What Nasco Education does

Nasco Education is a US-based educational supplies distributor founded in 1941 and headquartered in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin. The company serves preK-12 schools, school districts, individual teachers, homeschool families, and government/institutional buyers across the United States with a catalog spanning more than 20 categories, including science, dissection specimens, anatomical models, agricultural education, STEM-STEAM, health sciences, math, art supplies, career technical education, early childhood, special education, social-emotional learning (SEL), classroom furniture, and family and consumer sciences. Its product mix blends proprietary Nasco, NASCOGuard, and Frey Scientific Choice lines with third-party brands such as 3B Scientific, Eisco, and Walter Products, alongside pre-assembled and custom classroom kits.

The company's core technology is an e-commerce storefront (nascoeducation.com) built on a Magento-style catalog platform, integrated with shopping cart, quote request, account management, wish list, and multi-address shipping features, supplemented by a 1-800 inside-sales line and a separate Teacher Resource Center for lesson plans, webinars, and buying guides. The most differentiated technical assets are domain-specialized rather than software-led: the NASCOGuard formaldehyde-free preservation technology reduces odor and ventilation requirements for dissection specimens, and the Frey Scientific Choice brand delivers vacuum-sealed preserved specimens and injection-variant anatomical models aimed at safer classroom handling.

Nasco's business model is predominantly transactional — selling one-time physical goods on a unit-pricing basis ranging from under $5 to over $1,500, with volume discounts for bulk orders and quote-based pricing for larger institutional and government bids. Go-to-market is sales-led and content-supported: e-commerce plus phone sales for SMB/individual buyers, dedicated government/institutional procurement support for school districts, and event-driven demand generation through educator conferences, webinars, and catalog distribution. In December 2025, School Specialty LLC acquired Nasco Education U.S., combining two complementary preK-12 educational resources providers to broaden procurement efficiency and product scope.

Name

Nasco Education

Legal name

Nasco Education

Website

https://nascoeducation.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1941

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nasco Education distributes curriculum-aligned educational supplies across 20+ categories — including science, dissection specimens, STEM-STEAM, health sciences, and classroom furniture — to preK-12 schools, districts, teachers, and homeschool families in the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Educational Supplies

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Wholesale-Furniture & Home Furnishings (5020)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Equipment & Classroom Tools (Whiteboards, Lab Kits, Manipulatives) (EDAEAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Office, School & Business Supplies Online Retailers (CRAFADAL)

Keywords

• Educational supplies
• Science classroom materials
• Dissection preserved specimens
• STEM curriculum resources
• Agricultural education supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Atkinson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Supplies Sales: One-time product sales of educational supplies including dissection specimens, science equipment, art supplies, classroom furniture, agricultural education materials, and STEM/STEAM products to schools, teachers, and homeschool families.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nasco Education is a distributor and producer of educational supplies for preK-12 schools, offering a comprehensive catalog spanning more than 20 subject categories including dissection specimens, anatomical models, science lab equipment, agricultural education materials, art supplies, classroom furniture, STEM/STEAM products, and health sciences training aids. The company sells its own proprietary NASCOGuard and Frey Scientific Choice preserved-specimen lines alongside third-party brands such as 3B Scientific, Eisco, and Walter Products, and supports both individual teacher/homeschool purchases via e-commerce and large district procurement through bid/quote systems.

Product overview

Nasco Education is a comprehensive educational resource provider offering a diverse portfolio of products for preK-12 schools, covering subjects including science (dissection specimens, anatomical models, lab equipment), agricultural education, STEM/STEAM, health sciences, math, art, career technical education, and classroom furniture. The company operates as a single-platform distributor with multiple product categories organized by subject area, featuring both proprietary Nasco and NASCOGuard branded items alongside third-party brands such as Frey Scientific, 3B Scientific, Eisco, Walter Products, and others. Following the December 2025 acquisition by School Specialty LLC, Nasco Education serves schools nationwide with curriculum-aligned supplies, classroom kits, and specialized equipment for hands-on learning across all educational levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frey Scientific: Brand of preserved specimens and scientific education supplies
• NASCOGuard
• NASCOGuard Plus

Products and services

• Agricultural Education Products Educational supplies and equipment for agricultural education, including animal science, aquaculture, horticulture, veterinary supplies, farm and ranch supplies, and lab materials for classroom instruction.
• Art Supplies & Crafts Wide range of art supplies including adaptive art supplies, bulk art supplies, crafting supplies, and Nasco brand art supplies for educational settings.
• Career Technical Education (CTE) Technical education supplies covering agriculture, food and natural resources, health sciences education, information technology, hospitality and tourism, and human services.
• Dissection & Preserved Specimens Preserved specimens including bones and skeletons, dissection tools, preserved vertebrates and invertebrates, preserved mammal organs, owl pellets, and entomology supplies for biology and anatomy education.
• Early Childhood Education Products Educational materials for young children including active play equipment, art supplies, blocks and construction toys, classroom furniture, dramatic play items, games, puzzles, and sensory stimulation tools.
• Elementary Education Products Supplies for elementary students covering classroom furniture, supplies, technology, cooperative learning materials, literacy, math, science, STEM, social studies, and measurement tools.
• Family & Consumer Sciences Products Educational resources including bakeware and cookware, clothing construction, consumer education, food safety and science, nutrition teaching aids, sewing supplies, and small kitchen appliances.
• Furniture & Spaces Classroom furniture including chairs, desks, tables, storage solutions, dividers, rugs, carpets, presentation and display equipment, and specialized furniture for art rooms and early childhood settings.
• Health Education Products Health education materials including anatomy models, CPR and first aid supplies, drug and alcohol education resources, fitness equipment, and monitoring and testing devices.
• Health Sciences Products Medical and health science training supplies including anatomical models, dental care training tools, EMT equipment, nursing simulation manikins, patient care supplies, and skills training materials.
• Homeschool Supplies Curated educational supplies for homeschool families covering agricultural education, art, career and technical education, family and consumer sciences, health sciences, math, physical education, science, STEM-STEAM, and social-emotional learning.
• Math Products Mathematics teaching supplies including algebra and pre-algebra materials, arithmetic resources, calculators, geometry tools, graphing supplies, manipulatives, measurement tools, math games, and trigonometry resources.
• Physical Education Products Physical education equipment including balls, adapted physical education supplies, fitness assessment tools, fitness equipment, sports equipment, and nutrition education resources.
• Science Products Science education materials including 3D pens and printers, anatomy models, aquariums, astronomy equipment, biology supplies, biotechnology tools, chemistry supplies, earth science materials, microscopes, and lab equipment.
• Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Products SEL curriculum support including books, calming corner supplies, custom SEL kits, furniture and spaces, games, activities, and sensory items for social-emotional development.
• Special Education Products Specialized educational materials including assistive communication devices, assistive technology, basic learning skills tools, fine motor skills resources, gross and sensory motor equipment, and speech therapy materials.
• STEM-STEAM Products Science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics educational supplies including augmented and virtual reality tools, circuitry and electricity kits, engineering materials, robotics and coding equipment, and makerspace resources.
• Classroom Kits Pre-assembled educational kits including AFNR, art, CTE, FCS, health science, math, physical education, science, SEL, and STEM-STEAM kits for classroom instruction; also custom kits and individual student kits.
• NASCOGuard Preserved Specimens Proprietary low-odor, formaldehyde-free preserved specimens using NASCOGuard preservation technology, including fetal pigs, earthworms, cow hearts, and sheep hearts for safe classroom dissection.
• Frey Scientific Choice Preserved Fetal Pigs Vacuum-sealed preserved fetal pig specimens for anatomical dissection studies, available in various sizes (5-7 inches to 13+ inches) and injection types.
• Frey Scientific Choice Preserved Bullfrog Vacuum-sealed preserved bullfrog specimens (6-7 inches) for classroom laboratories, available in single or double injected versions with visible arteries and veins.
• Frey Scientific Choice Preserved Cow Heart with Aorta Preserved cow heart specimens with aorta for classroom dissection, featuring larger size for easier identification of anatomical structures.
• Frey Scientific Choice Preserved Earthworms Vacuum-sealed preserved earthworms (8-10 inches) sold in packs of 10 for invertebrate dissection studies.
• Bones & Skeletons Educational skeletal models including human skeletons, skulls, vertebrae, and disarticulated skeleton cases from brands such as 3B Scientific, Eisco, Walter Products, and Nasco.
• Circulatory System Model 1/2 life-size relief model showing the arterial/venous system, heart, spleen, lung, kidneys, liver, and partial skeleton for teaching vascular system anatomy.
• Disarticulated Skeleton Case Aluminum storage case with foam compartments (29x21x8 inches) for organizing and storing disarticulated skeleton components.
• American 3B Muscular Figure (1/4 Life-Size) Hand-painted desktop muscle model showing superficial muscles of the human form with removable chest plate revealing internal organs.
• Economy Sexless Human Torso with Open Back 17-part anatomical torso model showing major body systems with removable organs including cerebrum, cerebellum, lungs, heart, liver, stomach, kidneys, and intestines.
• Farm & Ranch Supplies Agricultural supplies for farm and ranch education including animal health products, artificial insemination equipment, beekeeping supplies, livestock showing and grooming tools, and veterinary supplies.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• School Specialty LLCflagshipOthers · 8 December 2025School Specialty LLC acquired Nasco Education U.S. in December 2025. The acquisition aims to enhance combined service offerings, improve procurement efficiency, and expand product scope for schools nationwide. Both companies are providers of educational resources for preK-12 schools, and the acquisition creates a larger combined entity serving the education market.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• School Specialty LLC: Parent company of Nasco Education following the December 2025 acquisition; a broad educational resources distributor offering curriculum, supplies, and furniture to K-12 districts nationwide. Directly comparable in target market and procurement-led GTM, with a larger and more diversified portfolio spanning instruction, intervention, and supplies.

Direct peers

• Carolina Biological Supply: Long-standing K-12 and higher-ed science supplier offering preserved specimens, lab equipment, models, and STEM kits. Direct overlap with Nasco's dissection, anatomy-model, and life-science catalog, and competes head-to-head on district bids for science consumables.
• Flinn Scientific: Science education supplier serving middle and high schools with lab kits, preserved specimens, chemistry and biology supplies, and safety/curriculum resources. Closely comparable to Nasco's Frey Scientific Choice and NASCOGuard dissection lines, with similar B2B sales-led and bid-driven distribution.
• Ward's Science: K-16 science education supplier offering preserved specimens, microscopy, models, and lab equipment. Directly competes with Nasco's dissection and life-science categories, often appearing on the same district RFPs.
• Lakeshore Learning Materials: PreK-8 educational supplies and curriculum company with proprietary product development across manipulatives, STEM kits, and classroom furniture. Comparable to Nasco's early childhood, elementary, and STEAM categories with similar teacher-direct and school-district GTM.
• Really Good Stuff: Teacher-focused educational supplies retailer offering classroom décor, manipulatives, organization, and learning games. Comparable to Nasco's elementary and SEL categories via a similar e-commerce plus catalog sales motion targeting individual teachers and small schools.
• Kaplan Early Learning Company: Early childhood and elementary education supplier of classroom furniture, manipulatives, dramatic play, and infant/toddler products. Directly comparable to Nasco's early childhood and furniture categories, with similar district-procurement and teacher-direct channels.
• Discount School Supply: Early childhood and elementary school supplies retailer with strong presence in art, classroom organization, and play-based learning materials. Comparable to Nasco's early childhood, art, and elementary SKUs via a similar e-commerce plus district-procurement model.
• School Outfitters: School furniture, equipment, and supplies retailer serving PreK-12 with a strong focus on classroom furniture, rugs, and storage. Comparable to Nasco's Furniture & Spaces and broader facilities categories, particularly on district-level furniture and outfitting bids.

Others

• Amazon Business: B2B marketplace increasingly used by schools and districts to procure general classroom supplies, art materials, and basic furniture. Not a direct product competitor but an enabling/disruptive channel that competes with Nasco for non-differentiated long-tail SKUs on price and fulfillment speed.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/nascoeducation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NascoVideos
• Facebookfacebook.com/NascoEducation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nascoeducation
• Instagraminstagram.com/nascoeducation
• Pinterestpinterest.com/nascoeducation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Nasco Education