What Excelsior University does

Excelsior University is a private, not-for-profit, regionally accredited online higher education institution founded in 1971 and headquartered in Albany, New York. It serves adult learners, with a strategic focus on active-duty military, veterans, and military family members, and has graduated more than 72,000 military students over a 54-year history. The institution offers 45+ degree and certificate programs across six academic areas — Business, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Public Service, and Technology — delivered primarily through asynchronous online courses with 8-week start terms, supplemented by hybrid and in-person programming at a new on-ground site in St. Petersburg, Florida (launched October 2025).

The university's core technology is an asynchronous learning management system with specialized services including OneTranscript, a centralized transcript service for credit transfer, and a prior-learning assessment system that converts military training, professional certifications (IT, nursing, business), and ACE/Credly transcripts into degree credit — claimed to apply to 100% of military students. Institutional accreditation is held through the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (reaffirmed June 23, 2022), with programmatic ACEN accreditation for multiple nursing degrees and Florida licensing (License No. 12928).

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition and fees paid per credit or per program, augmented by administration of federal and state financial aid, GI Bill benefits, and military tuition assistance. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via an online application portal and inside-sales call center (with separate numbers for general, military, enrolled-veteran, and financial-aid inquiries), supplemented by community-led outreach through military Education Services Offices and VA facilities. Marketing spans website/SEO, paid social retargeting, email, organic social, and earned media. Partnerships are largely channel-oriented — military education representatives, corporate tuition-assistance partners, and minor healthcare workforce partnerships (CDPHP, Community Care Physicians for Nurses Week) — with no disclosed enterprise B2B revenue concentration.

Name

Excelsior University

Legal name

Excelsior University

Website

https://excelsior.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Excelsior University is a nonprofit, regionally accredited online institution founded in 1971 that serves adult learners, military servicemembers, and veterans with 45+ flexible degree and certificate programs across business, health sciences, nursing, liberal arts, public service, and technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Fully Online Universities (Online-First, Degree-Granting) (EDAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online Nonprofit Universities (EDAHALAK), Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE)

Keywords

• Online higher education
• Adult degree programs
• Military education services
• Nursing education programs
• Prior learning credit

Headquarters

HQ city

Albany

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition charged to undergraduate and graduate students. Students pay per credit or per program for their degree programs. Additional fees may include application fees, graduation fees, and proctored exam fees. Financial aid, military tuition assistance, and GI Bill benefits are applied to cover tuition costs.
2. Financial Aid Administration: Revenue generated through administration of federal student aid programs, including federal grants and loans. Also includes state financial aid for NY residents.
3. Partner Scholarship Program: Corporate partnerships and scholarship programs where employers and organizations contribute to student tuition, potentially generating administrative or processing revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Excelsior University is a not-for-profit, accredited online higher education institution that delivers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs, graduate certificates, and non-credit career training across business, health sciences, liberal arts, nursing, public service, and technology. It serves adult learners, working professionals, and military servicemembers and veterans through flexible 8-week online course terms and hybrid on-ground sites, with systematic evaluation of prior learning including military experience, professional certifications, and transfer credits.

Product overview

Excelsior University is a not-for-profit, accredited online higher education institution founded in 1971, offering 45+ online programs and 50+ scholarships. The university's product portfolio consists of academic program areas (Business, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts, Nursing, Public Service, and Technology) delivered through flexible online courses every 8 weeks and hybrid/in-person programs at its St. Petersburg, Florida site. Programs range from associate to doctoral degrees and include graduate certificates and non-credit career training courses. Specialized services include military and veteran education support with 100% conversion of military experience to degree credit, OneTranscript for academic record sharing, and Start With More Credit for transfer recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Degree Programs Undergraduate and graduate business degrees including AAS in Administrative and Management Studies, BPS in Business and Management, BS in Business, DBA, Executive MBA (Hybrid), MBA, MS in Human Resource Management, MS in Management, and MS in Organizational Leadership, serving working professionals seeking career advancement or transition.
• Nursing Degree Programs Nursing degrees including AAS in Nursing, RN to BS in Nursing (Jump Start and standard), BS in Nursing (Hybrid), RN to MS and standalone MS programs in Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics, and Nursing Leadership and Administration of Health Care Systems, serving registered nurses pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees.
• Technology Degree Programs Technology degrees including AAS in Computer Technologies, AAS in Technical Studies, BS in Computer Science, BS in Cybersecurity, BS in Electrical Engineering Technology, BS in Information Technology, BS in Mechanical Engineering Technology, BS in Nuclear Engineering Technology, BPS in IT Management, BPS in Technology Management, and MS in Cybersecurity, serving individuals pursuing careers or advancement in cybersecurity and IT.
• Health Sciences Degree Programs Health sciences degrees including AS in Health Sciences, BS in Health Care Management, BS in Health Sciences, BS in Public Health, MS in Health Sciences, and MS in Health Care Administration, serving healthcare administrators and individuals pursuing health sciences careers.
• Liberal Arts Degree Programs Liberal arts degrees including AS in Liberal Arts, BS in Liberal Arts, and BS in Psychology, serving adult learners and transfer students completing general education and psychology credentials.
• Public Service Degree Programs Public service degrees including Associate in Criminal Justice, BS in Criminal Justice, BS in National Security, Master of Public Administration (MPA), and MS in Criminal Justice, serving law enforcement, national security, and public administration professionals.
• Graduate Certificate Programs Standalone graduate certificate programs across business, health sciences, technology, public service, and liberal arts disciplines for working professionals seeking targeted credentialing without committing to a full degree.
• Career and Professional Skills Training Noncredit career training and professional skills courses including IT/business certifications, health care certifications, and technology career training, aimed at adult learners seeking industry-recognized credentials without degree enrollment.
• Military and Veteran Education Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 72,000 military graduates served
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CDPHPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for National Nurses Week celebrations, supporting nursing professionals and healthcare workforce development initiatives.
• Community Care PhysiciansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership for National Nurses Week celebrations, supporting nursing professionals and healthcare workforce development initiatives.
• Military Education RepresentativescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of dedicated representatives who provide on-base and remote support for military servicemembers and veterans seeking educational opportunities. Help navigate TA and GI Bill benefits.
• Corporate PartnersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEmployer partnerships through which organizations provide tuition assistance or scholarships to employees pursuing degrees at Excelsior University.
• Edconic (Brandon Busteed)minorOthersEdconic CEO Brandon Busteed serves on the Board of Trustees, contributing expertise in education and workforce development.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Purdue Global: Online university associated with Purdue serving working adults and career-focused learners across business, IT, nursing, and public service. Direct overlap with Excelsior's program areas and target segments.
• Grand Canyon University: Large for-profit-affiliated university with extensive online program offerings in business, healthcare, education, and IT. Comparable target segments and program breadth.
• Thomas Edison State University: New Jersey-based nonprofit university focused on adult learners with extensive prior-learning assessment and credit-by-exam options. Highly comparable adult-learner and prior-learning credit model.
• Walden University: Online university with strong graduate offerings in healthcare, public service, and education serving adult learners. Comparable to Excelsior's graduate and healthcare program focus.
• University of Phoenix: Pioneer for-profit online university serving working adults in business, IT, healthcare, and nursing. Comparable program portfolio and target learner, with a different ownership structure.
• Capella University: Online university offering flexible degree programs in business, IT, healthcare, and nursing with a focus on working professionals. Direct competitor in adult-learner online programs.
• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit, fully online competency-based university serving working adults and military-affiliated learners. Closest comparable by mission, delivery model, and target student segments to Excelsior.
• American Public University System: Online university system with a strong military and veteran student focus and prior-learning credit programs. Highly comparable to Excelsior's core military-affiliated segment.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Major nonprofit online university with extensive associate, bachelor's, and graduate programs for adult and transfer learners. Directly competes for the same working-adult online enrollment pool as Excelsior.
• Liberty University Online: Large online university with extensive associate-to-doctoral offerings and significant military-affiliated enrollment. Comparable in scale, delivery model, and adult-learner focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/excelsiorcoll
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ExcelsiorColl
• Facebookfacebook.com/ExcelsiorU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/excelsioru
• Instagraminstagram.com/excelsioruniv

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Excelsior University