Northwest Suburban College

What Northwest Suburban College does

Northwest Suburban College (NWSC) is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution of higher education founded in 2008 in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, operating a single 23,000-square-foot campus across two buildings in the northwest Chicago suburbs. The college delivers career-focused healthcare education through certificate programs (Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, MRI Technologist, Healthcare Management) and undergraduate degrees (Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting, Bachelor of Health Science, Bachelor of Science in Biology). Programs combine classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, and supervised clinical externships, with class sizes maintained under 12 students. The institution is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) and approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to grant undergraduate degrees; select programs carry additional recognition from ARRT and NHA.

NWSC's business model is tuition-driven, with revenue generated from program tuition, a $50 non-refundable enrollment fee, and a graduation fee. Pricing is not publicly disclosed at the per-program level, and students access affordability via institutional grants, scholarships, and monthly payment plans. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer: the college recruits students through its website (nwsc.edu), phone inquiries, campus tours, in-person admissions appointments, social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), and organic local SEO targeting the Rolling Meadows/Schaumburg service area. The primary customer segments are non-traditional adult learners, first-generation college students, working professionals and career changers, and (to a lesser extent) international students.

The underlying technology platform is conventional for a small college: Populi serves as the student information system and course management platform, EBSCO provides library database access, and Complio/CastleBranch manages clinical compliance and credentialing. Leadership comprises an Acting President & Provost (Dr. Jay Shahed), VP of Finance (Edgar Montalvo), Dean of Academic & Student Affairs (Dr. Debra Gurney), and Directors covering Admissions, Accreditation, Student Services, and IT. The institution was founded by Dr. M.T. AliNiazee as a family philanthropic undertaking and currently serves students from Rolling Meadows, Schaumburg, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates, Bartlett, Elk Grove Village, and surrounding communities.

Name

Northwest Suburban College

Legal name

Northwest Suburban College

Website

https://nwsc.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northwest Suburban College is a private, not-for-profit 501(c)(3) healthcare education institution in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, founded in 2008. It serves non-traditional adult learners and first-generation students in the northwest Chicago suburbs through certificate and undergraduate degree programs in allied health disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Allied Health Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused) (EDAHADAD)

Keywords

• Healthcare education programs
• Medical assistant training
• Pharmacy technician certificate
• Allied health sciences
• Health science degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Rolling Meadows

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: NWSC generates revenue primarily through tuition charged for certificate programs and undergraduate degree programs. Tuition varies by program. Additional fees include a $50 non-refundable enrollment fee. The college also charges a graduation fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Northwest Suburban College is a private not-for-profit 501(c)(3) institution that delivers career-focused healthcare education through certificate programs (Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, MRI Technologist, Healthcare Management) and undergraduate degrees (Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting, Bachelor of Health Science, Bachelor of Science in Biology). Programs combine didactic classroom instruction, hands-on laboratory training, and supervised clinical externships at affiliated healthcare facilities, with small class sizes (typically under 12 students). Graduates are prepared for entry-level allied health roles and to sit for NHA (CCMA, ExCPT) and ARRT (MRI) national certification exams.

Product overview

Northwest Suburban College offers a portfolio of career-focused healthcare education programs, primarily consisting of certificate programs and undergraduate degrees in allied health sciences. The core offerings include Medical Assistant (certificate and associate degree), Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, MRI Technologist, and Healthcare Management certificates, along with Bachelor of Health Science and Bachelor of Science in Biology degrees. Programs combine classroom instruction with hands-on laboratory training and supervised clinical externships. Class sizes are maintained under 12 students for personalized attention. The institution operates as a not-for-profit accredited college serving the northwest Chicago suburbs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medical Assistant Certificate Program Comprehensive 720-clock-hour certificate program (8 months) preparing students for entry-level medical assistant positions, covering clinical competencies (vital signs, venipuncture, EKG, specimen collection) and administrative duties (scheduling, records management, insurance billing, HIPAA compliance), including a 160-hour externship. Graduates are prepared to sit for the NHA CCMA certification exam.
• Associate of Applied Science in Medical Assisting (AAS-MA) Two-year associate degree program (64 credit hours: 30 general education + 34 core program credits) combining general education coursework with specialized medical assisting training, including clinical and administrative competencies, laboratory training, and externship experience, with a transfer pathway for certificate graduates.
• Pharmacy Technician Certificate Program 600-clock-hour certificate program (8 months) preparing students for entry-level pharmacy technician roles in retail, hospital, clinic, and long-term care settings, covering pharmacy law, pharmacology, medication calculations, sterile/non-sterile compounding, and inventory management, including a 240-hour externship.
• MRI Technologist Certificate Program 1,500-clock-hour certificate program (12 months, hybrid format) preparing students for entry-level MRI technologist positions in hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers, outpatient clinics, and specialty medical facilities, covering MRI physics, cross-sectional anatomy, patient positioning, imaging protocols, and safety procedures, including 960 clinical hours. Recognized by ARRT; graduates may pursue ARRT MRI certification.
• Healthcare Management Certificate Program 126-clock-hour certificate program (7 weeks, hybrid format combining in-person and asynchronous online instruction) preparing healthcare professionals for leadership roles in healthcare administration, policy, finance, human resources, and operations.
• Bachelor of Health Science (BHS) Bachelor's degree program (120 credit hours: 42 general education + 78 core program credits; 3-year completion pathway) preparing students for careers in healthcare administration, public health, clinical research, and patient services, covering human biology, medical terminology, epidemiology, healthcare systems, public health, and mental health.
• Dental Assistant Certificate Program 8-month certificate program preparing students for entry-level dental assisting careers, covering chairside assisting, radiography, infection control, and dental office procedures.
• Bachelor of Science in Biology Bachelor's degree program in biology designed to prepare students for graduate or professional education in health sciences, with a 3-year completion pathway available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medical Assistant program retention rate of 88% and placement rate of 70%; Dental Assistant program retention of 87% and placement of 100%; Pharmacy Technician retention of 73% and placement of 75%

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rasmussen University: Regionally accredited private institution with significant allied-health and nursing program offerings. Comparable as a career-focused health-education institution serving adult and non-traditional learners with a similar mix of certificates and bachelor's degrees.
• Concorde Career College: National for-profit career college operating across multiple states with a heavy portfolio of allied-health and dental programs. Comparable in healthcare-only career education, employer-aligned curricula, and certification exam preparation.
• ECPI University: Private career-oriented institution offering health sciences, nursing, and allied-health certificate and degree programs. Comparable in mission to fast-track healthcare careers and in targeted adult-learner recruitment model.
• Lincoln Tech: National for-profit technical and health-career institution with certificate programs spanning allied health, nursing support, and medical assisting. Comparable in non-degree allied-health focus, employer-aligned outcomes, and similar tuition-driven revenue model.
• South University: Private institution offering allied-health and health-science undergraduate and certificate programs (including medical assisting and pharmacy technology). Comparable in program mix and adult-learner focus.
• Pima Medical Institute: National for-profit health-career college offering certificates and associate degrees in medical assisting, pharmacy technology, and other allied-health fields. Directly comparable in program mix, target student, and outcome-focused value proposition.

Broad incumbents

• City Colleges of Chicago: Multi-campus public community college system serving Chicago with extensive allied health programs. Comparable because it competes for the same first-generation, minority, and adult-learner population in the broader Chicago metro, and one of NWSC's deans previously led nursing programs there.
• College of DuPage: Large public community college in Glen Ellyn, IL, offering Medical Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, and other allied health certificate and associate degree programs. Comparable because it competes directly with NWSC for the same non-traditional learners in the Chicago suburbs and is led by Dr. Debra Gurney's prior employer, validating the talent pipeline.

Regional players

• Tricoci University of Beauty Culture: Chicago-area private career college specializing in allied health and beauty programs. Comparable as a regional private, small-class, career-oriented institution competing for similar non-traditional students in the Chicago metropolitan market.

Emerging players

• Rosalind Franklin University: North Chicago-based private health-sciences university offering pre-professional and graduate allied-health programs. Comparable as a private, mission-driven health-education institution in the same regional talent and clinical-partner ecosystem as NWSC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nwsc_college
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-suburban-college
• Instagraminstagram.com/northwestsuburbancollege

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Northwest Suburban College