HigherEdJobs

What HigherEdJobs does

HigherEdJobs is a privately held, U.S.-headquartered (State College, Pennsylvania) vertical job board founded in 1996 by John Ikenberry and Andrew Hibel, dedicated exclusively to the higher-education labor market. The company operates a self-serve, web-based platform that connects colleges, universities, and related institutions with academic and administrative job seekers. As of the latest snapshot, the platform hosts approximately 72,955 active job listings from 2,044 institutions across more than 50 countries, spanning four-year universities, two-year/community colleges, and professional schools.

The core product is a multi-tiered job-posting platform: employers purchase single postings, discounted job packs, or unlimited annual subscriptions, and can layer on premium upgrades such as VIP positioning, Inclusive Workplace and Military-Friendly designations, Priority listings, Social Media promotion, and Featured Executive placements. A monetized Resume Database, Institutional Profile pages, banner advertising, Automated Postings API/integration, and an Interim Search staffing service extend the platform beyond job postings. Job seekers access search, application, job alerts, and free accounts at no cost, supported by a content ecosystem (career articles, HigherEdJobs Podcast, Ask the Expert, Insider Update newsletter). The company holds U.S. Patent 8,548,928 covering its job posting and search technology.

Revenue is generated through four streams: transactional job posting fees, recurring resume database subscriptions, digital advertising, and premium upgrade fees. Distribution is self-serve PLG via the website, supplemented by an email job-alert system and an active presence across seven social channels. The platform's deep specialization in higher education — including filters for institution type, dual-career opportunities, and inclusive/military-friendly employers — and its 28-year operating history constitute its primary competitive differentiators against generalist job boards.

Name

HigherEdJobs

Legal name

HigherEdJobs

Website

https://higheredjobs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

HigherEdJobs is a privately held vertical job board founded in 1996 that connects 2,044 colleges and universities with academic, administrative, and executive job seekers via tiered job postings, a resume database, and premium upgrade features.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Job Board

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Direct Hire (Teachers/Administrators) (BPACAFAI)

Keywords

• Higher education job board
• Academic recruitment platform
• Faculty job listings
• University hiring services
• Resume database access

Headquarters

HQ city

State College

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Job Posting Fees: Employers pay to post job listings. Products include single postings, job packs (multiple postings at discounted rates), and unlimited posting subscriptions for high-volume recruiters.
2. Resume Database Access: Employers can search and access a database of candidate resumes/CVs for recruitment purposes.
3. Digital Advertising: Banner advertising, spotlight listings, and promotional placements on the platform for employer branding and recruitment marketing.
4. Premium Upgrades: Additional paid features including VIP position listings, priority job upgrades, inclusive workplace spotlight, military-friendly upgrades, social media promotion, and featured executive positions to increase visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

HigherEdJobs operates a specialized online job board platform exclusively serving the higher education sector. Employers (colleges, universities, and community colleges) pay to post faculty, administrative, and executive positions, while job seekers use the platform for free to search and apply. The platform generates revenue through job posting fees, resume database subscriptions, digital advertising, and premium visibility upgrades.

Product overview

HigherEdJobs is a dedicated higher education job board platform operating as a single unified product with multiple service tiers and add-on modules. The core platform serves both job seekers (free account with job search, alerts, and resume tools) and employers (paid job posting services). Employer products include tiered posting options (Single Job Posting, Job Packs, Unlimited Postings subscriptions) along with premium visibility add-ons (VIP Positions, Priority Upgrade, Featured Executive Position, Social Media Upgrade). The platform also offers supplementary services including a Resume Database, Institutional Profiles, Automated Postings integration, Digital Advertising, and Inclusive Workplace designations. Additional offerings include career resources, a podcast, newsletter, and interim search services for temporary staffing needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Single Job Posting Allows employers to post a single position to HigherEdJobs' higher education job board, providing visibility to the platform's audience of academic professionals.
• Job Packs Bundle of multiple job postings at a discounted rate for employers needing to post several positions, providing cost savings compared to single postings.
• Unlimited Postings Subscription-based service allowing employers unlimited job postings for a set period, designed for institutions with ongoing, high-volume hiring needs.
• VIP Positions Featured executive and high-priority position listings that receive enhanced visibility through prominent placement on the website.
• Resume Database Subscription access to a database of job seeker resumes and CVs, allowing employers to search and proactively recruit candidates for higher education positions.
• Automated Postings Integration service enabling automated job posting, allowing employers to sync job listings from their existing HR/ATS systems directly to HigherEdJobs.
• Digital Advertising Banner advertising and promotional placements on the HigherEdJobs platform for employer brand visibility and recruitment marketing.
• Institutional Profile Dedicated employer profile page showcasing institutional information, culture, and open positions to attract qualified candidates.
• Interim Search Temporary and interim staffing placement services for higher education institutions needing short-term personnel.
• Inclusive Workplace Upgrade Enhancement highlighting employer commitment to inclusive hiring practices, marking job listings for diversity-focused candidate recruitment.
• Inclusive Workplace Spotlight Premium visibility placement for job listings from employers actively promoting inclusive workplace environments.
• Priority Job Upgrade Service bumping job listings to higher priority placement, increasing visibility above standard postings.
• Military Upgrade Upgrade marking positions for veteran and military-friendly candidate outreach, highlighting employer commitment to hiring military personnel.
• Social Media Upgrade Promotion of job listings across HigherEdJobs' social media channels including Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok.
• Featured Executive Position Premium placement for executive-level positions, providing enhanced exposure for senior leadership searches.
• Resume/CV Writing Service Professional resume and CV writing assistance for job seekers in higher education seeking career advancement.
• Job Seeker Account Free account for job seekers enabling job search, application tracking, job alerts, resume posting, and access to career resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Platform hosts 72,955+ active job postings from 2,044+ institutions

Named customers12 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Chronicle of Higher Education: ChronicleJobs is the largest direct competitor to HigherEdJobs, operating a paid higher education job board serving U.S. colleges, universities, and academic employers with similar posting, resume access, and advertising products.
• Inside Higher Ed: Inside Higher Ed runs a higher-ed-focused job board alongside its news content, directly competing with HigherEdJobs for institutional recruiters and academic job seekers across faculty, administrative, and executive roles.
• AcademicKeys: AcademicKeys operates niche job boards exclusively for higher education faculty and administrative positions, competing head-to-head with HigherEdJobs in the same customer and candidate segments.

Emerging players

• HigherEdRecruiting: HigherEdRecruiting is a newer, niche higher education recruitment service and job posting platform targeting the same institutional employers and academic candidates as HigherEdJobs, often with a more consultative sales model.
• JobTarget: JobTarget provides job distribution and recruitment marketing technology that many higher education institutions use alongside or instead of niche boards like HigherEdJobs, representing an alternative paid distribution channel for the same employer base.
• Workable: Workable is an applicant tracking and job posting platform used by some higher education employers; it overlaps with HigherEdJobs on job distribution and recruitment technology, particularly for institutions modernizing their hiring stack.

Broad incumbents

• Indeed: Indeed is the largest generalist job board globally and a frequent substitute channel for higher education employers that choose to consolidate recruiting spend onto one high-traffic platform, competing with HigherEdJobs on reach and price.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn combines professional networking with a global job marketplace and increasingly specialized filters (including for higher education), giving institutional recruiters an alternative paid channel that overlaps with HigherEdJobs' employer value proposition.
• ZipRecruiter: ZipRecruiter is a large, AI-enabled generalist job marketplace that employers use for cross-industry hiring including higher education, often competing on price-per-hire and ease of multi-posting versus HigherEdJobs.
• Glassdoor: Glassdoor combines employer reviews with a broad job board, including higher education listings, and competes for employer recruitment marketing and brand-building dollars that HigherEdJobs monetizes through its digital advertising products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HigherEdJobs
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@higheredjobs
• Facebookfacebook.com/higheredjobs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/higheredjobs
• Instagraminstagram.com/higheredjobs
• TikToktiktok.com/@higheredjobs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 HigherEdJobs