Capella University

Capella University was the inspiration of Stephen Shank, former CEO of Tonka Corporation, who felt that many adults were underserved by traditional universities. He envisioned a high quality university that people could attend from any location.

In 1991, Shank took the first step toward establishing the corporate entity that would become Capella Education Company. In 1993, Dr. Harold Abel, an experienced leader in higher education and former president of three universities, joined Shank to found The Graduate School of America, now called Capella University. Originally, the university offered online Master's and Doctoral degrees in management, education, and human services.

Today, Capella University offers more than 760 online courses and undergraduate and graduate degree programs in more than 93 specialized areas of study. Capella's more than 23,000 learners include a diverse group of adults from all 50 states and 63 countries.

The mission of Capella University is to extend access to high quality Bachelor's, Master's, Doctoral, and certificate programs for adults who seek to maximize their personal and professional potential. This mission is fulfilled through innovative programs that are responsive to the needs of adult learners and involve active, engaging, challenging, and relevant learning experiences offered in a variety of delivery modes.

More than 75 percent of the faculty at Capella hold doctoral degrees and all have extensive experience in their field. They come to Capella because they truly enjoy teaching, because they embrace online education, and because they value the high-caliber learning experience Capella University makes possible.

To find out more about Capella University and the online degree programs that are right for you, request more information today.