DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad

What DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad does

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad is a non-profit educational institution founded in 1959 that designs and delivers study abroad programming for undergraduate students, principally from North America, in two Scandinavian capitals: Copenhagen, Denmark and Stockholm, Sweden. Its product surface consists of semester programs and summer programs built around a catalogue of more than 340 English-taught courses enriched by hands-on study tours, supplemented by supporting services including housing placement, 24/7 wellbeing and emergency support, scholarship administration, community engagement programming, and a student-content platform (DIS Blog and Student Voices).

The underlying operating model is platform-based rather than tech-based: DIS functions as a curriculum and experience layer that integrates with the academic systems of approximately 200 North American partner universities, which channel applicants, facilitate credit transfer, and administer institutional scholarships. Recurring tuition and academic fees from participating students constitute the primary revenue stream, billed per semester or summer term through direct website applications or via home-university study abroad offices, with a dedicated North American administrative office in St. Paul, Minnesota supporting recruitment and partner relationships. No proprietary technology platform, patents, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed; the website references an 'AI Search' entry, consistent with a third-party embedded search experience rather than in-house model development. DIS is a private non-profit — not venture-backed, not publicly listed, with no parent company and no disclosed M&A activity — with operations spanning Denmark, Sweden, and the United States.

Name

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad

Legal name

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad

Website

https://DISabroad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad is a non-profit founded in 1959 that delivers semester and summer study abroad programs in Copenhagen and Stockholm for undergraduate students from 200 partner North American universities, offering 340+ English-taught courses with credit transfer and scholarship support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Experiential & Field-Based Study Abroad (Research, Field Schools, Practicums) (EDAIAAAD), Study Abroad Program Management & Administration (for Institutions) (EDAIAAAJ), Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• Semester abroad
• Summer abroad
• Scandinavian education
• International student services

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: DIS generates revenue through tuition and fees charged to participating students. Students pay for semester and summer abroad programs which include coursework, housing assistance, study tours, and academic support services. The organization collaborates with students' home universities to facilitate credit transfer.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

DIS is a non-profit study abroad institution that delivers semester and summer study abroad programs in Stockholm and Copenhagen for undergraduate students primarily from North American universities. Its offerings include 340+ English-taught courses with hands-on learning, study tours across Europe, housing assistance, 24/7 wellbeing and emergency support, and scholarship facilitation through home university partnerships.

Product overview

DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad is a non-profit study abroad institution offering semester and summer programs in Stockholm and Copenhagen. Founded in 1959, it provides 340+ courses taught in English through a platform-based model. The core offerings include Semester Programs, Summer Programs, and a Course Finder tool for discovering courses. Supporting services include Study Tours, DIS Blog, Housing Services, Wellbeing Support with 24/7 emergency assistance, Scholarships, and Community Engagement opportunities. The institution collaborates with 200 North American partner universities for credit transfer and scholarship access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Semester Programs Semester-long study abroad programs in Stockholm and Copenhagen for undergraduate students from North American universities, comprising 340+ courses taught in English by experts in their fields and enriched by hands-on learning experiences and study tours.
• Summer Programs Summer study abroad programs delivered in Stockholm and Copenhagen, offering shorter-term immersive academic experiences in Scandinavia for undergraduate students seeking credit-bearing summer coursework.
• Study Tours Guided educational tours that complement DIS academic coursework, taking students beyond the classroom across Europe to bring theory to life.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• North American UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDIS collaborates with 200 North American universities to facilitate student applications, credit transfers, and scholarship access. These university partnerships make it easy for students to apply, transfer credits, and access institutional scholarships, representing a core distribution channel for DIS programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is a large global education company with study abroad, language travel, and degree programs across multiple continents. Broader scope than DIS but overlaps on the North-American-to-Europe study abroad use case and bundled housing/experience model.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a long-standing non-profit intercultural exchange organization offering study abroad and homestay programs worldwide. Comparable to DIS on non-profit structure, long operating history, and cultural-immersion orientation, though broader geographically and shorter-duration programs.

Direct peers

• IES Abroad: IES Abroad operates semester and summer study abroad programs across Europe and other regions, with credit-transfer and scholarship arrangements through US universities. Closely mirrors DIS in program structure, English-taught curriculum, and university partnership channel.
• Semester at Sea (Institute for Shipboard Education): Semester at Sea is a non-profit study abroad program offering credit-bearing global semesters for US undergraduates. Comparable to DIS on non-profit mission, university credit-transfer model, and integrated student support services.
• CEA Study Abroad: CEA Study Abroad runs semester, summer, and short-term programs at multiple European sites for US undergraduates. Comparable to DIS on city-based program model, university credit-transfer arrangements, and inclusion of study tours and cultural immersion.
• ISA (International Studies Abroad): ISA by Worldstrides provides study abroad programs in Europe, Latin America, and Asia for US and Canadian undergraduates. Comparable to DIS on target demographic, university partnership GTM, and bundled housing/support services.
• API (Academic Programs International): API offers study abroad programs in Europe and other regions with credit-transfer support for US university students. Directly comparable on student demographic, GTM via university partnerships, and program portfolio breadth.
• SIT Study Abroad (World Learning): SIT Study Abroad delivers semester and summer programs with a strong experiential and field-based learning emphasis. Comparable to DIS for North American undergraduate audience, credit-transfer arrangements, and emphasis on immersive academic experience.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest US-headquartered study abroad providers, offering semester and summer programs with credit-transfer arrangements to North American universities. Directly comparable to DIS in mission, target student (North American undergraduates), and institutional partnership model.
• Arcadia University - The College of Global Studies: Arcadia's College of Global Studies runs study abroad programs in Europe and beyond for US undergraduates, with credit-transfer baked in. Highly comparable to DIS on academic model, target customer (US undergraduates), and partnership-led distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StudyAbroadDIS
• Facebookfacebook.com/StudyAbroadDIS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dis-danish-institute-for-study-abroad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 DIS – Danish Institute for Study Abroad