Birthingway College of Midwifery

What Birthingway College of Midwifery does

Birthingway College of Midwifery was a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) institution of higher education founded in March 1993 by Holly Scholles in Portland, Oregon, and ultimately dissolved as a corporation on October 18, 2022 after 30 years of operation. The college trained direct-entry midwives, doulas, lactation consultants, and childbirth educators through a portfolio of MEAC-accredited and ODA-approved programs, anchored by a 3-year Midwifery Program (offering a Certificate or Bachelor of Science in Midwifery) that prepared graduates for NARM certification and Oregon Licensed Direct-Entry Midwife licensure. Supporting programs historically included an Associate of Science in Lactation Consultation (closed 2019), Labor and Postpartum Doula Programs (wound down starting 2020), and continuing-education workshops (BRN, Legend Drugs and Devices).

The institution's core technology and pedagogical model was a Biodynamic Model of Care — a distinctive, relationship-centered framework integrating biological processes (oxytocin, stress hormones) with low-intervention, family-centered midwifery practice. Delivery blended classroom-based instruction with clinical training through a network of at least 12 named preceptor sites across Oregon and Washington (Alma Midwifery, Andaluz Waterbirth Center, Aurora Birth Center, Eastside Birth Center, and others). The Midwifery Program operated on a hybrid model with online theory coursework and in-person clinical rotations. Operations were fully decentralized from January 2020 onward, with all staff and faculty working remotely from a primary administrative office in Beaverton, OR.

The revenue model was tuition-driven: approximately $23,874-$25,657 per midwifery student per year (total program cost ~$74,556), supplemented by doula workshop fees ($450-$525) and continuing-education offerings. Federal Title IV financial aid (authorized 2003) and Pell Grants (14% of Fall 2020 cohort) supported affordability. The customer base comprised three horizontal segments — aspiring midwives (primary), aspiring lactation consultants, and aspiring doulas — served through a sales-led admissions process combining written applications, personal interviews, website marketing, quarterly newsletters, and community workshops. Reported outcomes were strong: 94% of surveyed 2022 midwifery graduates were working as midwives, and NARM pass rates reached 100% in 2019 and 2020, though the institution wound down and dissolved amid COVID-era disruption.

Name

Birthingway College of Midwifery

Legal name

Birthingway College of Midwifery

Website

https://birthingway.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Birthingway College of Midwifery was a non-profit, MEAC-accredited midwifery school in Oregon that trained direct-entry midwives, doulas, and lactation consultants from 1993 until its dissolution on October 18, 2022. It served aspiring birth professionals through a three-year hybrid midwifery program built on the proprietary Biodynamic Model of Care.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Midwifery and Maternal-Child Health Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAAAEAC

Workforce & Career Transition Noncredit Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

SECONDARYHLAFAJAC

Midwifery & Birth Centers

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Women’s & Children’s Health Providers

SECONDARYHLAFAJAN

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Healthcare Providers & Systems/Women’s & Children’s Health Providers

SECONDARYHSABACAK

Maternal/Newborn & Postpartum Skilled Home Visits

Home & Personal Services/Elder Care & In-Home Care Services/Skilled Nursing & Clinical Home Health

Keywords

• Midwifery education
• Doula training
• Lactation consultation
• Childbirth education
• MEAC-accredited programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Beaverton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: The college generated revenue primarily through tuition payments for midwifery, lactation consultation, and doula programs. Federal student aid (Title IV) was available for midwifery students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Birthingway College of Midwifery was a non-profit MEAC-accredited institution that delivered professional training programs for aspiring midwives, lactation consultants, labor doulas, and postpartum doulas. Its central offering was a three-year Midwifery Program conferring a Certificate in Midwifery or Bachelor of Science in Midwifery, grounded in its proprietary Biodynamic Model of Care and combining online theory coursework with clinical training under preceptors at birth centers and home birth practices. The college also offered Lactation Consultation (Pathway 2) and Labor and Postpartum Doula programs, plus continuing education workshops for working birth professionals.

Product overview

Birthingway College of Midwifery was an educational institution offering a portfolio of professional training programs in maternal and infant care. The core offerings included the MEAC-accredited Midwifery Program (Certificate or Bachelor of Science in Midwifery), the Lactation Consultation Program (Pathway 2), and Doula Programs (Labor and Postpartum). The institution operated on a Biodynamic model of care philosophy and provided continuing education workshops. The college closed its doors as of October 18, 2022, with the corporation dissolved.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Midwifery Program A three-year MEAC-accredited program training direct-entry midwives in the Biodynamic model of care, offering Certificate in Midwifery or Bachelor of Science in Midwifery credentials. Includes coursework and clinical training, and prepares students for NARM certification and Oregon state licensure.
• Lactation Consultation Program (Pathway 2) A program training students for work as professional Lactation Consultants within the Biodynamic model, offering Certificate or Associate of Science in Lactation Consultation credentials. Prepares students for the IBCLC certification exam. The program closed in 2019 following a teach-out.
• Labor Doula Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of graduates working as midwives (16 of 17 surveyed)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Alma Midwifery ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway midwifery students. Located in Portland, providing birth center and home birth services.
• Andaluz Waterbirth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway midwifery students. Located in Portland and Tualatin, offering waterbirth center services.
• Aurora Birth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Located in Salem and surrounding areas, serving Salem, Aurora, Canby, Molalla, Newberg, Silverton with home birth and birth center services.
• Canyon Medical CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Portland-based birth center.
• Eastside Birth Center PSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Located in Bellevue, WA, serving Seattle metro area.
• Full Moon MidwiferyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Located in Canby and surrounding Oregon areas, providing home birth and water birth services.
• Growing Family Birth CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Located in Lebanon, OR - a midwife-run, free-standing birth center providing holistic, personalized maternity care.
• Milk and Honey Birth ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Portland-based midwifery practice providing full scope, individualized midwifery care.
• Nest MidwiferyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Portland-based home birth and water birth practice.
• Rosehip MidwiferyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Portland-based homebirth practice with 17+ years of experience attending births.
• Unfurling Birth and Midwifery ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Portland-based practice specializing in VBACs and home birth services.
• Vivante Midwifery and Women's HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClinical training site for Birthingway students. Serving Portland and Vancouver, WA metro areas with home birth services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bastyr University: Accredited naturopathic and health sciences university in the Pacific Northwest that has historically offered midwifery education pathways, overlapping in target students and accreditation posture.
• National University of Health Sciences: Accredited health sciences university offering maternal-child and complementary medicine programs, comparable in delivering professional healthcare credentials through specialized accredited programs.

Direct peers

• Maternidad La Luz: MEAC-accredited midwifery school in El Paso, Texas combining classroom education with high-volume birth center clinical training, comparable in training philosophy and accreditation pathway.
• Florida School of Traditional Midwifery: MEAC-accredited direct-entry midwifery school offering certificate and associate degree pathways with similar clinical placement-driven delivery model.
• National Midwifery Institute: Distance-based MEAC-accredited midwifery program preparing students for NARM certification, structurally similar in distance theory plus clinical preceptor model.
• Birthwise Midwifery School: MEAC-accredited direct-entry midwifery program offering certificate and degree options with a comparable cohort-based structure and preceptor clinical model.
• Southwest Tech College (Midwifery Program): Wisconsin-based technical college offering a MEAC-accredited associate degree in midwifery through a comparable hybrid classroom/clinical placement delivery model.
• Midwives College of Utah: MEAC-accredited institution offering direct-entry midwifery degree programs with a comparable MEAC-based curriculum model and clinical placement requirements, the closest structural peer to Birthingway.
• Mercy In Action College of Midwifery: MEAC-accredited direct-entry midwifery program in Idaho with comparable degree pathways and clinical placement-driven curriculum delivery.

Emerging players

• Commonsense Childbirth Institute: Offers midwifery education and training pathways with focus on community-based birth workers, overlapping with Birthingway's broader maternal-health workforce training mission.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/birthingway-college-of-midwifery

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Birthingway College of Midwifery