Walden University

Online for-profit university under Covista, focused on nursing and healthcare degrees.

Walden's healthcare licensure programs give it cover that its generic degrees lack, while regulatory and legal exposure through 2027 keeps the picture unsettled.

Walden University runs online degree programs mostly in business, IT, management, and healthcare, taught mainly by part-time teachers. It has real protection in nursing and healthcare degrees because those need specific state licenses and accreditation, but competitors like Southern New Hampshire University, Arizona State Online, and others have the same protections and are stealing students in business and IT. The bigger threat is that AI-powered short courses and employer-run training programs are replacing the need for full degrees in many fields, and Walden's reliance on part-time instructors makes it vulnerable to being undercut on cost. The one thing that could save it: if its healthcare programs grow much faster than the rest of the business, and if the Department of Education's investigation into past misleading advertising claims (due to wrap up in March 2027) doesn't create new legal or reputation damage.

• FY2025 revenue $693.4M (2025-06-30)
• Revenue up 16.5% YoY in FY2025 (2025-06-30)
• 89% part-time faculty vs 51.4% national average (n.d.)

• DOE borrower-defense discharge process due by March 30, 2027 could bring further financial/reputational fallout. Severity: high
• Ongoing 4-year compliance obligation under $28.5M Carroll v. Walden settlement. Severity: medium
• 89% part-time adjunct faculty model exposed to AI-driven content substitution. Severity: medium
• Generic business, IT, and management degrees lack differentiation vs identically accredited rivals and AI micro-credentials. Severity: high
• Double-digit enrollment growth could be marketing-driven rather than organic demand. Severity: medium

Who owns Walden University?

Walden University is owned by Covista Inc. (NYSE: CVSA), the company formerly named Adtalem Global Education, which rebranded on Feb. 24, 2026. Adtalem bought Walden from Laureate Education for $1.48 billion in a deal that closed Aug. 12, 2021.

Is Walden University profitable or growing?

Walden itself doesn't report standalone profit, but its segment revenue hit $693.4 million in FY2025 (ended June 30, 2025), up 16.5% year over year from $595.3 million, with double-digit enrollment growth every quarter that fiscal year, per Adtalem's Aug. 7, 2025 results.

Could AI replace Walden University's degree programs?

Walden's licensure-linked nursing and healthcare programs require accredited clinical placements AI cannot replicate, but its generic business, IT, and management degrees rely on 89% part-time adjunct faculty and face growing competition from AI-driven micro-credentials and employer-accepted alternatives as of 2025-2026.

Who is Walden University's biggest competitor?

Capella University is Walden's closest peer, sharing identical HLC accreditation and overlapping doctoral and nursing programs. Western Governors University, SNHU, and Arizona State University Online also compete directly for the same working-adult online-degree market as of 2025-2026.

Is Walden University facing any lawsuits or regulatory trouble?

Yes. Walden settled the Carroll v. Walden class action for $28.5 million (final approval Oct. 17, 2024, checks mailed April 10, 2025) under a 4-year compliance term, and faces a Department of Education borrower-defense discharge process due to complete by March 30, 2027.

What is Covista Inc. and how does it relate to Walden University?

Covista Inc. (NYSE: CVSA) is the parent company of Walden University, formed when Adtalem Global Education rebranded on Feb. 24, 2026 after completing a four-year pivot to healthcare education across five schools serving over 97,000 students total.

• 2026-03-25Ninth Circuit denied DOE request to pause borrower-defense deadlines for Walden claimants
• 2026-02-24Adtalem Global Education begins trading as Covista Inc. under ticker CVSA
• 2026-02-05Adtalem announces rebrand to Covista, citing healthcare-education pivot across five schools
• 2025-08-07Adtalem reports Walden FY2025 revenue of $693.4M, up 16.5% YoY
• 2025-04-10Carroll v. Walden settlement checks mailed to class members
• 2024-10-17Carroll v. Walden $28.5M class-action settlement receives final court approval
• 2024-03-28Walden agrees to $28.5M Carroll v. Walden false-advertising settlement
• 2021-08-12Adtalem completes $1.48B acquisition of Walden University from Laureate Education
• 1982Walden University headquarters relocated to Minneapolis
• 1970Walden University founded by Bernie and Rita Turner

• Adtalem FY2025 Results (2025-08-07)
• Adtalem Global Education Becomes Covista (2026-02-05)
• Adtalem Rebrands as Covista (2026-02-06)
• Student Population and Demographics
• Walden University - Headcount, Funding & Open Jobs (2026-07-07)
• Walden University -> Alumni and faculty
• Faculty Composition for Walden University
• Walden Google Cloud AI Certificate
• NLN/Walden Institute for Artificial Intelligence Academy
• Guidelines for Using AI Tools in Writing and Research (2023-04-06)
• Landmark Settlement Reached in Class-Action Lawsuit Against Walden University (2024-03-28)
• Carroll et al. v. Walden University, LLC et al.