Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

Technical and Trade Educationbfit.edu

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (operating as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a Boston-based private nonprofit technical college founded in 1908 that offers associate degrees, certificates, and apprenticeship-track programs in automotive, biotech, business, construction, engineering, eye care, and IT to regional and first-generation students, with employer-partnered co-op placement.

Company typePrivate
Founded1908
HeadquartersBoston, United States
Headcount101–250
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology does

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology, doing business as Franklin Cummings Tech, is a private nonprofit technical and trade college founded in 1908 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. The institution operates from its main campus at 1011 Harrison Ave., Roxbury, MA 02119 (relocated effective January 1, 2026), and offers associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs across seven core academic areas: Automotive Technology, Business Management, Biotechnology, Construction & Trades, Engineering Technology, Eye Care, and Information Technology (with Cybersecurity and Practical Electricity/Mechatronics as newer offerings). Its revenue model is primarily tuition and fees supplemented by federal/state financial aid (covering 93% of students for tuition, books, and tools) and discrete government and philanthropic grants, including a $2.5 million Massachusetts workforce-development grant in 2023, a $1 million Google.org grant in 2024, a $300,000 American Student Assistance grant in 2024, and a Massachusetts Clean Energy Center grant in 2021.

The institution's go-to-market combines a sales-led direct-enrollment admissions process (online application plus FAFSA support) with employer-facing channels including co-op, apprenticeship, and on-campus recruiting partnerships. Named employer partners — Vertex Pharmaceuticals (biotech co-op), Commodore Builders (construction internship), Parkway Toyota (automotive apprenticeship), and C&W Services (facilities workforce training) — serve as both a student placement channel and a brand-validation mechanism for the institution's workforce-development positioning. The student body is mission-aligned with first-generation college students making up 46% of enrollment, and the institution reports an 80% job placement rate in field of choice or continuing education.

Operationally, the college is governed as an independent nonprofit with no parent company, venture, or private equity backing. It is led by Dr. Aisha Francis as President and CEO, holds SARA authorization for interstate online program delivery, and pursues a hybrid employer-services/individual-enrollment GTM motion. The technology footprint is conventional educational delivery rather than AI- or platform-enabled, and risk factors include heavy dependence on third-party financial aid and state funding sources, regional (Massachusetts-only) student draw, and a headcount of 101-250 employees.

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology
Legal name: Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
Website: https://bfit.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1908
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 101–250 employees
Short description: Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (operating as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a Boston-based private nonprofit technical college founded in 1908 that offers associate degrees, certificates, and apprenticeship-track programs in automotive, biotech, business, construction, engineering, eye care, and IT to regional and first-generation students, with employer-partnered co-op placement.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology industry classification

Industry

Product category: Technical and Trade Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
akta.pro primary industry: Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)
akta.pro secondary industry: Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused) (EDAHADAD)

Keywords

Technical education
Trade college
Associate degrees
Workforce development
Vocational training

Where Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Boston
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and fees for technical and trade education programs including associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education courses.
Government Funding: State funding for workforce development programs, specifically received $2.5 million in state funds to train workers for green economy jobs.
Financial Aid Programs: 93% of students receive financial aid to help pay for tuition, books and tools, indicating significant reliance on federal and state financial aid programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Franklin Cummings Tech (legal name: Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology) is an affordable technical and trade college in Boston offering associate degrees, certificates, and continuing education programs across Automotive Technology, Business Management, Biotechnology, Construction & Trades, Engineering Technology, Eye Care, and Information Technology (including Cybersecurity). The institution combines classroom instruction with hands-on training, co-op and apprenticeship opportunities with employer partners, and job placement services for prospective students and working adults.

Product overview

Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (operating as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a technical and trade college offering a portfolio of associate degree and certificate programs across seven major academic areas: Automotive Technology, Business Management, Biotechnology, Construction & Trades, Engineering Technology, Eye Care, and Information Technology. The institution operates on a multi-product educational platform model, combining core academic programs with workforce development initiatives including continuing education courses, apprenticeship programs (such as automotive technician apprenticeships with employers like Parkway Toyota), and the Advanced Standing Associates Program (ASAP) for early college students. Programs are designed with applied, hands-on training and include co-op and job placement components to support career outcomes in technical and trade fields.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Automotive Technology Program

Quantifiable outcome

80% job placement rate (full-time, in field of choice or continuing education)
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

Vertex PharmaceuticalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise employer partner providing co-op opportunities for biotechnology students. Student Patrick Peter completed co-op at Vertex working on sickle cell disease research and cure development.
Commodore BuilderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstruction industry employer partner providing internship opportunities for construction management students. Student Markin Bautista served as Assistant Project Manager intern.
Parkway ToyotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAutomotive dealer providing apprenticeship opportunities for automotive technology students. Student Ismail Mohammad participated in apprenticeship program working four days per week.
United Way of Mass BayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit partner supporting the institution's mission as indicated by logo placement on website footer.
NC-SARAminorOthersState Authorization Reciprocity Agreements participant, indicated by SARA seal on website footer, enabling interstate distance education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Roxbury Community College: Public community college located in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. Directly comparable as a hyper-local Boston institution focused on workforce development and associate degrees for underserved urban populations.
Wentworth Institute of Technology: Private technical university in Boston offering co-op programs in engineering, computing, and applied technology. Comparable to BFIT/Franklin Cummings Tech as a Boston-based technical institution emphasizing hands-on applied education with employer partnerships.
Bunker Hill Community College: Large public community college in Boston with associate degrees and technical/trade programs. Directly comparable as a Boston-area postsecondary institution serving similar low-income and first-generation student populations with technical pathways.
Urban College of Boston: Small private nonprofit college in Boston focused on serving low-income, first-generation, and nontraditional students. Directly comparable mission and student demographic to BFIT/Franklin Cummings Tech.
Massachusetts Bay Community College: Public community college in the Boston metro area offering technical and career programs. Comparable as a regional competitor in associate-degree technical education with similar employer partnership models.

Regional players

Mount Wachusett Community College: Massachusetts community college offering technical and vocational programs with workforce-development partnerships. Comparable in mission and program mix, though operating in central Massachusetts rather than Boston.
Quinsigamond Community College: Massachusetts community college with technical and workforce programs. Comparable as a regional Massachusetts community college offering similar technical credentialing, though not directly competing in the Boston core.
Northern Essex Community College: Massachusetts community college with technical/trade programs and workforce development. Comparable program mix, though serving a different geography north of Boston.
Springfield Technical Community College: Massachusetts technical community college offering trade and technical programs statewide. Comparable as a public technical college serving similar workforce-development populations, though operating primarily in Western Massachusetts.

Broad incumbents

Northeastern University College of Professional Studies: Larger Boston-based institution offering applied bachelor's and certificate programs in technical fields including IT and biotech. Comparable as a regional incumbent offering career-focused technical education with employer-aligned co-op models.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology compliance and trust

Trust signal

Compliance1 record

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 records

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

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology

What does Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology do?

Is Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology a public or private company?

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology founded?

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology was founded in 1908. It employs 101 to 250 people.

Where is Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology based?

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.

How does Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are government Funding and financial Aid Programs.

Who are Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Roxbury Community College, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Bunker Hill Community College, Urban College of Boston and Massachusetts Bay Community College. Regional players are Mount Wachusett Community College, Quinsigamond Community College, Northern Essex Community College and Springfield Technical Community College. Northeastern University College of Professional Studies is listed as a broad incumbent.

Does Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology have an API?

No public API is recorded for Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.

What industry is Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in?

Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology's product category is Technical and Trade Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAEAA, Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive), with a secondary code of EDAHADAD, Technical Community Colleges (Applied/CTE-Focused). Its NAICS code is 6113.