Asse

What Asse does

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is a US-incorporated non-profit organization founded in 1976 (with origins tracing to 1938 under the Swedish National Ministry of Education) that operates one of the largest high school international exchange networks in the world. Headquartered in Laguna Beach, California, ASSE runs 38 offices across 31 countries and places 30,000+ students and host families annually through academic year, semester, and summer programs spanning more than 30 destination countries. The organization is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsor of exchange visitor programs and administers three flagship federal scholarship pipelines — CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange), FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange), and YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study).

The core product is structured placement of students aged 15-18 with screened host families, combined with international airfare, pre-departure and in-country orientation, language training, comprehensive health/travel/liability insurance, and ongoing support from a 1,500-person volunteer Area Representative network. ASSE also operates adjacent subsidiaries — EurAupair (intercultural child care, 1988), Aspire Worldwide (work/travel and trainee programs, 1999), and Go Campus (university placement, 2009) — forming a multi-life-stage exchange ecosystem.

The business model is direct-to-consumer program fees ranging from approximately $7,500 to $16,500 depending on destination and program length, supplemented by a $350 non-refundable application fee and partial subsidies/scholarships. The organization operates on a cost-subsidy non-profit basis. Distribution is dual-sided: students are recruited via regional US offices (Western, Midwestern, Eastern), online applications, and school counselor referrals, while host families are recruited through community outreach via Area Representatives and U.S. Department of State scholarship channels. Government partnerships (U.S. State Department, Swedish Ministry of Education, Canadian provincial education ministries) and a 31-country partner office network underpin the operational reach.

Name

Asse

Legal name

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs

Website

https://asse.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1938

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ASSE is a US-based non-profit founded in 1976 that runs international high school exchange programs in 31 countries, placing 30,000+ students annually with host families and administering U.S. Department of State scholarship programs (CBYX, FLEX, YES).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Student Exchange Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips (EDAIAHAD), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE), International Student Orientation & Transition Programs (EDALANAC), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL)

Keywords

• International student exchange
• High school study abroad
• Host family placement
• Cultural immersion programs
• Youth exchange scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Laguna Beach

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: ASSE charges program fees for exchange year, semester, and summer programs. Fees include international airfare, language training, comprehensive insurance, host family placement, orientation, and support services. The organization operates at cost with partial subsidies for students.
2. Preliminary Application Fee: Non-refundable $350 application fee charged to students applying for exchange programs
3. Student Insurance: Comprehensive health, travel, accidental death and personal liability insurance included in program fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs organizes international high school student exchange experiences, placing students aged 15-18 with screened volunteer host families across more than 30 countries for academic year, semester, or summer programs. The organization handles end-to-end logistics including international airfare, visa sponsorship, host family screening and placement, comprehensive insurance, language and cultural enrichment, and ongoing in-country support through regional offices and 1,500 volunteer Area Representatives.

Product overview

ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is a non-profit organization founded in 1976 that operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core offering consists of high school exchange programs (academic year, semester, and summer) placing students aged 15-18 with host families in over 30 countries. The product portfolio includes the High School Study Abroad Program, Summer Programs (Homestay and Language Camps), the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program, the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, and the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) Program as scholarship offerings. Supporting services include the Host Family Program, Area Representative Network, Student Insurance, and North American Field Trips. ASSE Canada operates as a regional subsidiary managing Canadian operations. ASSE maintains 38 offices in 31 countries and accommodates more than 30,000 students and host families annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EurAupair: Intercultural Child Care Programs providing Au Pairs for American host families
• Aspire Worldwide
• Go Campus

Products and services

• High School Study Abroad Program Full academic year or semester exchange programs placing high school students aged 15-18 with screened host families in more than 30 countries for cultural immersion, language learning, and academic study.
• Summer Programs Short-term summer exchange options including Summer Immersion (6 weeks) and European Summer Language Camps (4 weeks) in France, Spain, and Germany, providing cultural immersion and language training.
• Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) Program Merit-based scholarship program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State providing opportunities for German students to study in the U.S. and American students to live and study in Germany.
• Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program U.S. Department of State scholarship program providing youth from former Soviet Republics with opportunities to live and study in the United States with American host families.
• Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study (YES) Program U.S. Department of State scholarship program created after September 11 providing scholarships to high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations to study in the United States.
• ASSE Private High School Program Program placing exchange students in selected private high schools throughout the United States, offering specialized curricula and interests such as skiing, hockey, music, art, or horseback riding combined with academic studies.
• Host Family Program Program recruiting and screening volunteer host families in the United States to welcome international high school students aged 15-18, who attend local high schools and participate in community life for periods ranging from 3 months to a full school year.
• Area Representative Program Volunteer network of more than 1,500 Area Representatives providing local support to exchange students and host families, including counseling, training, activity coordination, and community outreach.
• ASSE Canada Regional branch of ASSE operating in Canada in both English and French, offering high school exchange programs to and from Canada with dedicated support offices and ministry coordination.
• Student Insurance Comprehensive health, travel, accidental death, and personal liability insurance coverage included with all ASSE exchange programs for student protection during their stay abroad.
• North American Field Trips Optional educational excursions for inbound exchange students to explore North American destinations and cultural sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Within four months, exchange students should speak the host country language fluently
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swedish Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1976Original founding organization that established ASSE in 1976 as the American Scandinavian Student Exchange to organize student exchange programs between Sweden and the United States. The Swedish government's backing established ASSE's legitimacy and global credentials.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASSE was designated by the U.S. Department of State as a sponsor of exchange visitor programs. The organization participates in three prestigious scholarship programs: CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange), FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange), and YES (Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange & Study).
• Canadian Provincial Education MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASSE works closely with Canadian provincial education ministries to coordinate exchange programs for Canadian students and incoming international students.
• ASSE International Partner Offices (31 countries)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor38 offices in 31 countries including Eduquality Argentina, Students of the World (Australia), BEX Brazilian Exchange, Go Campus China, ASSE Germany GmbH, ASSE Danmark, ASSE Nederland, ASSE Spain, and others. These offices handle local recruitment, host family screening, student placement, and support services.
• ASPIRE WorldwideminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAffiliated organization offering Summer Work & Travel and Trainee/Intern Programs for university students, graduates, and professionals.
• EurAupair Intercultural Child Care ProgramsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded by ASSE in 1988, a U.S. not-for-profit organization providing live-in child care assistance for American host families in exchange for cultural exchange opportunities.
• Go Campus University ProgramsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFounded in 2009 to match qualified international students with North American colleges and universities for undergraduate studies.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is one of the largest and oldest international high school exchange organizations globally, operating in 60+ countries with a similar nonprofit model of placing students with host families for academic year and semester programs—directly comparable to ASSE's core offering.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a major nonprofit exchange organization that operates high school study abroad, semester, and summer programs with a U.S. Department of State sponsor designation, overlapping directly with ASSE's High School Study Abroad and CBYX/FLEX/YES scholarship programs.
• Youth For Understanding (YFU): YFU is a long-established nonprofit international student exchange organization offering academic year, semester, and summer programs in 60+ countries—directly comparable to ASSE's mission, target segment (high schoolers 15–18), and host-family-based delivery model.
• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a nonprofit, U.S. Department of State–designated sponsor of high school exchange programs (FLEX, YES, CBYX) operating in similar corridors as ASSE with comparable academic-year and semester placement of high school students with American host families.
• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is a U.S.-based nonprofit student exchange organization offering academic year, semester, and short-term programs in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, directly competing with ASSE in the volunteer host family model.
• International Cultural Exchange Services (ICES): ICES is a U.S. nonprofit designated by the Department of State to place high school exchange students with American host families, with a country footprint and program structure highly comparable to ASSE.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is a for-profit global education conglomerate offering high school study abroad, language travel, and cultural exchange programs across 100+ countries; it competes with ASSE in language immersion and exchange but operates a much broader portfolio of programs.
• World Learning (The Experiment in International Living): World Learning operates The Experiment in International Living, one of the oldest U.S. high school summer and semester exchange programs; it shares ASSE's nonprofit, U.S. State Department sponsor profile and target audience of high schoolers.
• AIFS (American Institute for Foreign Study): AIFS is a private, for-profit provider of high school study abroad, language, and cultural programs with a wide country footprint, competing with ASSE in summer and academic-year offerings but with a much broader product set and stronger commercial infrastructure.

Emerging players

• WEP (World Experience Program): WEP is a European-based international student exchange organization running high school semester and academic-year programs with host families across multiple countries, offering a comparable proposition to ASSE in the European market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Asse