Shorelight Education
Shorelight Education is a Boston-based education services platform partnering with 50+ universities across the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia to recruit, enroll, and support international students through the full lifecycle from admissions and visa processing to academic and career services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Shorelight Education does
Shorelight Education is a Boston-based, privately held education services platform that operates a two-sided model connecting international students with a network of 50+ partner universities across the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, and Malaysia. The company provides end-to-end support across the international student lifecycle, organized into six service modules: Research Services (university discovery and matching), Admissions Services (application support and transfer placement), Enrollment Services (visa guidance and F-1 preparation), On Campus Services (arrival logistics, housing, and cultural orientation), Academic Services (English coursework, counseling, and virtual study), and Career Services (resume prep, networking, and OPT placement via the Career Accelerator Program). Its core product, the Shorelight Signature Schools Platform, is built on a conventional SaaS and marketing technology stack—Salesforce for application processing via apply.shorelight.com, Marketo for marketing automation, Google Analytics, AB Tasty for experimentation, Cloudflare for security, and FormAssembly for form management.
Shorelight generates revenue through two primary streams: University Partnership Revenue, structured as transaction-based fees where universities pay for access to Shorelight's international student pipeline and support infrastructure, and Student Service Fees, generated from professional services including visa assistance, academic support, and career services delivered to enrolled students. Annual tuition across partner programs ranges from approximately $7,000 (American Collegiate Live virtual program) to $61,378 (American Collegiate DC), with most undergraduate programs priced between $18,000 and $56,000 per year, though Shorelight's own per-student service fees are not publicly disclosed. The company distributes services through three primary channels: a self-serve direct digital platform (shorelight.com), enterprise partnerships with universities, and a global network of educational counselors and recruitment agents.
The company's go-to-market combines direct-to-consumer digital marketing (LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, webinars, and content) with enterprise field sales targeting university partners. Shorelight has cumulatively supported 38,000+ students and administers $11M+ in scholarships, and its leadership includes Tom Dretler (CEO and co-founder) and Lynnet Conley (CFO). In May 2024, the company secured a $30 million revolving credit facility from CIBC Innovation Banking to support product development and scaling, reflecting its capital-intensive growth model.
Shorelight Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shorelight Education
- Legal name
- Shorelight, LLC
- Website
- https://shorelight.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Shorelight Education is a Boston-based education services platform partnering with 50+ universities across the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia to recruit, enroll, and support international students through the full lifecycle from admissions and visa processing to academic and career services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shorelight Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Education Services
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships (EDAIABAI)
Keywords
Where Shorelight Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shorelight Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- University Partnership Revenue: Shorelight generates revenue through partnerships with universities by providing international student recruitment, enrollment management, and support services. Universities pay for access to Shorelight's student pipeline and support infrastructure.
- Student Service Fees: Revenue generated from services provided to international students including visa assistance, academic support, and career services. The company offers technology-driven enrollment and performance management services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Annual | University-specific tuition pricing varies by institution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Shorelight Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shorelight Education partners with 50+ universities across the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia to recruit and support international students through an end-to-end service model. The company provides university research, application and admissions support, visa processing assistance, on-campus arrival support, academic services, and career placement, delivered via a technology-driven platform with dedicated advisors and specialized programs including American Collegiate Live, American Collegiate LA, American Collegiate DC, and the Career Accelerator Program.
Product overview
Shorelight Education operates as a platform connecting international students with a network of partner universities across the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia. The core offering is the Shorelight Signature Schools Platform, which provides end-to-end services across the student lifecycle: Research Services for university discovery, Admissions Services for application support, Enrollment Services for visa assistance, On Campus Services for transition support, Academic Services for performance improvement, and Career Services including the award-winning Career Accelerator Program. The platform also includes specialized sub-brands like American Collegiate Live (virtual programs), American Collegiate LA (UCLA Extension transfer), and American Collegiate DC (American University transfer), plus a Marketplace for additional services and Health Insurance offerings. Students access over 1,900 areas of study across 9 Top-100 universities through a personalized, advisor-supported journey.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shorelight Signature Schools Platform End-to-end platform connecting international students with 50+ top-ranked US and international universities, providing personalized support across the entire student journey including research, admissions, visa processing, on-campus arrival, academic support, and career placement.
- American Collegiate Live Virtual undergraduate program allowing international students to begin US university degree studies from home, learning in real-time with university faculty and earning transferable course credits.
- American Collegiate LA Top-tier one- or two-year undergraduate transfer program through UCLA Extension combining rigorous academic courses with personalized support for international students seeking transfer to top universities.
- American Collegiate DC Elite undergraduate transfer program hosted by American University in Washington DC with rigorous preparatory environment and personalized support for international students.
- International Accelerator Programs Accelerator and pathway programs at partner universities (including American University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Florida International University, Auburn University, and others) designed to help international students transition successfully to US higher education.
- Career Accelerator Program Career preparation program offering personalized career support, upskill development, resume and cover letter preparation, professional networking, workshops, internships, and CPT/OPT work permit assistance for international students.
- Shorelight Marketplace Marketplace offering additional services and resources for international students studying at Shorelight partner universities.
- Health Insurance Services Health insurance offerings for international students studying in the US, provided as an add-on service through the Shorelight platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- 38,000+ international students helped to study in the US
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Shorelight Education
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shorelight Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
Feature3 records
Shorelight Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- American UniversitycoreShorelight partners with American University to offer international student programs including the International Accelerator Program. Students benefit from comprehensive support services from admissions through career placement.
- University of Illinois at ChicagocorePartnership with UIC to provide UIC Global programs offering international students comprehensive support including research, admissions, enrollment, on-campus, academic, and career services.
- Florida International UniversitycorePartnership with FIU offering the FIU Global First Year program with comprehensive international student support services. FIU is ranked #97 by U.S. News with strong international business programs.
- Auburn UniversitycoreShorelight partners with Auburn University offering International Direct and Academic Accelerator programs for international students with comprehensive support services.
- UCLA Extension (American Collegiate LA)coreCollaboration with UCLA Extension for American Collegiate LA, a top-tier transfer program combining academic courses with personalized support for international students seeking transfer to top universities.
- Heriot-Watt UniversitycoreMulti-campus partnership with Heriot-Watt University UK, Malaysia, and Dubai campuses providing international-friendly admission and enrollment processes with Shorelight's support services.
- Udeti VisasupportingShorelight co-hosts 'How to Ace Your F-1 Visa Interview' webinars with Udeti Visa, a team of highly experienced former US visa consular officers who provide visa preparation services.
- NAFSAsupportingShorelight collaborates with NAFSA (Association of International Educators) to advocate on behalf of international students at national levels.
- Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and ImmigrationsupportingShorelight works with the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration to advocate for international student policies.
- U.S. for Success CoalitionsupportingShorelight collaborates with the U.S. for Success Coalition to advocate for international students and clear barriers to study in the US.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Shorelight Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ApplyBoard: ApplyBoard is a venture-backed study abroad platform that connects international students with universities and recruitment agents globally. It is the most direct competitor to Shorelight's digital marketplace and agent-network model, operating in the same end-to-end international student recruitment value chain.
- INTO University Partnerships: INTO partners with universities in the US and UK to deliver pathway, foundation, and accelerator programs for international students — a near-identical operating model to Shorelight's International Accelerator Programs at American University, FIU, Auburn, and UIC.
- Navitas: Navitas runs university partnership-based pathway and foundation programs globally, competing head-to-head with Shorelight for the same university contracts and international student cohorts in the US, UK, and Australia.
- Cambridge Education Group (CEG / ONCAMPUS): CEG's ONCAMPUS and CEG Digital divisions operate university-affiliated pathway, foundation, and pre-master's programs for international students, directly comparable to Shorelight's accelerator offerings and virtual (American Collegiate Live) delivery formats.
- StudyPortals: StudyPortals operates a global study program discovery and comparison platform used by international students researching universities abroad, listed alongside Shorelight as a major player in the Study Abroad Service Market and overlapping on the research/awareness phase of the funnel.
- StudyGroup: StudyGroup partners with universities in the US, UK, and Europe to deliver pathway and foundation programs for international students, closely mirroring Shorelight's International Accelerator model and competing for the same university contracts.
Broad incumbents
- Kaplan International: Kaplan offers pathway programs, English language training, and university preparation for international students through a broad portfolio that overlaps with Shorelight's admissions and English-language support services, but as a much larger, diversified incumbent.
- IDP Education: IDP is a publicly listed global study abroad and English-testing provider (IELTS co-owner) that competes with Shorelight for international student placement and university partnerships, with significantly broader scale and geographic reach.
- QS (Quacquarelli Symonds): QS provides university rankings, study abroad fairs, and student recruitment services that compete with Shorelight on the awareness and matching stages of the international student journey, also cited alongside Shorelight as a major Study Abroad Service Market player.
Emerging players
- Cialfo: Cialfo is a digital platform that helps international students apply to universities globally, with comparable application-management, counselor-network, and university-partnership features that put it in direct competition with Shorelight's admissions platform.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Customer concentration
Shorelight Education social profiles
Digital presenceShorelight Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shorelight Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Shorelight Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shorelight Education M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shorelight Education
What does Shorelight Education do?
Shorelight Education partners with 50+ universities across the US, UK, UAE, and Malaysia to recruit and support international students through an end-to-end service model. The company provides university research, application and admissions support, visa processing assistance, on-campus arrival support, academic services, and career placement, delivered via a technology-driven platform with dedicated advisors and specialized programs including American Collegiate Live, American Collegiate LA, American Collegiate DC, and the Career Accelerator Program.
Is Shorelight Education a public or private company?
Shorelight Education is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Shorelight Education founded?
Shorelight Education was founded in 2013. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Shorelight Education based?
Shorelight Education is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Shorelight Education make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. University Partnership Revenue is the primary driver. The others are student Service Fees.
Who are Shorelight Education's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ApplyBoard, INTO University Partnerships, Navitas, Cambridge Education Group (CEG / ONCAMPUS), StudyPortals and StudyGroup. Broad incumbents are Kaplan International, IDP Education and QS (Quacquarelli Symonds). Cialfo is listed as an emerging player.
Does Shorelight Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shorelight Education.
What industry is Shorelight Education in?
Shorelight Education's product category is International Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAJAA, University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs, with a secondary code of EDAIABAI, International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships. Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8200.