Continuing Education at CU Boulder

What Continuing Education at CU Boulder does

Continuing Education at CU Boulder is a division within the University of Colorado Boulder, a public state research university governed by the Regents of the University of Colorado. The division delivers lifelong learning programs to non-traditional students, working professionals, returning learners, military-affiliated students, pre-health students, and high school dual-enrollment participants. It operates a multi-modality portfolio spanning in-person evening credit, online credit (term-based and self-paced flexible enrollment), summer and winter sessions, and post-baccalaureate pre-health programs. Wrapping these academic programs are academic, career, financial aid, pre-health, and transfer admission advising services.

The underlying technology stack combines Canvas as the learning management system for online course delivery, Buff Portal as the official student portal for enrollment, billing, grades, and campus services access, and the Class Search system for course registration. Supporting integrations include BrainFuse for on-demand online tutoring, Quinncia for AI-powered mock interviews, Handshake for career recruiting (with 20,000+ employers), Flywire for international student payments, ParkMobile for campus parking, and the Online Composition Hub for writing support. The platform supports global access for CE Online Flexible courses that can be taken from anywhere with reliable internet.

Revenue is generated primarily through per-credit-hour tuition starting at $530, billed separately from main campus tuition for dual-enrolled students. Additional revenue streams include program fees (e.g., the $268.61 Summer 2026 and $429.76 Fall 2026 Student Fee Packages including recreation center access), Wardenburg Health Center insurance fees, and various discount programs (CU Employee 50% Evening Credit, 20% Online Credit; Alumni 10%; CU Family discounts). The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer, with prospective students applying through ce.apply.colorado.edu, enrolling via Buff Portal, and accessing advising by appointment. Marketing is conducted through the ce.colorado.edu website, social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, X, YouTube), SEO, campus events, and live information sessions. The division serves Colorado primarily while operating globally for online courses, with international students supported through third-party billing and Flywire payment processing.

Name

Continuing Education at CU Boulder

Legal name

University of Colorado Boulder

Website

https://ce.colorado.edu

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Continuing Education at CU Boulder is a division of the public University of Colorado Boulder that delivers credit courses, certificates, and professional development programs to non-traditional, working professional, military-affiliated, and pre-health students via evening, online, summer, and winter modalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional & Applied Skills Noncredit Certificates (Non-licensure) (EDAAAEAD), Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges (EDAHADAF), College-Level Core Subject Tutoring (Gen Ed: Math, Writing, Sciences, Humanities) (EDANAAAJ)

Keywords

• Continuing education programs
• Credit courses online
• Professional certificate programs
• Post-baccalaureate pre-health
• Dual enrollment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Boulder

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Revenue: Per-credit-hour tuition charges for CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit, ACCESS, and other programs. Starting at $530 per credit hour, billed separately from main campus tuition for students enrolled in both.
2. Program Fees: Additional fees including student fee packages, health insurance through Wardenburg Health Center, and optional recreation center access.
3. Discount Programs: CU Employee discounts (50% Evening Credit, 20% Online Credit), Alumni discounts (10% in-state tuition), and CU Family discounts for Science Discovery programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Division of Continuing Education at CU Boulder provides credit courses, certificate programs, dual enrollment, and degree completion pathways for non-traditional students, working professionals, and returning learners. Core programs include CE Evening Credit, CE Online Credit (term-based and flexible self-paced), Summer and Winter Sessions, ACCESS, High School ACCESS, CU Complete, Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions, and professional Certificates, supported by academic, career, pre-health, and financial aid advising services.

Product overview

Continuing Education at CU Boulder is a division offering multiple educational programs and services rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include CE Evening Credit (in-person evening classes), CE Online Credit (with Term-Based and Flexible self-paced options), Summer and Winter Sessions, ACCESS (main campus enrollment for non-degree students), High School ACCESS (dual enrollment for high school students), CU Complete (degree completion with scholarship), Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions programs, and Certificates. Supporting services include Academic Advising, Career Advising, and Pre-Health Advising. The division also operates the Resiliency Program for students on academic suspension. Programs relate through shared enrollment systems (Buff Portal), common advising services, and unified billing through the Bursar's office.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CE Evening Credit Evening and weekend in-person or hybrid undergraduate classes for non-degree students seeking college credits with flexible scheduling.
• CE Online Credit Online credit courses offering flexibility for students who cannot attend campus, with both term-based and flexible self-paced enrollment options.
• Summer Session Summer credit courses allowing students to earn credits during the summer term at CU Boulder.
• Winter Session Intensive winter credit courses for students to continue learning and earning credits during winter break.
• ACCESS Program enabling non-degree students to enroll in main campus daytime courses, with priority enrollment dates for military-affiliated students.
• High School ACCESS Dual enrollment program for high school students to take college courses at CU Boulder for credit while still in high school.
• CU Complete Degree completion scholarship program with wrap-around support services for former CU Boulder students returning to finish their undergraduate degree.
• Finish What You Started Program helping students who left CU Boulder without completing their degree to return and finish their education.
• Post-Baccalaureate Health Professions Programs for students completing pre-health prerequisites with structured cohort and individually designed options, preparing for medical, dental, or other health professional schools.
• Certificates Professional certificate programs for career advancement and skill development.
• CU Boulder Online Online degree and certificate programs offered by CU Boulder through Continuing Education.
• Auditors Program allowing students to audit CU Boulder courses without earning credit.
• Science Discovery STEM programs for youth and community learners exploring scientific disciplines.
• Academic Advising Advisory services helping students plan their course of study and schedule, supporting degree completion and course selection.
• Career Advising Career guidance services including career exploration, job search strategies, resume development, and interview preparation.
• Pre-Health Advising Specialized advising for non-degree students pursuing professional school prerequisites in health fields.
• Resiliency Program Specialized semester-long program for suspended students combining coursework, coaching, peer connection, and a $1,000 scholarship upon completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Credits earned through CE transfer to other institutions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability2 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• edX: Online education platform offering university-level courses and programs from multiple institutions including continuing education content. Broad incumbent competing for the same online, flexible-format adult learner audience with substantially greater scale and marketing reach.
• Coursera: Large-scale online learning platform partnering with universities to deliver courses, certificates, and degrees. Broader incumbent in continuing education — overlaps on online certificate offerings and global reach, but operates at significantly larger scale as a multi-institution platform.

Direct peers

• UCLA Extension: Continuing education division of UCLA offering certificates, credit courses, and professional programs to non-traditional students. Directly comparable as a major public research university's extension school serving working professionals and lifelong learners.
• UC Berkeley Extension: Continuing education arm of UC Berkeley providing certificates, professional development, and online/on-campus courses. Direct peer given its public research university affiliation and similar credit/non-credit continuing education portfolio.
• Stanford Continuing Studies: Stanford's continuing education program offering liberal arts and professional courses to the broader community. Comparable as a leading public/private research university's lifelong learning extension serving adult learners.
• Columbia University School of Professional Studies: Columbia's continuing and professional education division offering graduate degrees, certificates, and short courses. Directly comparable in target audience (working professionals), academic rigor, and university-affiliated brand positioning.
• Harvard Extension School: Continuing and professional education division of Harvard University offering degree programs, certificates, and courses to non-traditional learners. Directly comparable structure: prestigious university brand serving working adults and degree-completion seekers.
• NYU School of Professional Studies: NYU's school dedicated to professional and continuing education, offering degrees, certificates, and short courses. Comparable as a major urban research university's continuing education unit serving similar non-traditional student segments.
• University of Chicago Graham School: Continuing and professional education division of the University of Chicago offering certificates and master's programs. Comparable as a top-tier research university's continuing education unit targeting career-advancing professionals.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies: Continuing education division of a major public research university offering credit, certificates, and professional development. Comparable public-university structure and similar audience of non-degree and returning students.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cucontinuinged
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxvvI8Es9E7opsI3EWndhcQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/CUContinuingEd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cepscuboulder

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 Continuing Education at CU Boulder