March 23, 2025
By Ayinde Adeleke
Nigerian-born tech entrepreneur, Tade Oyerinde, a Yoruba innovator, has successfully raised $46 million in Series B funding for his pioneering for-profit community college startup, Campus.
This significant investment, led by General Catalyst, was announced on March 20 and brings Campus’ total funding to over $100 million.
Campus aims to make higher education more accessible and affordable, offering online associate degrees and certifications in fields like business administration, medical assisting, and applied artificial intelligence.
According to Oyerinde, “It’s really simple. In America, we should have elite education for everyone—everyone should be able to learn from the top professors in the country, develop useful skills, and then go on to use those skills to create a great life for themselves.”
Ken Chenault, chairman of General Catalyst, echoed Oyerinde’s vision, stating, “Campus has created a model that is rooted in the rigour and legacy of American higher education with the benefit of technology and innovation that students will require to thrive in an increasingly competitive global economy.”
Founded in 2022, Campus offers live, online courses that lead to two-year associate degrees and certifications in fields such as business administration, technical support, cosmetology, and medical assisting.
The institution also provides an applied AI concentration, responding to a job market where AI-related opportunities have surged by more than 70% in the past five years.
With tuition at $7,200 per year — covered by full Pell Grant awards — Campus positions itself as a low-cost alternative to traditional colleges, where costs range from $11,000 to $43,000 annually.
This innovative approach addresses the increasing financial strain on the U.S. higher education system, where student loan debt has soared to nearly $1.8 trillion.
Campus isn’t just catering to students—it’s also providing new opportunities for professors.
The startup employs over 100 educators, many of whom also teach at prestigious institutions like Princeton, Stanford, and Howard University.
Graduates of Campus have gone on to four-year universities, including New York University, Penn State, and the University of California, San Diego.
The company also helps students enter the workforce immediately after completing their programs.
