Penn Foster Group
Penn Foster Group is a privately held portfolio of 13+ online education brands delivering self-paced high school diplomas, career training, college degrees, and certifications to non-traditional adult learners, employers, and institutional partners across the United States and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1890
- HeadquartersScranton, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Penn Foster Group does
Penn Foster Group is a privately held portfolio of online education brands founded in 1890 by Thomas Foster as a mail-based training program for Pennsylvania coal miners and now legally organized as PF Carrus Careers, LLC, headquartered in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The company operates a multi-brand platform delivering self-paced online education across high school completion, career diplomas, associate and bachelor's degrees, professional certifications, and workforce training, primarily serving non-traditional adult learners, working parents, career-changers, and enterprise workforce partners in the United States and Canada. Its portfolio spans 13+ retained brands including Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster Career School, Penn Foster College, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, CareerStep, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, EHR Go, ACLS.com, ICS Canada, PCDI Canada, and Sokanu.
The platform runs on the D2L Brightspace learning management system with a proprietary NewLeaf unified student experience layer (launched February 2024) that integrates enrollment, academic support, financial services, and graduation workflows via an Anthology Student API backbone, and has served over 500,000 learners. The LAADS (Learner-centered, Authentic, Active, Differentiated, and Skill-based) course design framework, rolled out in April 2025 across Veterinary Technician and Dental Assistant programs, lifted pilot completion rates from 73% to 92% and improved course engagement by 19%. The company generates revenue primarily through tuition and program fees paid by individual learners via direct-to-consumer online enrollment and phone-based sales, supplemented by B2B enterprise contracts through Penn Foster for Organizations, which serves employers, educational institutions, and non-profits. Channel distribution is augmented by partnerships with four major universities (Southern New Hampshire University, Purdue University Global, National University, and University of Maryland Global Campus) and platform partners including SkillsWave and Anthology, with operational hubs in Scranton, Atlanta, Lehi (Utah), and Chandler (Arizona).
Penn Foster Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Penn Foster Group
- Legal name
- PF Carrus Careers, LLC
- Website
- https://pennfostergroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1890
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Penn Foster Group is a privately held portfolio of 13+ online education brands delivering self-paced high school diplomas, career training, college degrees, and certifications to non-traditional adult learners, employers, and institutional partners across the United States and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Penn Foster Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online Education and Distance Learning
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education (EDADALAD)
Keywords
Where Penn Foster Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Scranton
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Penn Foster Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Program Tuition and Fees: Penn Foster Group generates revenue through tuition and program fees charged to learners for online education programs including high school diplomas, career training diplomas, associate degrees, bachelor's degrees, and certificates. Programs are priced affordably with flexible payment options.
- Enterprise/B2B Learning Solutions: Penn Foster for Organizations provides configurable learning solutions to employers, educational institutions, and non-profits, generating revenue through institutional partnerships and corporate training contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Penn Foster College and Career School programs |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Penn Foster High School programs |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Ashworth College programs |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | James Madison High School programs |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | CareerStep programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Penn Foster Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Penn Foster Group is a portfolio of online education brands that sells self-paced high school diplomas, career diplomas, associate and bachelor's degrees, professional certificates, and corporate workforce learning programs to individual learners and organizational partners. Its brands include Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster College, Penn Foster Career School, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, CareerStep, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, EHR Go, and ACLS.com. The company also operates Penn Foster for Organizations, a B2B channel selling configurable learning solutions to employers, schools, and non-profits.
Product overview
Penn Foster Group is a portfolio company providing online education and training solutions through multiple distinct brands. The portfolio includes Penn Foster High School (accredited diploma programs), Penn Foster College and Penn Foster Career School (career-focused degrees and diplomas), Penn Foster for Organizations (B2B corporate learning solutions), Ashworth College (self-paced career education), James Madison High School (online high school), CareerStep (healthcare training), New York Institute of Art and Design and New York Institute of Photography (creative programs), EHR Go (healthcare records training), and ACLS.com (healthcare certification). The company operates NewLeaf, a unified student experience platform integrating enrollment, academic support, financial services, and graduation workflows. The LAADS (Learner-centered, Authentic, Active, Differentiated, and Skill-based) framework underpins redesigned courses across the portfolio.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Penn Foster High School
- Penn Foster College and Penn Foster Career School
- Penn Foster for Organizations
- Ashworth College
- James Madison High School
- CareerStep
- New York Institute of Art and Design
- New York Institute of Photography
- EHR Go
- ACLS.com (ACLS Certification Institute)
Quantifiable outcome
- 92% course completion rate in LAADS redesigned programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Penn Foster Group
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Penn Foster Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature3 records
Penn Foster Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- SkillsWaveminorPenn Foster programs join SkillsWave's Learning Network offering career-aligned training to employees through corporate learning pathways. SkillsWave enables employers to offer affordable, flexible education aligned to workforce needs.
- Chicago CREDminorPartnership addressing gun violence through flexible, trauma-informed education. Chicago CRED founder and Penn Foster CLO co-authored op-ed on education as violence prevention tool.
- D2L BrightspacecoreIntegration of ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology into D2L Brightspace learning platform, allowing learners to transform written materials into accessible audio for flexible, inclusive learning.
- LearningMateminorPodcast partnership where CEO and CLO discussed how Penn Foster supports learners through pathways to job-ready credentials and importance of partnering with institutions and employers.
- Southern New Hampshire UniversitycoreStrategic partnership to broaden educational pathways and enhance learner success by providing flexible, accessible, and comprehensive academic opportunities through combined innovative educational solutions and university resources.
- Purdue University GlobalcorePartnership designed to support diverse students offering improved access to high-quality education and career advancement through Penn Foster's innovative educational solutions combined with Purdue's extensive university resources.
- National UniversitycoreCollaboration to broaden educational pathways and enhance learner success with flexible, accessible academic opportunities supporting diverse student populations.
- University of Maryland Global CampuscorePartnership providing improved access to high-quality education and career advancement through combination of Penn Foster's educational solutions and UMGC's university resources.
- Chandler, ArizonaminorPartnership with Chandler city for opening Center of Excellence office at 3133 W. Frye Road, with plans to hire 100+ employees to support online students.
- Petco LovecorePetco Love Registered Veterinary Technician Scholarship Fund addressing shortage of credentialed veterinary technicians by increasing training access for those serving vulnerable pets and pet parents struggling financially.
- AnthologycoreTechnology partnership powering NewLeaf unified student experience platform that integrates enrollment, academic support, financial services, and graduation processes. Platform leverages Anthology Student system API and real-time data architecture.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Penn Foster Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- InStride: Workforce education company that partners with universities to deliver employer-funded degree and credential programs. Closely comparable to Penn Foster for Organizations on the B2B channel, employer partnership model, and integration with academic institutions for tuition assistance pathways.
- Capella University: For-profit online university owned by Strategic Education, focused on working adults in healthcare, business, and technology. Comparable on online-only delivery, career-aligned degree programs, and competency-based offerings overlapping with Penn Foster's portfolio.
- Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit online university with deep non-traditional adult learner base and aggressive workforce/B2B expansion. SNHU is both a Penn Foster direct competitor in online degrees and a strategic university pathway partner, making it the most relevant comparable on customer profile, product mix, and channel strategy.
- University of Phoenix: For-profit online university historically focused on working adults seeking career-relevant degrees. Closely comparable on for-profit distance-education model, employer-sponsored programs, and adult-learner marketing approach.
- Western Governors University: Nonprofit, competency-based online university serving working adults seeking affordable degrees and certifications. Highly comparable to Penn Foster on target learner (non-traditional adult), online modality, affordability positioning, and emphasis on workforce-aligned credentials.
- Purdue University Global: For-profit online university operated by Strategic Education targeting working adults and military-affiliated learners. Comparable on for-profit online model, career-focused degree/diploma offerings, employer and government partnership channels, and tuition structure. Also a Penn Foster university pathway partner.
- Walden University: For-profit online university owned by Adtalem Global Education serving adult learners in healthcare, education, and social sciences. Comparable on for-profit distance model, graduate and professional credentials, and B2B workforce partnerships.
Emerging players
- StraighterLine: Low-cost online provider of general-education and introductory college courses with credit-transfer partnerships to universities. Comparable on low-cost, self-paced online learning model and university articulation strategy, though narrower in program scope.
- Emeritus: Online education provider partnering with top universities to deliver professional certificates and executive education programs. Comparable on the online, partnership-led model with universities and the adult-professional learner segment, though focused on executive/graduate credentials.
Broad incumbents
- Skillsoft: Public corporate learning company offering enterprise SaaS for workforce upskilling, certifications, and leadership development. Directly comparable to Penn Foster for Organizations on B2B learning solutions and the broader workforce-development value proposition.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Penn Foster Group social profiles
Digital presencePenn Foster Group compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance12 records
Penn Foster Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Penn Foster Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Penn Foster Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries13 records
Penn Foster Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Penn Foster Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Penn Foster Group
What does Penn Foster Group do?
Penn Foster Group is a portfolio of online education brands that sells self-paced high school diplomas, career diplomas, associate and bachelor's degrees, professional certificates, and corporate workforce learning programs to individual learners and organizational partners. Its brands include Penn Foster High School, Penn Foster College, Penn Foster Career School, Ashworth College, James Madison High School, CareerStep, the New York Institute of Photography, the New York Institute of Art and Design, EHR Go, and ACLS.com. The company also operates Penn Foster for Organizations, a B2B channel selling configurable learning solutions to employers, schools, and non-profits.
Is Penn Foster Group a public or private company?
Penn Foster Group is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Penn Foster Group founded?
Penn Foster Group was founded in 1890. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Penn Foster Group based?
Penn Foster Group is headquartered in Scranton, United States, in the North America region.
How does Penn Foster Group make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Program Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are enterprise/B2B Learning Solutions.
Who are Penn Foster Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are InStride, Capella University, Southern New Hampshire University, University of Phoenix, Western Governors University, Purdue University Global and Walden University. Emerging players are StraighterLine and Emeritus. Skillsoft is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Penn Foster Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for Penn Foster Group.
What industry is Penn Foster Group in?
Penn Foster Group's product category is Online Education and Distance Learning. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGALAH, Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms), with a secondary code of EDADALAD, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in Education. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.