10,000 Degrees

What 10,000 Degrees does

10,000 Degrees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 (originally as the Marin Education Foundation) that provides free college access, persistence, and career support exclusively to low-income students, 93% of whom are first in their family to attend college. The organization operates an "Unbound Opportunity Model" that removes traditional barriers such as GPA and test-score cutoffs, embeds trained near-peer Fellows (many alumni) directly in 44 partner high schools and multiple community colleges across eight Bay Area counties plus Utah, and pairs this with scholarship funding ($9.6M disbursed in FY25 to 4,300+ recipients), financial aid navigation, mentorship, career readiness programming, and alumni engagement through a Salesforce-powered Student & Alumni Portal.

The core product set comprises three interlocking programs — the College Access Program (high school), the College Success Program (college persistence and transfer support), and the Career Success Program (post-graduation), supplemented by the Fellowship Program, the Black Student Engagement Program (NBA Foundation-backed), Community College Success, and Money Matters financial literacy workshops. Reported outcomes include an 80% graduation rate (approximately double the national average for low-income, first-generation students), a 90% debt-free graduation rate, and community college transfer/graduation rates approximately 2x the national average.

The revenue model is philanthropic: the organization does not charge students and has no fee-for-service pricing. Revenue is sourced from individual donations (including planned giving and monthly programs), foundation grants (Lumina, Stupski, Sobrato, Marin Community Foundation), corporate partnerships (BlackRock, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, Landmark Vineyards, NBA Foundation), and major individual gifts — most notably a $42M unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott in 2025. Distribution is community-led: Fellows are embedded on partner high school and community college campuses across 9 geographies, supported by regional offices in San Rafael (HQ), Santa Rosa, and Napa.

Name

10,000 Degrees

Legal name

10,000 Degrees

Website

https://10000degrees.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

10,000 Degrees is a Bay Area 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that provides free college access, persistence, and career support to low-income students through embedded near-peer Fellows, scholarships ($9.6M in FY25), and partnerships with 44 high schools and 250 colleges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• College access programs
• Scholarship disbursement
• Near-peer mentorship
• College success services
• Educational equity nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

San Rafael

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Donations: Individual donors contribute to the organization through one-time and recurring donations, monthly giving programs, stock gifts, wire transfers, and vehicle donations. The organization also accepts donor advised funds and matching gifts.
2. Foundation Grants: Foundations including Lumina Foundation, Stupski Foundation, Sobrato Philanthropies, and others provide grant funding to support operations and program expansion.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate partners provide financial support, volunteer hours, internship opportunities, and career development programming for students.
4. Planned Giving: The organization offers estate planning tools and legacy giving options for donors wishing to leave charitable contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

10,000 Degrees is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that readies low-income youth for college and supports them through graduation and into careers. It provides need-based scholarships (with no GPA requirement), near-peer Fellowship mentors embedded in high schools and college campuses, college access advising, financial aid navigation, and career readiness programming. The organization served over 16,000 students and families annually, awarding $9.6M in scholarships in FY25 to more than 4,300 recipients.

Product overview

10,000 Degrees operates a multi-component student success ecosystem organized around three core programs: the College Access Program (serving high school students), the College Success Program (serving enrolled college students), and the Fellowship Program (near-peer mentorship embedded in high schools and college campuses). These core programs are supported by the 10,000 Degrees Scholarship, which awards $9.6 million annually across 4,300+ recipients with no GPA requirement; the Career Success Program providing job readiness, internships, and career mentorship; the Black Student Engagement Program (NBA Foundation-backed); and the Community College Success Program focused on transfer pathways. The Student & Alumni Portal (Salesforce-based) serves as the digital hub for application management and resource access. The organization also delivers Money Matters financial literacy workshops and operates regional offices across eight Bay Area counties and Utah, all united under an 'Unbound Opportunity Model' that eliminates GPA barriers and embeds near-peer Fellows on campuses to provide wrap-around support from college preparation through career launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Access Program Comprehensive support services for high school students from low-income backgrounds to prepare for and gain admission to college, including college readiness workshops, application assistance, and campus visits.
• College Success Program Ongoing support for college students including near-peer mentorship, scholarship management, community college transfer guidance, and persistence coaching to ensure degree completion.
• Fellowship Program Near-peer mentorship program in which recent graduates, mostly alumni, serve as Fellows embedded in high schools and college campuses to guide students through their post-secondary journey with a 3-year commitment.
• 10,000 Degrees Scholarship Need-based scholarships awarded to students with no GPA requirement, automatically applying applicants to all available scholarships. Awarded $9.6 million to over 4,300 students in the most recent fiscal year.
• Career Success Program Career mentorship, job readiness workshops, internship placement, and networking events for college students and alumni transitioning from college to professional employment.
• Black Student Engagement Program Program empowering Black and African American high school students and families with college knowledge, financial guidance, decision-making skills, college expo field trips, and internship opportunities.
• Community College Success Program Specialized support for students at community colleges, including transfer guidance to four-year institutions and on-campus near-peer mentorship to facilitate successful transitions and degree completion.
• Graduate Student Scholarships Scholarships for graduate students pursuing degrees in law, medicine, nursing, teaching credentials, and other advanced professional areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% graduation rate - double the national average
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Club WheelhouseminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2025Club Wheelhouse, led by Martin Lauber, supports 10,000 Degrees students in Marin and Sonoma counties, making a lasting impact in the community by lifting up local students.
• College of MarincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonathan Eldridge, Ed.D., President of College of Marin, serves on the 10,000 Degrees Board. College of Marin is described as an invaluable partner in eliminating educational inequity in Marin County.
• San Francisco State University (SFSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFSU partnered with 10,000 Degrees to gather over 300 students for the College Access Summit in June 2026. SFSU hosts The Summit college tour experience.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• QuestBridge: National nonprofit connecting high-achieving low-income students with selective colleges via full scholarships. Most direct peer in the college access and scholarship administration space, but operates at significantly greater national scale.
• Bottom Line: Nonprofit providing college access and success coaching to low-income and first-generation students, with a similar near-peer advising model embedded on college campuses. Comparable mission and target demographic.
• OneGoal: Nonprofit delivering college and career success programming to low-income high school students with a multi-year cohort model. Comparable college persistence focus and low-income student demographic.
• uAspire: Nonprofit focused specifically on financial aid advising and college affordability for low-income students. Comparable in its financial aid navigation and scholarship support for the same demographic.
• iMentor: Nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with college-educated mentors for college access and success. Comparable mentoring-driven model and demographic, though 10,000 Degrees uses paid near-peer Fellows rather than volunteer mentors.

Emerging players

• College Spring: Nonprofit providing college access programming and SAT prep to low-income high school students in the Bay Area. Geographic overlap and similar demographic, but smaller scale and narrower program scope.
• Schuler Scholar Program: Nonprofit providing multi-year college access and scholarship support to first-generation and low-income students in Chicago and the Bay Area. Comparable scholarship and wraparound support model.
• College Greenlight: Digital platform helping first-generation and low-income students find and apply to colleges and scholarships. Comparable demographic, but more technology-mediated and less in-person mentor-driven than 10,000 Degrees.
• ScholarMatch: Nonprofit connecting low-income students with scholarships, mentors, and college advising. Comparable scholarship and mentorship model, founded in San Francisco with similar Bay Area roots.

Others

• National College Access Network (NCAN): National membership organization supporting the college access and success field. 10,000 Degrees is a member and Kim Mazzuca received an executive leadership award from NCAN. Acts as an industry association rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/The10000Degrees
• Facebookfacebook.com/10000degrees
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/10,000degrees
• Instagraminstagram.com/10kdegrees
• Xx.com/10000degrees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

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 10,000 Degrees