NCLEX-PN licensure exam. Limited enrollment, with acceptance based on testing scores and application packet review pending Louisiana State Board approval.
• Nurse Aide Training Certificate program of approximately 6 weeks or 100 clock hours preparing students for Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) certification in Louisiana via the Prometric-administered Nurse Aide Competency Exam.
• Medical Assistant Program Approximately 10-month healthcare training program that qualifies students for five certifications: BLS Provider (AHA), CNA, Nationally Registered Certified Phlebotomy Technician, Nationally Registered Certified EKG Technician, and Nationally Registered Certified Medical Assistant.
• Medical Billing and Coding Healthcare administration program covering medical records, insurance software, medical terminology, ICD-10, CPT, HCPCS codes, and billing processes for physician practices and hospitals, preparing students for NRCCS certification.
• Cosmetology Program Professional cosmetology training covering hair, skin, and nails, offered at both the Main Campus in Hammond and the Extension Campus in Slidell, preparing students for the Louisiana State Board Theory and Practical Exam.
• Salon Services Student-operated salon services at both Hammond and Slidell campuses offering hair, skin, nail, spa, and waxing services performed by supervised students using Matrix hair care and Dermalogica Skincare products, functioning as both training practicum and retail offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% placement rates for Nurse Aide, Practical Nurse, and Cosmetology graduates (2023-2024)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)minorOthersInstitutional membership ensuring compliance with ethical principles and code of conduct for financial aid professionals.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ECPI University: Larger career-focused university with health sciences, nursing, and technology programs across multiple states. Overlaps with Compass on healthcare vocational training but operates at significantly greater scale and program breadth.
• Herzing University: Multi-state career-focused university with strong nursing and healthcare administration programs. Comparable career-training mission and Title IV participation, but broader program portfolio and geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Nunez Community College: Louisiana community college in the Greater New Orleans area adjacent to Compass's Slidell campus. Offers allied health and workforce credentials through publicly funded models, competing on price for the same student demographic.
• Northshore Technical Community College: Louisiana community college serving the same North Shore region as Compass's Slidell campus. Competes for the same practical nursing and allied health students but with public funding and substantially lower tuition.

Direct peers

• Remington College: Proprietary career college system offering diploma and associate programs in healthcare, nursing, and cosmetology. Comparable proprietary trade-school model with shared reliance on federal student aid funding.
• Unitech Training Academy: Louisiana-based proprietary vocational school offering allied health, nursing, and trades programs. Closest geographic and operating-model peer to Compass Career College, including shared focus on Practical Nurse and Medical Assistant credentials.
• Fortis College: Multi-state proprietary career college network with strong practical nursing and medical assisting programs. Comparable proprietary business model and Title IV reliance, though at significantly larger scale.
• Blue Cliff College: Louisiana-headquartered proprietary school with allied health, nursing, and cosmetology programs. Direct competitor in the same regional market with similar proprietary, Title IV-funded operating model.
• Ayers Career College: Louisiana proprietary career college offering healthcare and skilled-trade programs to similar Pell-eligible student populations. Comparable size, mission, and Title IV-dependent business model.
• Delta Technical College: Gulf Coast regional proprietary trade school offering allied health, welding, and industrial programs. Comparable small-scale proprietary model serving similar workforce-development-oriented student populations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6C-HLwhiCpUWsolNdzjvIw
• Facebookfacebook.com/881140408592475
• Instagraminstagram.com/compasscareercollegehammond
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compass-career-college-hammond

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Compass Career College