UP Education
UP Education is a private tertiary education group operating 64 campuses across Australia and New Zealand, delivering university pathway programs for international students through partnerships with six universities, alongside vocational and higher education via 21+ subsidiary brands.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersAuckland, New Zealand
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What UP Education does
UP Education Limited is the largest private tertiary education group in Australasia, headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, operating 64 campuses across 16 locations in Australia and New Zealand and serving approximately 39,000 students annually through a portfolio of 270 courses. The company delivers university pathway programs (Foundation Studies, Foundation Connect, Pathways Link, International First Year Diplomas, Pre-Masters Preparation, and Graduate Certificates) for international students seeking entry to six partner universities — University of Tasmania, Charles Darwin University, Swinburne University of Technology (Australia), and University of Auckland, AUT, and Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand). Beyond pathways, UP Education operates 21+ wholly-owned subsidiary brands spanning vocational and higher education verticals including hospitality (ICHM), creative and IT (Yoobee), early childhood education (NZTC), healthcare (Healthcare Academy NZ), sports (NZIS), beauty therapy (Elite Beauty School), construction (Builders Academy), natural health (Endeavour), counselling (AIPC), and tourism (NZST).
The business model is tuition-driven: students pay per-program fees (international pathway programs priced from AUD $8,500 to AUD $29,070 across multi-month contracts), supplemented by domestic vocational student fees and ancillary revenue from insurance, payment processing, and ancillary services. UP Education's underlying technology stack is commodity and integration-based — Microsoft Teams and Blackboard for LMS delivery, Western Union for international fee collection, StudyLink for enrollment management, and Allianz Partners for student insurance — with no proprietary platform disclosed. Go-to-market is sales-led and channel-driven: four regional sales directors (China/North Asia, EMEAA, Subcontinent, Southeast Asia) manage an international education agent network sourcing students from 30+ countries, complemented by direct campus enrollment and co-branded university partner websites.
The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding rounds or controlling investor. Its executive team is led by CEO Mark Rushworth with functional CXOs across finance, technology, recruitment/marketing, and people. Revenue is not publicly disclosed, but the combination of 39,000 annual students, 2,000+ staff, 64 campuses, and AUD $8,500–$29,070 international pathway pricing implies annual revenue in the low-to-mid hundreds of millions USD. Customer concentration risk is moderate: the student base is highly fragmented, but revenue depends on six university partnerships and disproportionately on international students, exposing the business to geopolitical and visa-policy shifts. AI/ML capabilities are not evidenced — the technology footprint is third-party and undifferentiated.
UP Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- UP Education
- Legal name
- UP Education Limited
- Website
- https://up.education
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- UP Education is a private tertiary education group operating 64 campuses across Australia and New Zealand, delivering university pathway programs for international students through partnerships with six universities, alongside vocational and higher education via 21+ subsidiary brands.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
UP Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education and Vocational Training
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways (EDAIAJAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways (EDAIAJAI), Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)
Keywords
Where UP Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Auckland
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices9 records
Markets served
UP Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tuition and Course Fees: UP Education generates revenue through tuition fees charged for pathway programs, foundation studies, vocational courses, and higher education programs across its network of 64 campuses. Students pay for access to educational programs that lead to university qualifications.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Foundation Studies Fast-track (4-5 months) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Foundation Studies Standard (8-9 months) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | International First Year Diploma Science (8-9 months) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | International First Year Diploma Business (8-9 months) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Graduate Certificate in Business Studies (4-5 months) |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Pre-Masters Preparation Program (4-5 months) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
UP Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UP Education is a private tertiary education group that delivers university pathway programs, foundation studies, vocational education, and higher education courses across 64 campuses in Australia and New Zealand. The company prepares international students for undergraduate and postgraduate entry at six partner universities and operates a portfolio of vocational and higher education providers across diverse disciplines including hospitality, IT, creative arts, healthcare, sports, and natural medicine.
Product overview
UP Education operates as a platform of educational pathway and vocational training providers across Australia and New Zealand. The core offering consists of university pathway programmes (Foundation Studies, Foundation Connect, Pathways Link) that prepare international students for undergraduate and postgraduate entry into partner universities. These are delivered through subsidiary brands and international college partnerships with University of Tasmania, AUT, Victoria University of Wellington, University of Auckland, Swinburne University, and Charles Darwin University. The portfolio extends to 21 subsidiary vocational education providers covering diverse disciplines including sports management, beauty therapy, healthcare, hospitality, IT, creative arts, counselling, and natural health. The company serves approximately 39,000 students annually across 64 campuses in 16 locations, positioning itself as a comprehensive educational ecosystem from vocational training through to university pathway completion.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Foundation Studies Programme
Quantifiable outcome
- 87% of ICHM students securing employment after graduation
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use UP Education
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
UP Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
UP Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- University of TasmaniacoreUP Education partners with University of Tasmania to deliver UTAS International Pathway College, providing foundation studies, international first year diplomas, and postgraduate pathway programs at the Sandy Bay Campus in Hobart.
- University of AucklandcoreUP Education delivers the UOA Certificate in Foundation Studies through UP International College New Zealand, transitioning international students into undergraduate degree programmes at New Zealand's top university.
- AUT (Auckland University of Technology)coreUP Education delivers the AUT Certificate in Foundation Studies preparing students for entry into AUT undergraduate degree programmes with strong industry links and high graduate employment rate.
- Victoria University of WellingtoncoreUP Education delivers the Foundation Studies Programme through UP International College New Zealand, preparing international students for entry into degree programmes at Victoria University of Wellington.
- Swinburne University of TechnologycoreUP Education partners with Swinburne University of Technology to deliver pathway programs for international students seeking to enter undergraduate degrees.
- Charles Darwin UniversitycoreUP Education partners with Charles Darwin University to provide pathway programs for international students transitioning into university education.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
UP Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kaplan International: Global education provider offering pathway, English language, and higher education programs. Comparable to UP Education in pathway product category but operates at much larger global scale as part of Kaplan, Inc.
- IDP Education: Larger publicly-listed international education services company dominant in student placement and English testing. Comparable to UP Education on the international student demand-side funnel but operates a much broader portfolio.
- Laureate International Universities (Australia/New Zealand operations): Global private tertiary group with Australasian operations (formerly including NZMA-type brands). Comparable to UP Education as a multi-brand vocational and higher education platform in the region.
Direct peers
- Navitas: Global university pathway provider with significant Australasian operations (e.g., Curtin College, La Trobe Melbourne). Directly comparable to UP Education as the other top pathway operator in the region, competing for the same university partnerships and international students.
- Study Group: Global pathway and higher education provider with Australian and New Zealand pathway college operations. Closely comparable to UP Education's university pathway model and target international student segment.
- EduCo (Global University Systems): International education group operating multiple higher education and pathway brands including ACAP and Think Education in Australasia. Direct competitor for international pathway students and vocational-to-degree articulation.
- Cambridge Education Group: Operates foundation, pre-masters, and English language pathway programs in partnership with universities. Comparable to UP Education's pathway portfolio and university partnership model.
- INTO University Partnerships: Major international university pathway provider operating pathway colleges globally. Directly competes with UP Education's foundation, diploma, and pre-masters pathway offerings to university partners.
Regional players
- Torrens University Australia: Australian private university with vocational and higher education offerings and significant international student recruitment. Comparable to UP Education's domestic vocational/HE portfolio but vertically integrated as a university rather than a pathway provider.
Others
- QS Global Education Group: Provider of international student recruitment, events, and higher education data services. Adjacent ecosystem participant to UP Education's pathway business, supporting international student demand generation rather than competing directly.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
UP Education social profiles
Digital presenceUP Education compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
UP Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
UP Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
UP Education subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries27 records
UP Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
UP Education M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about UP Education
What does UP Education do?
UP Education is a private tertiary education group that delivers university pathway programs, foundation studies, vocational education, and higher education courses across 64 campuses in Australia and New Zealand. The company prepares international students for undergraduate and postgraduate entry at six partner universities and operates a portfolio of vocational and higher education providers across diverse disciplines including hospitality, IT, creative arts, healthcare, sports, and natural medicine.
Is UP Education a public or private company?
UP Education is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was UP Education founded?
UP Education was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is UP Education based?
UP Education is headquartered in Auckland, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does UP Education make money?
One revenue line is on record: tuition and Course Fees.
Who are UP Education's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kaplan International, IDP Education and Laureate International Universities (Australia/New Zealand operations). Direct peers are Navitas, Study Group, EduCo (Global University Systems), Cambridge Education Group and INTO University Partnerships. Torrens University Australia is listed as a regional player. QS Global Education Group is listed as an others.
Does UP Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for UP Education.
What industry is UP Education in?
UP Education's product category is Higher Education and Vocational Training. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAJAG, Diploma-to-Degree / Articulation & Credit-Transfer Pathways, with a secondary code of EDAIAJAI, Under-18 / High School-to-University Foundation Pathways. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.