Fordham University

What Fordham University does

Fordham University is a private Jesuit research university founded in 1841 (originally as St. John's College) operating across four campuses — Rose Hill in the Bronx, Lincoln Center in Manhattan, Westchester in West Harrison, NY, and a London Centre in Clerkenwell. It serves approximately 17,000 students across undergraduate colleges (Fordham College at Rose Hill, Fordham College at Lincoln Center, Gabelli School of Business) and graduate schools (Arts and Sciences, Education, Law, Social Service, Business, Professional and Continuing Studies), with 18% of students being first-generation college students and a 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Core academic products include the Fordham Internship Promise (guaranteeing experiential learning with a 96% job placement rate), specialized centers such as the NSA-designated Center for Cybersecurity / Cyber AI, the Louis Calder Center biological field station, and the LITE (Learning and Innovation Technology Environment) for emerging educational technology.

The business model is multi-stream: tuition and fees are the primary revenue source (average net tuition ~$29,000 for first-time undergraduates in 2023–24 after an average $34,000 aid package, with 96% of first-years receiving aid totaling $281M), supplemented by auxiliary services (housing, dining, athletics), philanthropic donations and grants (over $1B raised under prior president McShane's tenure, including a $500K Santander US grant in late 2025), and an endowment exceeding $1B. International students, who must demonstrate ability to fund at least $35,000/year, are recruited globally through regional counselors and consulting partner Acumen (Sannam S4) in South Asia. Distribution is via direct enrollment (Common Application, campus visits, online learning via Blackboard LMS, virtual tours) and B2B-style corporate/institutional partnerships (AMDA transfer pathway, UCL research collaboration, Hacker Rangers student consulting). Technology infrastructure relies on Google Workspace for Education, Microsoft 365, Blackboard LMS, ServiceNow ITSM, Hyland OnBase, Panopto, and Zoom, while the AI for the Greater Good initiative represents the institution's strategic positioning around ethical AI literacy.

Name

Fordham University

Legal name

Fordham University

Website

https://fordham.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1841

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Fordham University is a private Jesuit research university in New York City serving approximately 17,000 undergraduate and graduate students across four campuses, offering liberal arts and professional degrees with a guaranteed internship experience. Revenue comes primarily from tuition, auxiliary services, and a $1B+ endowment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs (EDAAAEAA), Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges (EDAHAFAA)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate business education
• Jesuit liberal arts
• Professional continuing studies

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees: Fordham generates primary revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition and fees. For 2023-2024, the average net tuition price for first-time undergraduates was approximately $29,000 after financial aid. International students must demonstrate ability to fund at least $35,000 per year. The university offers merit scholarships up to $25,000 for international applicants and need-based aid awards ranging from a few thousand to full tuition.
2. Grants and donations: Fordham receives grants from external organizations (e.g., $500,000 from Santander US for experiential learning programs) and relies on philanthropic donations, including $1 billion raised during President McShane's tenure.
3. Auxiliary services: Revenue from housing, dining, athletics, and other campus services. Student employment office placed over 1,300 students in on-campus jobs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Fordham University is a private Jesuit university delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple schools at campuses in the Bronx (Rose Hill), Manhattan (Lincoln Center), Westchester, and London. Core offerings include liberal arts undergraduate degrees at Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center, business degrees at the Gabelli School of Business, and graduate degrees in Arts and Sciences, Education, Law, and Social Service, plus continuing studies through the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The educational product is anchored by the Fordham Internship Promise guaranteeing every undergraduate at least one internship or faculty-mentored research experience before graduation.

Product overview

Fordham University is a Jesuit university in New York City offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic products and services across multiple undergraduate and graduate schools. Its core educational products span Fordham College at Rose Hill (residential Bronx campus), Fordham College at Lincoln Center (Manhattan campus), the Gabelli School of Business, and graduate schools in Arts and Sciences, Education, Law, and Social Service, supplemented by the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The Fordham Internship Promise serves as a key experiential learning product, guaranteeing all undergraduates an internship or research experience, with a documented 96% job placement rate. Fordham also offers specialized research centers including the NSA-designated Center for Cybersecurity (one of seven National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber AI), the Louis Calder Center biological field station, and the LITE technology learning environment with XR and Makerspace capabilities. Additional products include the Student Consulting Program, WFUV public radio, Fordham University Press, and the annual Fordham Forecast trends report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fordham College at Rose Hill

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of the Class of 2024 was employed, continuing education, or engaged in public service within six months of graduation.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University College London (UCL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 December 2025Professor Ioannis Lianos of UCL Laws received UKRI AHRC BRAID award for the INSICOL project — a 16-month cross-national research initiative starting January 2026. Fordham University is a collaborator alongside MIT and NYU. The project uses LLMs and AI-based simulations to compare how the UK, US, and EU address competition risks from AI and digital platforms.
• AMDA College of the Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025AMDA certificate graduates can transfer to Fordham's School of Professional and Continuing Studies and earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2-3 additional semesters. Eligible students can pursue programs including Entertainment Business for the Performer, Psychology for the Performing Artist, and Public Relations for Entertainment, with enrollment beginning January 2026. Partnership is based in New York City.
• Hacker RangersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Fordham University students collaborated with Hacker Rangers, a cybersecurity awareness company, through Fordham's Student Consulting Program. Students served as consulting partners providing insights and strategic direction, investigating Hacker Rangers' operations and evaluating strategies for international market expansion, focusing on how gamification can enhance security awareness.
• Acumen (Sannam S4 Group)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcumen, part of the Sannam S4 Group and Fordham's consulting partner in India, supports students from South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) applying to Fordham. They provide application guidance and support students through the admissions process.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Boston College: Jesuit research university in the Northeast with residential liberal arts colleges and graduate schools. Most directly comparable on Jesuit mission, Catholic identity, and U.S. Northeast student profile.
• Georgetown University: Top-tier Jesuit research university in a major U.S. city with comparable college-plus-professional-schools structure, similar brand prestige positioning, and overlapping federal/government employer networks.
• Santa Clara University: Jesuit research university with comparable college structure, Jesuit mission emphasis, graduate business and law programs, and similar scale of student body and endowment.
• Villanova University: Mid-Atlantic Augustinian (close to Jesuit tradition) research university with similar undergraduate college-plus-professional school structure, NCAA Division I athletics, and comparable selectivity profile.
• New York University: Largest private university in NYC with similar undergraduate colleges, graduate schools, and deep employer relationships in NYC. Directly comparable on student experience, urban campus model, and tuition-discounting economics.
• Marquette University: Mid-sized Jesuit research university with similar mix of undergraduate colleges, graduate/professional schools, NCAA Division I athletics, and comparable financial aid and fundraising scale.
• University of Notre Dame: Premier U.S. Catholic/Jesuit-adjacent research university with comparable undergraduate colleges, graduate programs, athletics prominence, and large financial aid commitment. Benchmark for aspirational positioning.

Regional players

• The New School: NYC private university with urban campus model and emphasis on professional/experiential learning. Competes for similar NYC-based, professionally-oriented prospective students.
• Pace University: NYC-based private university with comparable undergraduate and graduate programs and downtown/NYC employer pipeline. Direct competitor for NYC students but without Jesuit identity or research profile.

Broad incumbents

• Columbia University: NYC-based Ivy League research university with overlapping undergraduate and graduate schools. While at a much higher prestige and resource tier, Columbia competes with Fordham for the same NYC student talent pool and employer relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fordhamnotes
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FordhamUniversity/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/FordhamUniversity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school
• Instagraminstagram.com/fordhamuniversity

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

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 Fordham University