College of the Atlantic

What College of the Atlantic does

College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college founded in 1969 and located on Mount Desert Island in Bar Harbor, Maine, operating from a single oceanfront campus adjacent to Acadia National Park. The institution serves approximately 350 undergraduate students with 35 faculty and 60 staff, drawing applicants from over 40 U.S. states and 45 countries. COA's defining pedagogical feature is that it is the only college where every student designs a self-directed major within a 'human ecology' framework—an interdisciplinary approach integrating science, policy, art, and action. All students are required to complete internships and senior capstone projects, with reported outcomes of 100% internship completion, 97% post-graduation employment or graduate school enrollment within one year, and over 60% of alumni pursuing graduate or professional study within five years.

The institution operates an unusual portfolio of wholly-owned academic and research subsidiaries, including Allied Whale (marine mammal research and stranding response), The Hatchery (sustainable business incubator), the Dorr Museum of Natural History, the Island Research Center (with remote facilities at Mount Desert Rock and Great Duck Island), the Peggy Rockefeller Farm, and Beech Hill Farm, plus the Center for Applied Human Ecology and the Thorndike Library. Research is supported through formal partnerships with Maine Sea Grant, the National Park Service/Acadia National Park, the EcoLeague international exchange consortium, and corporate sponsors including Maine Beer Company. COA's revenue relies on three primary streams: tuition and fees, donations and charitable giving, and grants and sponsored research programs. Pricing is not publicly disclosed, but financial aid is comprehensive—the institution meets 99% of demonstrated financial need, with over 80% of students receiving need-based aid and average first-year scholarship/grant exceeding $39,000, supplemented by work-study positions and up to $1,800 in expeditionary learning funds. Distribution channels include the Common Application platform, COA's own admissions portal, campus visits, virtual tours, and targeted recruitment of Maine residents via the Pine Tree Scholars program, transfer students (including those displaced by Hampshire College's closure), non-traditional learners, and veterans.

Marketing channels span a multi-channel approach with the website (coa.edu), social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), email newsletters (The Peregrine, COA Magazine), year-round campus events including the COA Summer Institute and Coffee & Conversation series, alumni events, and earned media through Princeton Review rankings and major publication coverage. The institution is privately governed by a Board of Trustees with no parent company, no venture capital, and no public ownership structures.

Name

College of the Atlantic

Legal name

College of the Atlantic

Website

https://coa.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

College of the Atlantic is a private nonprofit liberal arts college in Bar Harbor, Maine, serving approximately 350 students through a self-directed human ecology program integrating science, policy, and art on an oceanfront campus adjacent to Acadia National Park.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Secular/Nonsectarian Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAG)

Keywords

• Liberal arts education
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Interdisciplinary studies
• Sustainability education
• Human ecology programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bar Harbor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Primary revenue from student tuition, with average scholarship/grant exceeding $39,000 for first-year students and over 80% receiving need-based financial aid
2. Donations and Charitable Giving: Significant institutional support through annual fund donations, planned giving, donor societies, and major gifts; tuition and endowment income do not fully cover operations
3. Grants and Sponsored Programs: Research funding through organizations including Maine Sea Grant and partnerships for academic research initiatives

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

College of the Atlantic is a private, nonprofit liberal arts college that delivers a single self-designed undergraduate degree program in human ecology, where every student builds a personalized interdisciplinary course of study integrating science, policy, art, and action. The college supports this core offering with field research facilities (Allied Whale, island research stations, Beech Hill Farm), a sustainable business incubator (The Hatchery), and supporting academic and student life services on its Mount Desert Island campus adjacent to Acadia National Park.

Product overview

College of the Atlantic is a higher education institution offering a single undergraduate degree program in human ecology. The institution does not operate a traditional product or software platform with modules, add-ons, or distinct product lines. Educational offerings include a self-designed human ecology degree, The Hatchery sustainable business incubator, Allied Whale marine research program, pre-college summer programs, study abroad opportunities, and various academic support services including a writing center, GIS lab, and career development. The institution is not a technology product company and has no documented product portfolio, integrations, or API offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Human Ecology Bachelor of Arts Degree

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of alumni employed or in graduate school within one year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered significant, notable and core.

• Maine Beer CompanysignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership supporting Allied Whale marine mammal research and conservation. Maine Beer Company has donated over $1 million to Allied Whale, including funding for skeleton articulation projects and ongoing whale research initiatives. The partnership includes whale skeleton displays at MBC tasting rooms, educational events, and community engagement around marine conservation.
• Ocean Exploration TrustnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA alumni Allison Fundis '03 serves as President & Chief Operating Officer of Ocean Exploration Trust, creating ongoing connection between the institution and ocean research initiatives. The relationship involves potential research collaborations, alumni engagement, and student opportunities in marine science.
• Maine Sea GrantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal research partnership providing funding and support for marine science programs and student research opportunities. COA serves as a partner institution for Maine Sea Grant educational and research initiatives.
• EcoLeaguecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational exchange program network allowing COA students to study abroad at other environmentally-focused colleges within the EcoLeague consortium, expanding educational opportunities beyond campus.
• National Park ServicesignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership through Acadia National Park, which serves as an extended classroom and research site. COA alumni Christie Anastasia '92 serves as Chief of Partnerships and Tourism for the Northeast Region at NPS, and the park provides extensive field research and experiential learning opportunities.
• Wolfram ResearchnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA alumni Philéas Dazeley-Gaist '23 works as Academic Innovation Applications Developer at Wolfram Research, demonstrating ongoing relationship between institution and company supporting computational tools and educational technology.
• Abbe MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOA hosts the Abbe Museum's annual Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas focused on Wabanaki and Native thought leadership. Partnership supports cultural programming, Native arts market, and collaborative events on campus.
• The Hatchery (COA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable business incubator providing students academic credit, professional services, and seed funding to develop for-profit or nonprofit business ideas. Has global recognition and partnerships supporting student entrepreneurship.
• Whales and Nails (Dan DenDanto '91)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerDan DenDanto '91, founder of Whales and Nails and research associate with Allied Whale, leads whale skeleton articulation projects including work at Maine State Museum and COA Allied Whale programs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sterling College: A small, environmentally-focused liberal arts college in Craftsbury Common, Vermont, offering experiential and work-based programs centered on sustainability, ecology, and food systems. Closest peer to COA given similar size, mission, and curricular philosophy.
• Hampshire College: Amherst, Massachusetts-based liberal arts college with a self-directed, interdisciplinary curriculum and no traditional grades or majors. Comparable in progressive educational model and small-scale operations; COA even has a special admissions pathway for Hampshire students affected by its recent closure.
• Prescott College: Arizona-based small liberal arts college emphasizing experiential, student-directed learning with concentrations in environmental studies, education, and social justice. Comparable in interdisciplinary, place-based pedagogy and mission-driven enrollment model.
• Unity College: Maine-based institution originally focused on environmental science and sustainability education, now expanding into hybrid and online programs. Geographic peer with overlapping mission, though Unity is pivoting toward broader curriculum and online delivery.
• Goddard College: Vermont-based progressive liberal arts college built on self-directed, student-designed learning with a strong social justice and sustainability orientation. Closely aligned with COA's human-ecology philosophy and small-residential model.
• Bennington College: Vermont-based progressive liberal arts college with no traditional majors, emphasizing interdisciplinary, self-directed work across arts, sciences, and humanities. Comparable in progressive pedagogy, small size, and selectivity, though larger and broader in scope.
• New College of Florida: Small, public liberal arts honors college in Sarasota, Florida, with a contract-based, self-directed curriculum and thesis requirement. Comparable in individualized education model and small scale.
• Antioch College: Small, progressive liberal arts college in Yellow Springs, Ohio, with a co-op education model and interdisciplinary curriculum. Comparable in mission-driven, experiential, and small-residential approach to undergraduate education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/collegeoftheatlantic
• Facebookfacebook.com/51338895363
• Instagraminstagram.com/collegeoftheatlantic
• Xx.com/collegeatlantic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/college-of-the-atlantic

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 records

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 College of the Atlantic