In May 1997, Pyle purchased West Coast University, which was chartered by the State of California in 1909, out of bankruptcy, and developed a program for the training of registered nurses.

[1] West Coast University, in Los Angeles, was spun off from Occidental College by faculty who wanted more secular curricula.

As it developed, West Coast University became one of the forerunners in offering bachelor's degree programs designed to meet the needs of working adults to aid their careers.

For example, in 1953, the university began offering evening-only programs based on a schedule of six two-month academic terms, especially for service members taking advantage of the GI bill.

The university was led by the late Dr. Victor Elconin, whose direction was instrumental in developing its solid reputation in the business and academic community.

Financial mismanagement led to loss of accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, which resulted in severe declines in enrollment of international students, especially from Taiwan and Thailand.

[2] The new leadership team was committed to refocusing the institution's offering of programs to those that were highest in demand and would be most beneficial to working adults.

West Coast University chose Henry Schein to design a new dental hygiene teaching facility in its Anaheim, California campus which opened its doors on 13 April 2009.

[4] West Coast University's Los Angeles campus received approval in 2010 to award Master of Science degrees in Nursing and Health Care Management.

WCU-Dallas is located in the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex, features a Simulation Center, and is the university's first Texas campus.

WCU boasts high-tech facilities at its Simulation Centers for Nursing and its no-cost community Dental Hygiene Clinic in Orange County, where students provide care and practice their skills at no cost to actual patients in disadvantaged populations.

[9] The university's BSN and MSN programs achieved programmatic accreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).