What Coker University does

Coker University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts university headquartered on a 15-acre campus in Hartsville, South Carolina. Founded in 1908 as Coker College and rebranded to Coker University in 2024, the institution offers nearly 20 bachelor's degree programs (four available fully online) alongside five online master's degree programs spanning nursing, education, college athletic administration, and management. The university has extended into healthcare-professions education with a full nursing ladder — BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, and a newly pre-accredited DNP — all delivered at least partially through distance education, with traditional BSN students completing almost 800 hours of clinical experience.

The institution operates on a tuition-and-fees revenue model with a high financial-aid intensity: 95% of students receive aid and more than $10 million in scholarships are awarded annually, including talent-based awards that reach 83% of new students in dance and music. Distribution is multi-channel: a Salesforce-powered direct application portal (no fees, no SAT/ACT requirement), campus visits, virtual tours, and 2+2 articulation agreements with six regional technical colleges that feed transfer students. Course delivery runs on the Brightspace LMS, payments are processed via Stripe, and the university also operates Kalmia Gardens, a 15-acre botanical garden now integrated into the national Kids in Parks TRACK Trail network.

Governance is by an independent board of trustees with no parent company or institutional investor; the university is donor-supported and led by President Dr. Natalie Harder (17th president, in role since 2008), Provost Susan Henderson, and Vice President of Strategic Communications and Recruitment Katherine Davis. Recent strategic emphasis areas articulated in the 2025–2028 strategic plan are Student Success, Belonging and Community, Access Coker (technology-enabled instruction), and Coker Value & Affordability — signaling continued investment in small-class, community-oriented differentiation rather than scale.

Name

Coker University

Legal name

Coker University

Website

https://coker.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Coker University is a private nonprofit liberal arts university in Hartsville, South Carolina, offering ~20 bachelor's and multiple online graduate programs (including nursing, education, and business) to undergraduate, transfer, and working-professional students through a tuition-based model with 95% financial-aid penetration.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education (Private Liberal Arts University)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Private higher education
• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Online graduate programs
• Nursing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartsville

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Coker University generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees charged to undergraduate and graduate students for academic programs. The university offers various financial aid packages, scholarships, and merit-based awards.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Coker University is a private, nonprofit liberal arts university that delivers bachelor's and master's degree programs to undergraduate, graduate, and transfer students. The institution offers nearly 20 bachelor's degree programs (four available online), five fully online graduate programs completable in 12-18 months, and a comprehensive nursing education pathway spanning BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. Educational delivery combines in-person classroom instruction on its 15-acre Hartsville, SC campus with online learning via the Brightspace LMS.

Product overview

Coker University is a private liberal arts university offering a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The institution provides approximately 20 bachelor's degree programs (four available fully online), five online master's programs, and extensive nursing education offerings spanning BSN, RN-to-BSN, MSN, and DNP programs. The university's academic structure includes a College of Humanities and Sciences, School of Business, Wiggins School of Education, and College of Health Professions. Graduate programs are delivered 100% online with accelerated eight-week course formats. Coker also offers 2+2 transfer pathways with regional technical colleges and operates Kalmia Gardens as a campus facility for environmental education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursing Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 95% of students receive financial aid
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Six Regional Technical CollegescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCoker University has 2+2 agreements with six regional technical colleges providing students who have earned an associate degree a seamless pathway to completing a bachelor's degree at Coker. This partnership facilitates transfer student recruitment and supports regional educational attainment goals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Wofford College: Highly ranked private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, SC competing for the same pool of in-state traditional undergraduates with strong residential experience.
• Presbyterian College: Private liberal arts college in Clinton, SC with similar size, residential model, and pre-professional programs including nursing.
• Newberry College: Small private liberal arts college in South Carolina with similar enrollment scale, religious historical roots, and traditional undergraduate residential model.
• Anderson University (South Carolina): Private comprehensive university in Anderson, SC with similar mix of liberal arts undergraduate, online graduate, and nursing programs serving the same South Carolina regional market.
• Southern Wesleyan University: Private Christian university in Central, SC offering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs with comparable scale and adult-learner focus.
• Columbia College (SC): Private liberal arts institution in Columbia, SC with comparable size, undergraduate focus, and emphasis on traditional-aged students in the same regional market.

Broad incumbents

• Western Governors University: Large nonprofit online-first university offering competency-based bachelor's and master's programs, including nursing, at significantly lower price points — represents the primary competitive threat to Coker's online graduate enrollment.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large nonprofit university with a national online footprint serving adult learners, including in nursing and business — competes for the same working-professional segment Coker targets with its online graduate programs.

Regional players

• Lander University: Public university in Greenwood, SC competing for similar in-state undergraduates at a lower price point, pressuring Coker's tuition-driven model.
• Coastal Carolina University: Public university in Conway, SC competing for in-state undergraduates and offering online graduate programs at lower price points.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CokerUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coker-college

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Coker University