Shorelight Education

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.

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

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

• International student recruitment
• Higher education services
• University pathway programs
• Study abroad support
• Student enrollment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core 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

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• American UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight 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 ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UIC to provide UIC Global programs offering international students comprehensive support including research, admissions, enrollment, on-campus, academic, and career services.
• Florida International UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership 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 UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight partners with Auburn University offering International Direct and Academic Accelerator programs for international students with comprehensive support services.
• UCLA Extension (American Collegiate LA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration 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 UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-campus partnership with Heriot-Watt University UK, Malaysia, and Dubai campuses providing international-friendly admission and enrollment processes with Shorelight's support services.
• Udeti VisasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight 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.
• NAFSAsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight collaborates with NAFSA (Association of International Educators) to advocate on behalf of international students at national levels.
• Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and ImmigrationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight works with the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration to advocate for international student policies.
• U.S. for Success CoalitionsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerShorelight 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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC89S1OS4ej37XKYCWIn7j6Q
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shorelight
• Instagraminstagram.com/shorelightedu
• Xx.com/ShorelightEdu
• Facebookfacebook.com/ShorelightEducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shorelight Education