Virscend University

What Virscend University does

Virscend University is a private, STEM-designated educational institution headquartered in Irvine, California, that delivers graduate and undergraduate business and hospitality management degree programs to working professionals, transfer students, and international students. The core product portfolio consists of a 10-course MBA (with concentrations in digital marketing and data analytics), an MS in Hospitality and Technology Management (MSHTM), and a planned BS in Business Administration with a 20-course curriculum targeting transfer students, scheduled to begin in Fall 2026. Programs are offered across on-campus, hybrid, weekend, and fully online modalities, with scheduling deliberately designed to accommodate professionals maintaining full-time employment.

The underlying technology stack is built on commodity, off-the-shelf tools rather than proprietary platform infrastructure: Moodle for the learning management system, Zoom for video conferencing, IBIS World for business research, and Microsoft Office and Google Workspace for productivity. The university supports international student enrollment through SEVP certification and partners with THSU, Fu Jen Catholic University, and Sichuan International Studies University via articulation agreements that enable credit transfer pipelines. Faculty are primarily sourced from CSU and UC systems, and the institution maintains an average 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio per class as of Spring 2025 enrollment.

Revenue is generated almost exclusively through tuition and fees charged across degree programs, supplemented by scholarship offerings (five types) to improve affordability. The go-to-market approach is sales-led, relying on online inquiry forms, direct outreach by the admissions team, social media presence on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and downloadable brochures. The institution has WASC regional accreditation and is operationally lean with 13 reported employees, led by President Dr. Robert Chi.

Name

Virscend University

Legal name

Virscend University

Website

https://virscend.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Virscend University is a private, STEM-designated institution in Irvine, California offering MBA, MSHTM, and forthcoming BS programs in business and hospitality management to working professionals, transfer students, and international students through online, hybrid, and weekend modalities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Business and Secretarial Schools (61141)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Graduate Schools (Master’s & Doctoral Programs) (EDAHALAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online International & Cross-Border Universities (Global/Transnational Providers) (EDAHALAL), University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Business degree programs
• Graduate business education
• STEM-designated MBA
• Professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Virscend University generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees charged for degree programs including the MBA, Online MBA, BS in Business Administration, and MSHTM programs. The university offers multiple scholarship opportunities to support affordability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Virscend University is a WASC-accredited, STEM-designated higher education institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in business administration and hospitality technology management. Programs include a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (planned Fall 2026), a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Traditional (Hybrid), Weekend, and Online modalities, and a Master of Science in Hospitality and Technology Management (MSHTM) with both on-campus and online delivery, targeting working professionals and international students with accelerated 2-year completion paths and flexible scheduling.

Product overview

Virscend University offers a portfolio of degree programs including undergraduate (BS in Business Administration), graduate (MBA and MSHTM), and professional development programs. Programs are available in multiple modalities including on-campus, hybrid, weekend, and fully online formats. The university is STEM-designated and focuses on business-oriented education with concentrations in areas such as digital marketing and data analytics. The institution maintains articulation agreements with international universities for credit transfer and offers international internship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) A STEM-designated master's degree program consisting of 10 courses covering digital marketing, data analytics, and management strategy. Designed for working professionals with convenient night-time classes, available in Traditional (Hybrid), Weekend, and Online modalities, and completable in 2 years as a full-time student.
• Online MBA Program Online version of the Master of Business Administration program offering the same STEM-designated curriculum with digital marketing and data analytics concentrations, accessible remotely for working professionals.
• MS in Hospitality and Technology Management (MSHTM) Master of Science program combining hospitality management with technology management, designed for professionals seeking expertise in both fields.
• Online MSHTM Program Online delivery format of the MSHTM program, providing accessibility for remote students pursuing hospitality and technology management education.
• International Internship Program Program enabling international students to gain practical work experience as part of their academic curriculum through partnerships with international organizations.
• Visiting Student Program Program allowing visiting students to take courses at Virscend University, often as part of articulation agreements with partner institutions for credit transfer.

Named customers2 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

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• THSU (Taiwan Hospitality and Tourism University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement allowing students to transfer credits from THSU to Virscend University. Supports students' educational pursuits by enabling credit transfer for courses not offered during a trimester or as a pathway to transfer to other university programs.
• Evergreen CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArticulation agreement enabling credit transfer from Evergreen College to Virscend University. Provides students options to take courses not offered during a trimester or to transfer to other university programs.
• Fu Jen Catholic University (輔仁大學)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational articulation agreement allowing transfer of credits from Fu Jen Catholic University to Virscend University. Supports international students' educational pursuits with pathways between institutions.
• Sichuan International Studies University (四川外国语大学成都学院)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational articulation agreement with Chinese university enabling credit transfer to Virscend University programs. Provides international students options to pursue US business education.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• University of the People: UoPeople is a tuition-free, online-only nonprofit university with a global student body. While its model and accreditation differ, it competes for cost-sensitive learners seeking US-recognized degrees online, intersecting with Virscend's value proposition.
• Pacific Oaks College: Pacific Oaks College is a small private California institution offering undergraduate and graduate programs with a focus on adult and diverse learners. Its scale, regional accreditation, and adult-learner orientation make it a relevant emerging peer in the California private education segment.

Broad incumbents

• University of Massachusetts Global (Brandman University): UMass Global (formerly Brandman University) is a private nonprofit institution offering online and hybrid business degrees for working adults. Its online MBA and adult-learner focus compete in the same niche as Virscend, though it operates at materially larger scale.
• Western Governors University: WGU is a large national online university offering competency-based undergraduate and graduate business programs at affordable price points. It competes for the same cost-conscious, working-professional online learners that Virscend targets, though at significantly greater scale.
• National University: National University is a large California-based private nonprofit university with extensive online, hybrid, and on-campus programs across business and other fields. It serves a broader range of programs and student populations than Virscend but overlaps on online MBA and working-professional segments.

Direct peers

• Alliant International University: Alliant International University is a California-based private institution offering graduate and undergraduate programs including business, with international students as a meaningful segment. Similar regional accreditation and private-institution dynamics position it as a relevant direct peer.
• California Intercontinental University: California Intercontinental University is a California-based private institution focused on business and management degrees delivered online, with significant international student enrollment. Its business-school focus, online modality, and international student base closely mirror Virscend's positioning.
• Westcliff University: Westcliff University is also headquartered in Irvine, CA, and operates as a private institution offering STEM-designated MBA programs, online and hybrid modalities, and an explicit focus on international students. Its target market (working professionals seeking career advancement) and program mix overlap directly with Virscend, making it the closest comparable peer.
• Trident University International: Trident University is a California-based online university offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs with a notable emphasis on military, working adult, and international learners. Its online-first delivery model and adult-learner focus align closely with Virscend's approach.
• Pacific States University: Pacific States University is a small private California institution offering business-focused undergraduate and graduate degrees with a strong international student base. Comparable scale and similar business-centric program portfolio make it a relevant direct peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@virscenduniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/virscend
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/virscend-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/virscenduniversity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Virscend University