What Scrap University does

Scrap University is a privately-held, Bellingham, Washington-based online education company that delivers the Certified Scrap Metal Professional (CSMP) program, a self-paced certification covering nearly 100 lessons on ferrous and non-ferrous commodities aimed at scrap yard employees, sorters, and graders. The platform is built on the open-source Moodle learning management system and distributes pre-produced video content globally with no field sales force, relying instead on direct-to-consumer enrollment through scrapuniversity.com. Faculty is credited with "over 200 years" of combined industry experience, which functions as the primary brand and trust asset, and the company operates a bilingual English/Spanish (Mexico) interface suggesting deliberate expansion into Latin American markets.

The business model is a recurring subscription-style enrollment for the CSMP certification, with specific pricing not publicly disclosed; the company offers financial assistance to reduce price as a barrier, indicating flexible or tiered access terms. There is no evidence of venture funding, parent ownership, enterprise contracts, or M&A activity, and the customer base appears to be a long tail of individual industry professionals rather than a small set of anchor accounts. Strategic emphasis on product-led growth, niche domain specialization, and global digital distribution positions the firm as a micro-vertical credentialing provider rather than a scalable vocational training platform at this stage.

Name

Scrap University

Legal name

Scrap University

Website

https://scrapuniversity.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Scrap University operates a Moodle-based online learning platform delivering the Certified Scrap Metal Professional (CSMP) certification, training scrap metal industry workers in ferrous and non-ferrous commodity grading and sorting through nearly 100 self-paced video lessons.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Certification Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Scrap metal education
• Metal recycling certification
• Online professional training
• Commodity grading courses
• Industry certification programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. CSMP Certification Program: Online certification courses for scrap metal professionals. The company also offers financial assistance for students, suggesting a tiered or flexible pricing model for course access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Scrap University delivers the Certified Scrap Metal Professional (CSMP) program, an online, self-paced certification course providing nearly 100 video lessons on Ferrous and Non-Ferrous commodities. Content is created by faculty with over 200 years of combined scrap metal industry experience and covers material grading, sorting, and upgrading for industry professionals.

Product overview

Scrap University is an online education platform that offers a single unified product: the Certified Scrap Metal Professional (CSMP) Program. This comprehensive certification course delivers nearly 100 lessons on ferrous and non-ferrous metals through video-based instruction, allowing students to learn at their own pace without judgment. The platform is built on Moodle LMS infrastructure and provides education and training for the scrap metal industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CSMP (Certified Scrap Metal Professional): The flagship online certification program offering nearly 100 lessons on Ferrous and Non-Ferrous commodities for the scrap metal industry.

Products and services

• Certified Scrap Metal Professional (CSMP) Program Online, self-paced certification program offering nearly 100 video lessons on Ferrous and Non-Ferrous commodities, designed to train individuals in scrap metal grading, sorting, and upgrading for scrap metal industry professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduction in grading errors leading to increased revenue for scrap yards

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Penn Foster: Online trade and vocational school offering self-paced career certification programs. Highly comparable business model: self-paced online courses, recurring tuition, career-oriented credentials serving working adults in specific trades — the structural twin to Scrap University in a different vertical.
• Ashworth College: Accredited online institution delivering career diploma and certificate programs in skilled trades and applied fields. Closely mirrors Scrap University's online, self-paced, certification-led delivery model for industry-specific career advancement.
• Tooling U-SME: Online training provider specializing in manufacturing and metalworking workforce education with certification programs. The closest vertical analogue — delivers industry-specific vocational certification via self-paced online courses to manufacturing-adjacent workers, the same core motion Scrap University targets in scrap metal.

Others

• ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries): Industry trade association for the scrap recycling sector that offers training, certifications, and educational resources to its members. Most thematically aligned peer — operates in the same scrap metal ecosystem and is the most plausible competitor or partner for Scrap University.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online learning platform offering professional certificates across industries via self-paced video courses. Shares Scrap University's core mechanics — video-based curriculum, certification, self-serve enrollment — but operates at vastly greater breadth and scale.
• Udemy: Online course marketplace featuring thousands of professional and trade courses with self-paced video instruction. Comparable in delivery format and recurring online certification model, though Udemy serves as a broad marketplace rather than a focused certification authority.
• edX: Online university-affiliated learning platform offering professional certificates and courses. Shares the certification-led, self-paced online model with Scrap University but at significantly broader academic and professional scale.
• LinkedIn Learning: Subscription-based professional development platform offering video courses on business, technical, and trade skills. Comparable in its annual subscription model and video-based self-serve delivery targeting working professionals.
• Pluralsight: Subscription-based technology and professional skills training platform serving individuals and enterprises. Shares the annual subscription, self-paced video certification approach, particularly relevant as a model for how a niche training company can scale into enterprise channels.
• Skillsoft: Enterprise-focused corporate learning platform offering professional certification and compliance training. Comparable in selling professional credentialing content to employers, representing the B2B/seat-licensing motion Scrap University could grow into.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Scrap University