Alabama Commission on Higher Education
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) is the statutory state coordinating agency for public higher education in Alabama, overseeing academic program approval, statewide data collection, and financial aid administration for all 38 public colleges and universities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersMontgomery, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Alabama Commission on Higher Education does
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) is the statutory state coordinating agency for public higher education in Alabama, established in 1969 and headquartered at 100 North Union Street in Montgomery. It exercises statutorily granted authority over academic program approval, institutional coordination, and statewide data collection for all 38 public colleges and universities in the state (14 four-year institutions and 24 two-year community and technical colleges). ACHE's core mandate covers regulatory oversight, academic program review, budget recommendations, and outcomes-based policy support for Alabama state legislators and the Governor's office.
ACHE's operational technology footprint centers on a centralized data infrastructure: the Statewide Student Database (longitudinal unit records mandated by law), the ACHE Data Portal (dynamic custom reporting with drill-down), ACHE Static Reports (pre-generated PDF/Excel publications), and interactive Microsoft Power BI dashboards for enrollment and completions. Institutional users access the Academic Program Review (APR) Portal, an extranet for submitting and processing program proposals, modifications, and off-campus site requests. ACHE integrates with federal and regional systems including IPEDS, NCES College Navigator, FAFSA, NC-SARA, and the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB). The agency administers multiple state financial aid programs (ASAP, ASGP, AMSTEP, ReEngage) and produces workforce-alignment analytics including Employment Outcomes, College-Going Rate, and In-Demand Occupations reports.
ACHE is funded exclusively through Alabama state appropriations and does not charge fees for its coordination, regulatory, or data services to public institutions. Its customers are not commercial buyers but mandated constituents: the 38 Alabama public colleges and universities, Alabama students and families seeking financial aid and college information, and state policymakers requiring data for budget and policy decisions. The agency employs 11-50 staff organized across Research Services, Student Assistance, Academic Affairs, Agency Fiscal Services, and Communications functions, with no commercial revenue, no external funding, and no parent company or private ownership.
Alabama Commission on Higher Education firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Alabama Commission on Higher Education
- Legal name
- Alabama Commission on Higher Education
- Website
- https://ache.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) is the statutory state coordinating agency for public higher education in Alabama, overseeing academic program approval, statewide data collection, and financial aid administration for all 38 public colleges and universities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Alabama Commission on Higher Education industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Higher Education Coordination
- NAICS
- Administration of Education Programs (92311)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions (EDADAAAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Higher Education Academic Standards & Degree Framework Authorities (EDADAEAG), Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF)
Keywords
Where Alabama Commission on Higher Education is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montgomery
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Alabama Commission on Higher Education business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- State Appropriations: ACHE is a state government agency funded through state appropriations. The agency does not charge fees for its regulatory and coordination services to public institutions.
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Alabama Commission on Higher Education product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education is a state-level coordinating board that administers statewide oversight of Alabama's 38 public colleges and universities. Its core functions include approving new academic programs, administering state student financial aid, and managing centralized data systems that track enrollment, progression, and outcomes across the public higher education sector. The agency serves public institutions, students and families, and state policymakers as a statutory intermediary for higher education policy and reporting.
Product overview
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) operates a portfolio of interconnected digital products and services organized around a centralized data infrastructure. The core platform consists of the ACHE Data Portal (dynamic reporting) and ACHE Static Reports (pre-generated publications), supplemented by Microsoft Power BI dashboards for enrollment and completions analytics. Student-facing services include the Student Horizon Database, FAFSA Completion Portal, and Net Price Calculator. ACHE administers multiple financial aid programs including the Alabama Student Assistance Program, Alabama Student Grant Program, AMSTEP, and (Re)Engage Alabama Grant. For institutional users, ACHE provides the Academic Program Review (APR) Portal for program approvals, IPEDS Federal Reporting tools, and comprehensive Institutional Profiles. Research and workforce services include Employment Outcomes Reports, College-Going Rate Reports, College Readiness and Outcome Reports, and In-Demand Occupations Lists. The Academic Program Inventory provides searchable program data updated quarterly. The system processes data from 38 public colleges and universities across Alabama, with connections to federal systems (FAFSA, IPEDS, NCES) and regional partners (SREB).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Statewide Student Database Centralized student-level database that aggregates enrollment, progression, and outcome records from Alabama's public colleges and universities, used for institutional reporting and statewide policy analysis.
- Student Horizon Database Longitudinal student tracking system used to monitor student progression, transfer, and completion outcomes across Alabama public higher education.
- Academic Program Review (APR) Portal Online portal used by Alabama public institutions to submit, review, and receive approval for new and modified academic programs.
- ACHE Data Portal Public-facing data warehouse providing access to statewide higher education statistics, reports, and downloadable datasets for institutions, researchers, and the public.
- Statewide Power BI Dashboards Interactive Power BI dashboards that visualize statewide higher education metrics, including enrollment, completion, and funding data, for institutional and policy use.
- State Student Financial Aid Administration Administration of state-funded student financial aid programs for Alabama residents pursuing postsecondary education at eligible institutions.
- Academic Program Approval Service Statutory service for reviewing and approving new and modified academic programs proposed by Alabama public colleges and universities.
Quantifiable outcome
- All In Alabama initiative focuses on retaining graduates in the Alabama workforce
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Alabama Commission on Higher Education
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Alabama Commission on Higher Education technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature4 records
Alabama Commission on Higher Education partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Alabama Commission on Higher Education competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board: State coordinating board for public higher education in Texas, performing analogous functions to ACHE including academic program approval, data reporting, and financial aid administration for Texas public institutions.
- State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV): Virginia's coordinating body for higher education with statutory authority over academic program review, data collection, and policy recommendations for public institutions - directly comparable to ACHE's mandate in Alabama.
- Indiana Commission for Higher Education: Indiana's state agency coordinating higher education policy, data reporting, and financial aid, serving a similar coordinating and oversight function to ACHE across public institutions.
- Tennessee Higher Education Commission: Tennessee's higher education coordinating agency with comparable responsibilities for academic program approval, statewide data systems, and outcomes reporting for public institutions.
- Ohio Department of Higher Education: Ohio's executive state agency for higher education coordination, performing parallel functions to ACHE including program approval, institutional oversight, and statewide data reporting.
- Illinois Board of Higher Education: Illinois's coordinating board for higher education with statutory coordination, data collection, and policy recommendation roles similar to ACHE's mandate in Alabama.
Regional players
- Florida Department of Education - Division of Postsecondary Education: State-level higher education oversight entity in Florida handling coordination and data reporting functions for public institutions, operating in a different but comparable state-coordinator role.
Others
- Southern Regional Education Board (SREB): Regional education organization that ACHE directly integrates with for regional data coordination. Functions as a peer/supplier relationship in the data-sharing and policy ecosystem.
- National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA): National body coordinating state-level reciprocity for distance education authorization. ACHE participates as a state portal entity, making NC-SARA both a partner and a comparable coordinating structure.
Broad incumbents
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES): Federal entity that collects IPEDS data from institutions through state coordinators like ACHE. Operates upstream in the same data reporting value chain.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Alabama Commission on Higher Education social profiles
Digital presenceAlabama Commission on Higher Education financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Alabama Commission on Higher Education leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Alabama Commission on Higher Education funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Alabama Commission on Higher 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 Alabama Commission on Higher Education
What does Alabama Commission on Higher Education do?
The Alabama Commission on Higher Education is a state-level coordinating board that administers statewide oversight of Alabama's 38 public colleges and universities. Its core functions include approving new academic programs, administering state student financial aid, and managing centralized data systems that track enrollment, progression, and outcomes across the public higher education sector. The agency serves public institutions, students and families, and state policymakers as a statutory intermediary for higher education policy and reporting.
Is Alabama Commission on Higher Education a public or private company?
Alabama Commission on Higher Education is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Alabama Commission on Higher Education founded?
Alabama Commission on Higher Education was founded in 1969. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Alabama Commission on Higher Education based?
Alabama Commission on Higher Education is headquartered in Montgomery, United States, in the North America region.
How does Alabama Commission on Higher Education make money?
One revenue line is on record: state Appropriations.
Who are Alabama Commission on Higher Education's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV), Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Ohio Department of Higher Education and Illinois Board of Higher Education. Florida Department of Education - Division of Postsecondary Education is listed as a regional player. Others are Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) and National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Alabama Commission on Higher Education have an API?
No public API is recorded for Alabama Commission on Higher Education.
What industry is Alabama Commission on Higher Education in?
Alabama Commission on Higher Education's product category is Public Higher Education Coordination. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAAAG, Higher Education Regulators & Tertiary Education Commissions, with a secondary code of EDADAEAG, Higher Education Academic Standards & Degree Framework Authorities. Its NAICS code is 92311 and its SIC code is 8200.