Washington Monthly

What Washington Monthly does

Washington Monthly is an independent, nonprofit policy magazine founded in 1969 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. The publication covers U.S. politics and government, higher education, the economy (with a dedicated focus on corporate monopolization), health care, law and justice, and foreign policy. It operates as a digital-first outlet anchored by its website (washingtonmonthly.com), email newsletters, a podcast, and a recurring print magazine, with active social-media distribution across Bluesky, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Its core product set comprises the flagship Washington Monthly Magazine, the annual College Guide and Rankings (covering more than 1,400 four-year institutions using a distinctive social-mobility and taxpayer-value methodology), the Washington Monthly Podcast, and the Washington Monthly Institute, a sub-brand producing white papers and policy research. The organization also publishes a daily email newsletter and a Sunday best-of-the-week roundup. No proprietary technology platform or AI capabilities are disclosed; the publication runs on standard content-management and newsletter infrastructure.

Washington Monthly generates revenue through a nonprofit mix: tax-deductible donations solicited via its website, print and digital magazine subscriptions, and advertising (primarily from colleges and universities). The College Guide and Rankings is materially supported by grants from three major education philanthropies — the Lumina Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Strada Education Foundation. The audience consists of policy-minded citizens and Washington insiders, prospective college students and their families, and education policymakers and administrators. Headcount is small (11–50 employees), and no revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Washington Monthly

Legal name

Washington Monthly

Website

https://washingtonmonthly.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Washington Monthly is an independent, nonprofit policy magazine and digital publisher founded in 1969 in Washington, D.C., covering U.S. politics, higher education, the economy, health care, and foreign policy for policy-minded readers, students and families, and education policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Journalism

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAEAO

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Magazine Publishing (Consumer & B2B/Trade Magazines)

SECONDARYMPAJADAH

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/News Publishing (Newspapers, Digital Newsrooms, Wire Services)

SECONDARYEDAGAFAL

Conference Proceedings & Research Reports Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

Keywords

• Policy journalism
• Political magazine
• College rankings
• Nonprofit media
• Higher education research

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Washington Monthly operates as a nonprofit media organization that relies on tax-deductible donations from readers and supporters. The publication actively solicits donations through appeals on its website and in articles, particularly during times of perceived threats to independent journalism.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: The publication generates revenue through print and digital magazine subscriptions, offering readers ongoing access to investigative journalism and commentary on policy issues.
3. Advertising: Washington Monthly accepts advertising from colleges, universities, and other organizations. The publication offers advertising and marketing opportunities including print/online combinations, with contact information provided for advertising inquiries.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Washington Monthly is an independent nonprofit policy magazine and digital publication founded in 1969 that publishes journalism and commentary on American government, politics, higher education, the economy, health care, law, and foreign policy. Its flagship offerings include a print and digital magazine, an annual College Guide and Rankings covering over 1,400 institutions, a podcast, and an email newsletter program, funded primarily through reader donations, subscriptions, and advertising.

Product overview

Washington Monthly is a nonprofit policy magazine founded in 1969 that operates as a single unified publication with several complementary offerings. The core product is the Washington Monthly Magazine, a print and digital publication covering politics, education, economy, health care, and foreign policy. This is supplemented by the College Guide and Rankings (an annual publication rating colleges on value and social mobility), the Washington Monthly Podcast for audio content, the Washington Monthly Institute for white papers and policy research, and an email newsletter program. All offerings serve the organization's mission to preserve democracy and champion good governance through honest journalism.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Washington Monthly Institute: Think tank/policy research arm of the publication
• Washington Monthly College Guide and Rankings

Products and services

• Washington Monthly Magazine The flagship publication of Washington Monthly, a nonprofit policy magazine covering politics, education, economy, health care, law and justice, and foreign policy through print and digital editions. Available to individual readers and subscribers.
• College Guide and Rankings Annual college guide and rankings publication that rates schools based on social mobility, research, and service to the country, offering an alternative to U.S. News & World Report rankings. Includes best value, best bang for the buck, and best colleges for research categories. Used by prospective students, parents, educators, and policymakers.
• Washington Monthly Podcast Audio podcast covering political commentary, policy discussions, and interviews with authors and experts. Distributed through major podcast platforms for on-demand listening.

Quantifiable outcome

• Washington Monthly claims partial credit for the Justice Department's antitrust case that found Google illegally monopolized the digital advertising market.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Atlantic: A larger, well-established policy and ideas magazine covering politics, culture, and education with a broader subscriber base and more diversified revenue streams than Washington Monthly.
• Politico Magazine: The long-form magazine arm of Politico, covering politics and policy with the backing of a much larger media organization — overlaps significantly in audience.
• U.S. News & World Report: The dominant college rankings publisher against which Washington Monthly's College Guide directly competes as an alternative methodology.

Direct peers

• The New Republic: Independent magazine covering politics, policy, and ideas with a similar ideological-center positioning and comparable scale; competes directly for the same policy-engaged readership.
• The Nation: Progressive opinion and policy magazine founded in 1865, comparable in editorial mission (independent political commentary) and nonprofit-friendly audience overlap.
• Mother Jones: Investigative nonprofit magazine focused on politics, government, and policy — directly comparable in mission, nonprofit funding model, and audience demographic.
• The American Prospect: Liberal policy magazine and think tank covering politics, economy, and democracy — closely mirrors Washington Monthly's mix of journalism and policy research.
• National Review: Conservative policy and opinion magazine that occupies the other ideological flank of the same political commentary market Washington Monthly serves.
• The New York Review of Books: Independent magazine of political and intellectual essays with similar bimonthly print cadence, donor/subscription funding model, and policy-engaged readership.

Emerging players

• Vox: Digital-first policy and explainer journalism outlet with a younger audience, partially overlapping in political and economic coverage themes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/washmonthly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@washingtonmonthly9554
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-washington-monthly
• Instagraminstagram.com/wamonthly/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/WashingtonMonthly

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Washington Monthly