What Compass Education Group does

Compass Education Group (dba Compass Test Prep) is a privately held U.S. education services company headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, founded in 2004, that delivers standardized test preparation, academic tutoring, and college application writing support to college-bound high school students, private-school-bound middle schoolers, and their families. Its core product is hand-matched, one-on-one private tutoring augmented by proprietary coursebooks, complemented by a small-group class business capped at 10–15 students per cohort, free diagnostic workshops, and digital adaptive practice tests for the SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, ISEE, SSAT, HSPT, and SHSAT. The company serves individual consumers primarily through a direct-to-consumer model and reaches institutional buyers — particularly high school college counseling departments — through partnerships with hundreds of U.S. high schools, supported by free counselor webinars and on-campus parent presentations.

The underlying technology stack centers on a proprietary digital testing and student-management platform (my.compassprep.com) that delivers digital adaptive practice tests mirroring official College Board formats, interactive score reports with timing and question-type analytics, online homework systems, and integrated scheduling and billing. The platform integrates with Bluebook for digital SAT delivery, Zoom for live instruction, Calendly for consultation scheduling, and Vimeo for class recordings retained for six months post-course. Compass is a licensed provider of official ACT content and a participant in the NTPA ACT Affiliate Tutor Program — a credential that differentiates it from unauthorized competitors — and has won consecutive EdTech Awards (2025 and 2026) for its Integrated Academic and AP Testing and Grading Platform.

Revenue is generated entirely through transactional, per-program fees rather than subscriptions: group classes are priced at $625–$1,295 (with in-person premium pricing in select markets), AP review courses at $195, essay support at $525–$1,290, and academic tutoring packages at $1,890–$1,935. Private tutoring pricing is not publicly disclosed but is positioned at the premium end of the test prep market. Delivery is split between in-person hubs in six metros (Greater Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Houston, Manhattan, Washington D.C.) and nationwide/online delivery via Zoom, giving Compass both a local presence in target affluent markets and a national reach through school partnerships. The company employs 101–250 people, holds a 4.8/5 rating across 5,031 reviews, and operates without disclosed outside funding.

Name

Compass Education Group

Legal name

Compass Education Group

Website

https://compassprep.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Compass Education Group is a privately held Beverly Hills-based test preparation and academic tutoring company founded in 2004, offering private and group instruction for SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, and private school admission exams via in-person hubs in six U.S. metros and nationwide online delivery, plus institutional partnerships with hundreds of high schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Test Preparation & Academic Tutoring Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Test Prep Learning Centers (SAT/ACT, AP/IB, State Exams) (EDANAHAH)

Keywords

• Test preparation services
• Private tutoring
• Academic tutoring
• SAT ACT prep
• College admissions coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. One-on-One Tutoring Services: Private tutoring programs offering personalized instruction for SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, and academic subjects. Programs typically include 12-16 lessons of 90 minutes each, spanning 3-4 months.
2. Group Test Prep Classes: Live online and in-person group courses for SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, and foundational skills. Classes are capped at 10-15 students and include practice tests and course materials.
3. Academic Tutoring Packages: Subject-specific tutoring for middle school through college-level academics, including AP courses. Offered as pay-as-you-go or customized packages.
4. College Essay Services: Common App essay workshops and one-on-one essay tutoring to help students craft personal statements for college applications.
5. College Writing Prep Program: Six-step transition program preparing students for college-level academic writing expectations through one-on-one online tutoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Compass Education Group provides standardized test preparation and academic tutoring services for high-achieving students targeting college and private-school admissions. Core offerings include one-on-one private tutoring in SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, and ISEE/SSAT/HSPT, live online and in-person group classes, full-length adaptive practice tests with interactive score reports, and supplementary services such as college essay coaching, study skills/organizational coaching, and a math summer bridge program. The firm also offers free introductory SAT/ACT workshops and runs a school-partnership program for institutional clients.

Product overview

Compass Education Group is a test preparation and academic tutoring company offering a comprehensive suite of services through two primary delivery models: private one-on-one tutoring and small group classes. The core product is Private Tutoring, which provides personalized instruction across standardized tests (SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP exams, ISEE/SSAT/HSPT) and academic subjects, featuring proprietary coursebooks, hand-selected tutors, and data-driven analytics with interactive score reports. Complementing this are Group Classes including SAT Prep, ACT Prep, PSAT Prep, AP Exam Classes, SAT/ACT Essentials, Common App Essay Workshop, Math Summer Bridge, and Free Workshops. Additional offerings include Practice Tests with digital adaptive testing technology, College Writing Prep for college transition, and Study Skills and Organizational Coaching. The company integrates with Zoom for live instruction, Bluebook for digital SAT delivery, Calendly for scheduling, and Vimeo for recorded content. The service is primarily delivered online with in-person options in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, Manhattan, San Francisco Bay Area, and Washington D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Private Tutoring (SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, ISEE/SSAT/HSPT, Academic, College Writing Prep, Study Skills/Organizational Coaching) One-on-one personalized tutoring for high-achieving students targeting SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, ISEE/SSAT/HSPT, academic subjects, college application essays, and study skills. Delivered in-person at Compass centers or live online via Zoom.
• Group Classes (SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, SAT/ACT Essentials, Math Summer Bridge, Essay Workshop) Small-group live online and in-person classes covering SAT, ACT, PSAT, AP, SAT/ACT Essentials, a Math Summer Bridge program, and an Essay Workshop, led by Compass-trained instructors.
• Full-Length Practice Tests (online and on-site) Full-length adaptive SAT, ACT, PSAT, and AP practice tests delivered on-site at Compass centers and online via the my.compassprep.com student portal, with interactive score reports.
• Free SAT/ACT Workshops No-cost introductory workshops that introduce Compass's approach to SAT and ACT prep and serve as a funnel into paid tutoring and classes.
• Compass School Partnerships Program B2B program that delivers Compass test-prep instruction and curriculum to private and independent schools through institutional partnerships, administered by the firm's outreach team.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students typically improve SAT scores by 100-200 points (starting from 1000-1200 range)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Summit Educational GroupminorOthers · 26 March 2026Whitney Longworth, previously from Summit Educational Group in Connecticut, joined Compass as Senior Director of Outreach and Partnerships. Longworth brings more than a decade of experience building and managing institutional partnerships in the test preparation space.
• Hundreds of High Schools NationwidecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompass has established partnerships with hundreds of leading high schools across the nation. Through these partnerships, Compass provides digital adaptive practice testing that mirrors official test formats. The flexible administration, quality of tests, scoring speed, and sophistication of reports provide valuable diagnostic experiences for students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tutor.com: On-demand online tutoring service offering SAT/ACT prep and academic subject tutoring through a large tutor network. Comparable in online delivery and standardized-test focus, but operates at lower price points and broader scale.
• Varsity Tutors: Large-scale online tutoring and test prep platform (owned by Nerdy) offering SAT/ACT/AP prep, subject tutoring, and college admissions support. Competes with Compass across both consumer tutoring and enterprise/school channels at significantly larger scale.
• Kaplan Test Prep: Diversified education company (part of Kaplan, Inc.) offering SAT, ACT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT, and admissions prep alongside higher-education and professional training. Overlaps with Compass on SAT/ACT/AP prep but offers a much broader portfolio.

Emerging players

• Prep Expert: Online SAT/ACT prep program founded by a perfect-score tutor, offering live classes, private tutoring, and self-paced courses. Competes with Compass primarily on price and accessibility in the online test-prep market.
• PrepScholar: Online-first SAT/ACT prep platform using adaptive algorithms and AI-driven personalization at lower price points. Competes with Compass's digital practice-test and self-study offerings with a more scalable, software-led model.

Direct peers

• Manhattan Prep: Premium test prep provider specializing in GMAT, GRE, LSAT, and SAT/ACT with online and in-person courses. Comparable to Compass in its premium positioning, instructor quality emphasis, and live online delivery model.
• Veritas Prep: Test prep company focused on SAT, ACT, GMAT, GRE, and LSAT with online and in-person offerings plus college admissions consulting. Directly comparable to Compass in premium 1:1 tutoring positioning and admissions-adjacent services.
• Revolution Prep: Test prep and academic tutoring company offering live online and in-person SAT, ACT, AP, and subject tutoring to high-school students. Similar hybrid online/in-person delivery model and target demographic to Compass.
• Summit Educational Group: New England-based test prep and educational consulting firm serving high-school students with SAT/ACT tutoring, subject tutoring, and college counseling. Notably, Compass hired a senior outreach director from Summit, underscoring the direct overlap in offerings and target customer.
• Princeton Review: One of the largest US test prep and tutoring companies, offering SAT, ACT, AP, and admissions tutoring both in-person and online. Directly competes with Compass across the full college-admissions testing stack but at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/compassedugroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/CompassTestPrep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/compass-education-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Compass Education Group