Jostens
Jostens is a privately-held, 125+ year-old provider of custom milestone commemoration products — yearbooks, class rings, graduation regalia, letterman jackets, and championship rings — serving 40,000+ K-12 schools, colleges, and professional sports teams across the US and Canada via direct sales, school stores, and e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1898
- HeadquartersMinneapolis, United States
- Headcount5,001–10,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Jostens does
Jostens is a privately-held manufacturer and service provider of milestone commemoration products headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded in 1897, the company serves K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and professional sports organizations across the United States and Canada through 5,001-10,000 employees, a direct sales force of local representatives, school-based stores, and a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform (jostens.com). Its customer base spans 40,000+ partner schools and approximately 2.5 million students, families, and alumni annually. Core product lines include custom-printed yearbooks, class rings manufactured in Denton, Texas, graduation caps/gowns and announcements, letterman jackets, school photography through the JostensPIX service, and school culture-building programs (CULTURE+, Renaissance, SchoolMark).
The company's technology stack is anchored by proprietary digital platforms: Yearbook Avenue (online yearbook creation with templates and Google Drive integration), Yearbook+ (pixel-based QR code technology embedded in student portraits for unlocking digital content), and PhotoShare (community photo submission platform). In 2025, Jostens launched The Champions Collective, a new division producing championship rings for professional sports leagues (NBA, MLB, WNBA, NWSL) and collegiate athletic programs — a deliberate vertical extension into higher-margin bespoke memorabilia.
Revenue is generated primarily through one-time unit-priced purchases of custom-manufactured physical goods, sold via B2B institutional contracts with schools and direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Pricing is set at the school level for graduation packages, yearbooks, and class rings, with payment plan options (Afterpay, PayPal) easing affordability. The company received a $450 million investment from Koch Equity Development in November 2024, and remains privately held with no public listing.
Jostens firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Jostens
- Legal name
- Jostens, Inc.
- Website
- https://jostens.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1898
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 5,001–10,000 employees
- Short description
- Jostens is a privately-held, 125+ year-old provider of custom milestone commemoration products — yearbooks, class rings, graduation regalia, letterman jackets, and championship rings — serving 40,000+ K-12 schools, colleges, and professional sports teams across the US and Canada via direct sales, school stores, and e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Jostens industry classification
Industry- Product category
- School Commemorative Products and Graduation Services
- NAICS
- Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers (4591), Office Supplies and Stationery Retailers (45941)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sportswear Customization & Printing Retail (CRAMACAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Game-Used & Match-Worn Memorabilia Retail (CRAMAOAC), Sports Memorabilia & Autographs Retail (CRALAGAI)
Keywords
Where Jostens is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Minneapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices8 records
Markets served
Jostens business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Yearbooks: Custom-printed yearbooks sold to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. Schools sell to students through school stores.
- Class Rings & Jewelry: Custom class rings for high school and college students, plus specialty rings for professions (military, pilots), organizations, and sports. Rings are manufactured in Denton, Texas.
- Graduation Products: Cap and gown packages, announcements, photo cards, diploma frames, stoles, and accessories for high school and college graduates.
- Championship Rings: Professional and collegiate championship rings designed and manufactured through The Champions Collective division.
- Letterman Jackets: Custom letter jackets featuring school colors, mascots, and achievement patches.
- School Photography: School portrait services through JostensPIX, including professional photography, ordering, and home delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | School-specific graduation packages (Mascot Packages) |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Class rings and jewelry |
| Subscription | Monthly | Payment plan options |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Jostens product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Jostens designs, manufactures, and distributes custom commemorative products for educational milestones and sports championships. Core offerings include custom-printed yearbooks, handcrafted class rings and championship rings, graduation regalia (caps, gowns, announcements, diploma frames), letterman jackets, school photography, and school culture-building programs, sold through a national field sales force to over 40,000 K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, plus directly to students and families via school stores and jostens.com.
Product overview
Jostens is a comprehensive life milestone celebration company offering a platform-plus-modules product architecture. The core offerings include yearbooks (via Yearbook Avenue creation platform with Yearbook+ digital extension), class rings and jewelry (customizable for high school and college), graduation regalia (caps, gowns, announcements, packages), and letterman jackets. Additional modules include school photography (JostensPIX), school culture programs (CULTURE+, Renaissance, SchoolMark), The Champions Collective for professional championship rings, Photo Share for community photo uploads, GradTrack for graduation tracking, diploma frames, and The Mascot Shop for spirit wear. The products serve educational institutions, students, families, and professional sports organizations through both direct-to-consumer and institutional B2B channels.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- The Champions Collective: A Jostens company division that designs and creates championship rings for professional and collegiate sports teams. Created the Las Vegas Aces' 2025 WNBA championship ring featuring innovative removable fashion ring design.
- JostensPIX
- GradTrack
- Yearbook Avenue
- CULTURE+
- Renaissance Education
- Meridian Planners
- Kinderkraft
- Yearbook+
- SchoolMark
Products and services
- Yearbooks Custom-printed school yearbooks capturing student portraits, memories, and school year highlights, offered to K-12 schools, high schools, and colleges with digital extensions and creation tooling.
- Class Rings and Jewelry Customizable class rings and jewelry for high school and college students, plus specialty rings for military, pilots, scouting, Greek life, and other communities, manufactured at the Denton, Texas facility.
- Graduation Caps and Gowns Official high school and college graduation cap and gown packages with school-specific colors, plus accessories such as Cap Companion, Inspiration Charm, Souvenir Cap, and Class Zipper Pull.
- Graduation Announcements and Photo Cards Custom graduation announcements and photo cards for high school and college graduates, available in 60+ designs with customizable colors, fonts, and school mascot integration.
- Letterman Jackets Official school letter jackets featuring custom school colors, mascots, and achievement patches for academic, athletic, and extracurricular recognition.
- The Champions Collective Championship Rings Custom-designed championship rings for professional and collegiate sports teams, featuring intricate design elements such as removable fashion rings, championship game dirt inclusions, championship game ball pieces, and hundreds of gemstones.
- JostensPIX School Photography School photography service providing professional school portraits with seamless online ordering and home delivery for families through shop.jostenspix.com.
- Mascot Graduation Packages School-specific bundle packages (Mascot Packages) combining cap and gown, senior apparel, announcements, accessories, and keepsakes at discounted pricing for high school seniors, with Afterpay and PayPal payment options.
- Diploma Frames Personalized FSC-certified eco-friendly diploma frames for college graduates, designed to accommodate the diploma, senior photo, and graduation tassel.
- Mascot Shop Custom School Spirit Wear Custom school spirit wear and apparel featuring school mascots, available to students, families, and staff through school-branded spirit shops.
- Meridian Student Planners Student planners for academic organization and planning, sold to schools and families as part of Jostens's school products suite.
- School Culture Programs (CULTURE+ and Renaissance) School culture and climate program suites (CULTURE+ and Renaissance) providing resources, events, and community-building services designed to increase student engagement, attendance, and graduation rates.
Quantifiable outcome
- Served 2.5 million customers annually across 40,000+ partner schools
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Jostens
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Jostens technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability2 records
Feature4 records
Jostens partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Las Vegas AcescoreThe Champions Collective, a division of Jostens, designed the Las Vegas Aces' 2025 WNBA Championship ring. The ring features three one-carat diamonds representing each championship, seventeen black diamonds for their 17 consecutive wins, and a first-of-its-kind removable fashion ring. This is the Aces' third WNBA title in four years.
- Los Angeles DodgerscoreThe Champions Collective presented the Los Angeles Dodgers' 2025 World Series Championship ring during a ceremony at Dodger Stadium. The ring commemorates the team's back-to-back titles and features dirt from Game 7 of the World Series. This is the Dodgers' ninth championship.
- Gotham FCcoreThe Champions Collective presented Gotham FC's 2025 NWSL Championship ring at a public ceremony in Harrison, NJ following their home opener. The ring commemorates their second league championship.
- University of FloridacoreJostens designed the University of Florida's 2025 Men's Basketball National Championship Ring presented to players, coaches, and staff. The ring features detailed symbols and scores celebrating the team's 36 season wins and three national titles.
- University of Texas Permian BasincoreJostens announced a new partnership with The University of Texas Permian Basin to develop and support their official ring program, enhancing school tradition and pride. The partnership aims to engage students and alumni through customizable rings symbolizing university heritage.
- University of ConnecticutcoreJostens designed and presented the University of Connecticut's women's basketball team with the 2025 National Championship Ring on October 23, 2025. The ring features innovative design elements including a piece of the championship game ball.
- Oklahoma City ThundercoreThe Champions Collective and Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled the 2025 NBA Championship ring at Paycom Center, marking the Thunder's first-ever NBA title. The ring features over 800 gemstones with an innovative inner band displaying individual player details.
- Harvard UniversitycoreJostens announced a new partnership with Harvard University to enhance its ring tradition. The collaboration involves creating a customized Harvard University Ring collection featuring iconic symbols and personalized options. The collection launched on September 12, 2025.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Jostens competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- LifeTouch: LifeTouch (part of Shutterfly) is a direct competitor to JostensPIX, providing school photography services, portrait packages, and yearbook photos. It competes for the same school contracts and parent photo-order relationships.
- Balfour: Balfour is a direct competitor in class rings, yearbooks, and graduation products, identified alongside Jostens and Herff Jones as a major player in the graduation market. Now part of Taylor Corporation, it shares Jostens' school-distribution model and product breadth.
- Walsworth: Walsworth is a yearbook publishing company that directly competes with Jostens for K-12 and college yearbook contracts. It is one of the largest independent yearbook printers in the US and overlaps significantly with Jostens' yearbook business.
- Inter-State Studio: Inter-State Studio is a school photography company that directly competes with JostensPIX for school portrait contracts across multiple US states. It serves a similar K-12 customer base with comparable portrait and yearbook photo services.
- TreeRing: TreeRing is a digital yearbook platform that directly competes with Jostens' Yearbook Avenue by offering online yearbook creation tools and printing services to schools. It represents the digital-native alternative to Jostens' traditional yearbook offering.
- Herff Jones: Herff Jones is Jostens' closest direct competitor, offering class rings, yearbooks, graduation regalia, and letterman jackets to K-12 schools and colleges across the US. Now part of Varsity Brands, it competes head-to-head on essentially every product Jostens sells.
Emerging players
- Mixbook: Mixbook is an emerging player in photo books, memory books, and personalized print products. While not primarily a school yearbook business, it overlaps with Jostens on memory books and graduation keepsakes and represents a digital-native alternative for keepsake printing.
- Picaboo: Picaboo Yearbooks is an emerging digital yearbook platform offering online creation tools and printed yearbook delivery to schools. It targets the same school-customer base as Jostens' Yearbook Avenue but with a more digitally native cost structure.
Broad incumbents
- Shutterfly: Shutterfly (parent of LifeTouch) is a broad incumbent in photo printing, photo books, and school photography. It competes with JostensPIX on school portraits and with Jostens yearbooks on memory-book products, though its core business is consumer rather than institutional.
- Varsity Brands: Varsity Brands is the parent of Herff Jones and a broad incumbent in school-related products including cheerleading, dance, and scholastic apparel. It competes with Jostens across letterman jackets, school spirit wear, and graduation products as part of a much wider portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Jostens social profiles
Digital presenceJostens compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Jostens financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Jostens leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Jostens subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries9 records
Jostens funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Jostens M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Jostens
What does Jostens do?
Jostens designs, manufactures, and distributes custom commemorative products for educational milestones and sports championships. Core offerings include custom-printed yearbooks, handcrafted class rings and championship rings, graduation regalia (caps, gowns, announcements, diploma frames), letterman jackets, school photography, and school culture-building programs, sold through a national field sales force to over 40,000 K-12 schools, colleges, and universities, plus directly to students and families via school stores and jostens.com.
Is Jostens a public or private company?
Jostens is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was Jostens founded?
Jostens was founded in 1898. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.
Where is Jostens based?
Jostens is headquartered in Minneapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Jostens make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Yearbooks are the primary driver. The others are class Rings & Jewelry, graduation Products, championship Rings, letterman Jackets and school Photography.
Who are Jostens's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are LifeTouch, Balfour, Walsworth, Inter-State Studio, TreeRing and Herff Jones. Emerging players are Mixbook and Picaboo. Broad incumbents are Shutterfly and Varsity Brands.
Does Jostens have an API?
No public API is recorded for Jostens.
What industry is Jostens in?
Jostens's product category is School Commemorative Products and Graduation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAMACAK, Sportswear Customization & Printing Retail, with a secondary code of CRAMAOAC, Game-Used & Match-Worn Memorabilia Retail. Its NAICS code is 4591 and its SIC code is 3949.