Ascend College Prep

What Ascend College Prep does

Ascend College Prep is a tuition-free public charter high school headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving students in grades 10 through 12. The institution is located at 1650 Telstar Drive, Suite 110, occupying approximately 9,500 square feet on the first floor of a District 20 office building, and operates with a faculty and staff of approximately 14. The school's curriculum is STEM-focused and built around a dual enrollment partnership with the University of Colorado's CU Succeed Program, which allows students to take courses at Ascend that yield official UCCS and CU Denver college transcripts. Senior-year students can earn between 3 and 24 college credits; students attending across sophomore through senior years can accumulate more than 40 college credits, with the institution stating that the majority of its students complete the equivalent of their first year of college while still enrolled in high school.

The educational model combines small class sizes and individualized instruction with a faculty roster in which every teacher holds a Master's degree or higher and brings high school or college-level teaching experience plus real-world industry experience. The week is structured with academic classes held on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday, while Fridays are reserved for a Discovery series covering service projects, life skills, and real-world experiences. The school does not field athletic teams; under Colorado law students may continue competing in their district of residence or in District 20.

Ascend's business model is that of a publicly funded charter school: it charges no tuition for the high school program itself, with revenue derived from per-pupil public funding through the Colorado Springs / Academy School District 20 system, while college-level dual enrollment credits are assessed separately by the University of Colorado at a reduced rate of $50 per credit hour billed to families. Distribution is direct enrollment via the school website and Google Forms, with marketing concentrated on the school's own website and social channels (Facebook, Instagram). Operations are governed by public charter compliance, including a documented Title IX compliance program under the August 14, 2020 federal regulations.

Name

Ascend College Prep

Legal name

Ascend College Prep

Website

https://ascendcollegeprep.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ascend College Prep is a tuition-free public charter high school in Colorado Springs, Colorado, serving grades 10-12 with a STEM-focused curriculum and dual enrollment college credit partnership with the University of Colorado's CU Succeed Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Secondary Education (STEM-Focused Charter High School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK), Dual Enrollment / Early College Programs (via Community Colleges) (EDAHADAH)

Keywords

• STEM high school
• Dual enrollment
• College preparation
• Public charter school
• Secondary education

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Ascend College Prep is a tuition-free public STEM-focused high school serving grades 10-12 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It delivers small-class, individualized instruction by Master's-level teachers and offers dual enrollment college-credit courses through a partnership with the University of Colorado's CU Succeed Program, allowing students to earn college transcripts from UCCS and CU Denver while still in high school. The school also runs a Friday Discovery series covering service projects, life skills, and real-world experiences.

Product overview

Ascend College Prep is a public STEM-focused high school serving 10th through 12th grade students in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The institution's primary offering is its educational program, which is not a technology product in the traditional SaaS sense. The school provides a tuition-free public education emphasizing dual enrollment courses with local universities (University of Colorado), small class sizes, individualized instruction by qualified faculty, and a Friday Discovery series focused on service projects and real-world experiences. As a public educational institution rather than a commercial technology company, Ascend College Prep does not offer a product portfolio with modules, add-ons, or named technology offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• STEM-Focused High School Program (Grades 10-12)

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• University of Colorado - CU Succeed ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with University of Colorado's CU Succeed Program allowing students to earn dual enrollment college credits through courses taught at Ascend. Students receive college transcripts from UCCS and CU Denver for these courses.
• UCCS (University of Colorado Colorado Springs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for dual enrollment program - students receive college transcripts from UCCS for dual enrollment courses taken at Ascend College Prep.
• CU Denver (University of Colorado Denver)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner for dual enrollment program - students receive college transcripts from CU Denver for dual enrollment courses taken at Ascend College Prep.

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• BASIS Charter Schools: A national network of STEM-focused college-preparatory charter schools serving grades K–12. Closely comparable to Ascend in academic rigor, STEM emphasis, and college-readiness orientation, though operating at significantly greater scale.
• Great Hearts Academies: A network of tuition-free public charter schools emphasizing classical, college-preparatory liberal arts curriculum with small classes. Comparable to Ascend on tuition-free public charter model, college prep mission, and small-class instruction.
• DSST Public Schools: A Denver-based STEM-focused public charter network serving grades 6–12 with a strong college-prep culture. Directly comparable to Ascend on STEM focus, public charter structure, and Colorado operating geography.
• Uncommon Schools: A nonprofit charter management organization operating college-preparatory public schools across multiple states. Comparable to Ascend on tuition-free public charter model and rigorous college-prep focus.
• Democracy Prep Public Schools: A network of tuition-free public charter schools with a college-preparatory mission and extended academic time. Comparable to Ascend on public charter structure, college prep emphasis, and small-school identity.

Broad incumbents

• KIPP Schools: One of the largest U.S. public charter networks with a college-preparatory mission. Comparable to Ascend on tuition-free public charter structure and college-readiness focus, but operates as a national multi-region incumbent.
• National Heritage Academies: A large charter management organization operating tuition-free public charter schools across multiple U.S. states. Comparable to Ascend on tuition-free charter operating model, though at much greater scale and breadth.

Regional players

• Liberty Common Charter School: A K–12 public charter school in Fort Collins, Colorado emphasizing classical, college-preparatory academics. Comparable to Ascend on Colorado public charter structure and college-prep mission.
• Peak to Peak Charter School: A K–12 public charter school in Lafayette, Colorado with a strong college-prep track record. Comparable to Ascend as a Colorado charter peer with college-readiness outcomes, though broader in grade span.

Others

• University of Colorado Succeed Program: The dual-enrollment program through which Ascend offers transcripted college credit. Listed as an ecosystem partner because the program's continued availability and pricing is structurally tied to Ascend's core differentiator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ascendcollegeprep
• Instagraminstagram.com/ascend.collegeprep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ascend-college-prep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Ascend College Prep