Institute of International Education

What Institute of International Education does

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit founded in 1919 and headquartered at One World Trade Center, New York, with 501-1000 employees. IIE administers international educational exchange programs on behalf of sponsors including the U.S. Department of State, foreign governments, foundations, and universities, reaching participants from more than 183 countries across 85+ countries of operation through regional offices in Europe, the Americas, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central Asia, and East Asia and the Pacific. Core programs include the Fulbright Program (administered on behalf of the U.S. government), the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (now in its 25th year), the IIE Scholar Rescue Fund, the Odyssey Scholarship for displaced students, and the Generation Study Abroad initiative. IIE holds regulatory authority as a designated sponsor of the U.S. Department of State's J-1 nonimmigrant visa program, a function that is competitively rare and creates a structural barrier to entry. Supporting technology infrastructure includes the IIEPassport study abroad platform, FundingUSStudy and IntensiveEnglishUSA databases, IIE Pay (a Zelle/Bank of America-mediated electronic payment system for participants), and GRANTAX/Participant Tax Services (delivered in partnership with Sprintax for non-resident tax filing).

IIE generates revenue through program administration fees, J-1 visa sponsorship fees, grant-funded program execution, and operational support for sponsor-driven exchange initiatives; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is structured around institutional sponsorship rather than direct consumer pricing. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales to government and foundation sponsors, complemented by a self-serve program-finder portal for individual students and professionals, with alumni engagement through IIE Alumni webinars and the IIENetwork membership community for higher education institutions. Customers split between end beneficiaries (U.S. and international students, scholars, displaced learners, exchange alumni) and institutional sponsors (U.S. Department of State, Thailand/Vietnam/India/Saudi Arabia governments, AIFS Foundation, Medtronic Foundation, SUNY New Paltz, University of Illinois, Siam University).

Name

Institute of International Education

Legal name

Institute of International Education, Inc.

Website

https://iie.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Founded in 1919 and headquartered in New York, the Institute of International Education (IIE) is a global not-for-profit that administers international educational exchange programs — including the Fulbright Program and J-1 visa sponsorship — on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, foreign governments, foundations, and universities, serving more than 27,000 participants annually across 183+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Exchange Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Administration of Education Programs (923110), International Affairs (928120)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL), Outbound Exchange Advising, Placement & Nomination Services (EDAIABAL), Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ), Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB)

Keywords

• International education exchange
• Scholarship administration
• J-1 visa sponsorship
• Study abroad programs
• Fellowship management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Administration Services: IIE administers international education exchange programs on behalf of sponsoring organizations (governments, foundations, corporations, universities). Revenue is generated through program administration fees, visa sponsorship services, and operational support for exchange visitor programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

IIE designs, administers, and manages international education exchange programs on behalf of government agencies, foundations, corporations, and universities. The organization provides J-1 visa sponsorship, scholarship and fellowship administration (including Fulbright and Humphrey), crisis response for displaced scholars, and operational platforms such as IIEPassport, Funding US Study, and IIE Pay to support participant mobility across 180+ countries.

Product overview

IIE operates as a global not-for-profit organization established in 1919 that facilitates international education exchanges. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs including the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, Fulbright programs, IIE Scholar Rescue Fund, and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Supporting infrastructure includes IIE Pay for electronic participant payments, GRANTAX/Participant Tax Services for tax preparation, and digital platforms such as IIEPassport, Intensive English USA, and Funding US Study for student recruitment and program matching. IIE also produces publications including the Student Guide and Parent Guide to Study Abroad, and manages initiatives like Generation Study Abroad and the Global Experience & Training (GET) Initiative. The organization partners with Sprintax for tax filing and Zelle/Bank of America for payment processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program A U.S. Department of State-funded fellowship administered by IIE providing ten months of non-degree academic study and professional experiences in the United States for international professionals, fostering leadership development and mutual exchange of knowledge.
• Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Award An award recognizing leadership and contributions toward strengthening international academic engagement and institutional excellence, granted by the United States-India Educational Foundation in collaboration with IIE.
• American Passport Project IIE initiative that awards $1M in institutional grants for Pell-eligible college students to obtain U.S. passports and participate in study abroad programs.
• IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Program that saves the lives, voices, and ideas of threatened scholars worldwide by providing fellowships and safe academic environments.
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program Program providing scholarships to financially disadvantaged American undergraduates to support study abroad and international internship experiences; celebrating its 25th anniversary.
• IIEPassport Online platform for U.S. students to search thousands of study abroad programs, read study abroad guides and resources, and connect with scholarship opportunities.
• Intensive English USA Database for international students to find and apply to intensive English language study opportunities at U.S. institutions.
• Funding US Study Scholarship search platform for international students to search scholarships, fellowships and grants for studying in the United States.
• IIE Pay Electronic payment system that distributes payments to participants with U.S. bank accounts via Zelle, enabling fast and secure money transfers directly to participant bank accounts.
• Participant Tax Services Tax preparation service for international students and scholars, provided in partnership with Sprintax, to help non-residents file appropriate Federal and State tax returns including Form 1042-S and ITIN applications.
• EducationUSA U.S. Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries that promotes U.S. higher education by offering accurate information about studying in the United States.
• Global Experience & Training (GET) Initiative Experiential learning opportunities for students and young professionals at U.S. colleges and universities, offering hands-on industry training in STEM fields and other specialty areas to bridge academics and the job market.
• IIE Odyssey Scholarship Comprehensive scholarship program launched in 2021 to support displaced students; has awarded scholarships to more than 200 students displaced from 22 countries.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200+ displaced students supported since 2021
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AIFS FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Joint report titled 'Passport to Leadership' examining how international education experiences shape career pathways and leadership development. Released at NAFSA 2026 Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. Study surveyed 44 industry leaders across more than 20 industries.
• National Institute for International Education (Korea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKorean government body that administers the TOPIK exam and manages the Global Korea Scholarship (GKS) program. Organized career development programs for GKS students and international graduates seeking employment in Korea.
• Medtronic FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in IIE's AIEA Annual Conference expert panel on higher education and workforce transformation. Features the 10-year Spark initiative aiming to propel 1 million students into health tech careers.
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in IIE's expert panel on international higher education partnerships and workforce transformation. Features Research Park ecosystem with 120+ corporate partners and 2,000 employees.
• Siam UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in IIE's AIEA Annual Conference panel discussion on international higher education partnerships.
• World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-released first findings from the Global Consortium on Artificial Intelligence and Higher Education for Workforce Development, examining how AI is reshaping higher education systems across seven countries.
• Government of ThailandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership facilitating university-to-university collaborations focused on STEM education and talent pipelines.
• Government of VietnamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership facilitating university-to-university collaborations focused on STEM education and talent pipelines.
• Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership facilitating university-to-university collaborations focused on STEM education and talent pipelines.
• Government of Saudi ArabiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership facilitating university-to-university collaborations focused on STEM education and talent pipelines.
• United States-India Educational FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministers Fulbright-Nehru International Education Administrators Awards in collaboration with IIE, recognizing leadership in strengthening international academic engagement.
• South Korea Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSigned letter of intent with French education authorities to establish bilateral language teaching assistant exchange program, marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties. Program scheduled to begin fall 2026.
• French Education AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with South Korea's Education Ministry for bilateral language teaching assistant exchange program. More than 1,800 students at 60 schools in France study Korean as elective subject.
• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIE is a designated sponsor of the U.S. Department of State's J-1 nonimmigrant visa program. Administers the Fulbright Program as flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government.
• EducationUSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU.S. Department of State network of over 400 international student advising centers in more than 170 countries, promoting U.S. higher education to students worldwide.
• SprintaxcoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline tax filing solution designed for non-residents, partnered with IIE to provide necessary tax forms for participants completing U.S. tax filing requirements.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest U.S. not-for-profit international exchange organizations, running study abroad programs and administering exchange visitor programs for U.S. and foreign participants — directly comparable to IIE in mission, scale, and scholarship administration.
• American Councils for International Education: American Councils administers U.S. government-funded exchange programs (including critical-language and Fulbright components) and runs large-scale international exchange programs for students, scholars, and professionals — directly comparable as a U.S. exchange program administrator.
• World Learning: World Learning administers experiential education, exchange, and capacity-building programs globally, including the Fulbright DDRA and exchange visitor programs — directly comparable as a not-for-profit running U.S. State Department-funded exchanges.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS runs global student exchange and intercultural learning programs across more than 50 countries, with similar mission and operational model to IIE's study abroad and youth exchange programs.
• AIFS Foundation: AIFS Foundation partners with IIE on scholarship and research (Passport to Leadership) and runs study abroad and cultural exchange programs — directly comparable as an exchange program provider with foundation-supported scholarships.
• IFSA (Institute for Study Abroad): IFSA provides direct-enrollment study abroad programs for U.S. undergraduates at global universities — directly comparable to a portion of IIE's programming around study abroad program delivery and student mobility.
• ISA (International Studies Abroad): ISA offers study abroad programs across multiple countries for U.S. and international students, with scholarship and program-administration services that overlap with IIE's program finder and scholarship offerings.
• American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS): AIFS organizes study abroad, cultural exchange, and scholarship programs comparable to IIE's offerings, with foundation arm (AIFS Foundation) running scholarship programs that mirror IIE's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• NAFSA: Association of International Educators: NAFSA is the leading membership and advocacy association for international educators and administers policy advocacy, professional development, and conferences in the same international education space IIE operates in — comparable as a broad incumbent serving the same institutional base.

Others

• EducationUSA: EducationUSA is the U.S. Department of State network IIE partners with to promote U.S. higher education — an ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, listed here because IIE has a designated relationship with it and operates on its infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IIEglobal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/iieglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/IIEglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-of-international-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/iieglobal

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of International Education