Ayusa
Ayusa is a non-profit high school exchange organization that places international students with vetted U.S. host families, administers U.S. Department of State programs (YES, FLEX, CBYX), and runs outbound study abroad programs in Japan and Germany under the Intrax family.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Ayusa does
Ayusa is a non-profit high school exchange organization founded in 1981 in San Francisco and operating under the legal name Ayusa International. Its core function is placing international high school students with vetted U.S. volunteer host families under a U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA designation that authorizes J-1 visa sponsorship. In parallel, Ayusa administers federal exchange programs for the U.S. Department of State — including YES (Youth Exchange and Study), FLEX, CBYX, YA, and BFTF — and operates outbound study abroad programs for U.S. students in Japan and Germany via wholly-owned subsidiaries in Tokyo and Berlin. The organization also acts as the high school exchange arm of the Intrax family, a global education and work-program operator active in 100+ countries.
The product portfolio spans inbound exchange programs (academic year, semester, trimester, summer), outbound study abroad in Japan and Germany, the YES scholarship pathway for students from countries with significant Muslim populations, host family recruitment and support services, and a school partnership program. Pricing for Japan programs is publicly disclosed between $4,300 (summer, three-week) and $9,510 USD (full academic year). Operations are coordinated through a Salesforce-based program management and student-host family matching platform, supported by a nationwide U.S. field network of Community Representatives organized across at least seven regional territories, plus an operations and compliance function at headquarters. With 501–1,000 employees, Ayusa is BBB-accredited, a CSIET founding member since 1984, and a continuous CSIET-listed sponsor since inception of that standard.
Ayusa firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Ayusa
- Legal name
- Ayusa International
- Website
- https://ayusa.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Ayusa is a non-profit high school exchange organization that places international students with vetted U.S. host families, administers U.S. Department of State programs (YES, FLEX, CBYX), and runs outbound study abroad programs in Japan and Germany under the Intrax family.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Ayusa industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cultural Exchange Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Language Schools (611630)
- 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), One-to-One Immersion & Homestay Language Programs (EDAIAEAH), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)
Keywords
Where Ayusa is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Ayusa business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Student Program Fees: International students pay program fees for exchange programs including academic year, semester, trimester, and summer options. Fees range from $4,300 USD (summer) to $9,510 USD (academic year) for Japan programs. These fees cover program coordination, host family support, visa sponsorship, and local representative services.
- U.S. Department of State Program Administration: Ayusa administers government-funded exchange programs including YES (Youth Exchange and Study), FLEX, CBYX, and other State Department initiatives, receiving grants to sponsor eligible students from designated countries.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Academic Year Program - Full year immersion in Japan |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Fall Semester - Half-year exchange |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Fall Trimester - Short-term semester option |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Spring Semester - Half-year exchange starting January |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Spring Trimester - Short-term spring option |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Summer Program - Cultural exploration camp |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Ayusa product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Ayusa is a nonprofit organization that facilitates international high school student exchange programs, placing inbound foreign students with vetted American host families and coordinating outbound immersion experiences for U.S. students in Japan and Germany. The organization also administers U.S. government-sponsored scholarship exchange programs (YES, FLEX, and CBYX) under its designation by the U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA. Program delivery is supported through a national community representative network and international offices in Tokyo, Belgrade, and Berlin.
Product overview
Ayusa is a non-profit high school exchange organization offering a portfolio of cultural exchange programs centered on its core inbound High School Exchange Program, which places international students with American host families. The company also provides outbound Study Abroad Programs enabling American students to study in Germany and Japan, including dedicated products like Ayusa Japan High School Abroad, the Summer Cultural Exploration in Japan, the Ayusa Germany Abroad Academic Program, and the Ayusa Berlin Language Camp. Additional offerings include the Kennedy-Lugar YES grant program, Host Family Services with Community Representative support, and school partnership services. All programs operate under U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA designation and CSIET standards, with support coordinated through headquarters in San Francisco and regional offices in Tokyo and Berlin.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- YES Grant: Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program - a grant program awarding scholarships to high school students from countries with significant Muslim populations.
Products and services
- Inbound High School Exchange Program Semester or academic-year program that places international high school students with vetted American host families while they attend a U.S. high school under Ayusa's BridgeUSA sponsor designation.
- YES (Youth Exchange and Study) Program U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship program administered by Ayusa that places high school students from eligible countries with vetted American host families for an academic year.
- FLEX (Future Leaders Exchange) Program U.S. Department of State-funded scholarship program administered by Ayusa that places high school students from eligible countries with vetted American host families for an academic year.
- CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) Program Binational youth exchange program administered by Ayusa in cooperation with U.S. and German governmental partners that places U.S. and German high school students with vetted host families in the counterpart country for an academic year.
- Ayusa Outbound Japan Program Semester or academic-year program that sends U.S. high school students to Japan to live with vetted Japanese host families and attend local high school, supported by Ayusa's Tokyo office.
- Ayusa Outbound Germany Program Semester or academic-year program that sends U.S. high school students to Germany to live with vetted German host families and attend local high school, supported by Ayusa's Berlin office.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40+ years of exchange program experience
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Ayusa
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Ayusa technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Ayusa partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- U.S. Department of StatecoreAyusa partners with the U.S. Department of State on BridgeUSA programs including FLEX, YES, CBYX, YA, and BFTF. As a designated State Department Exchange Visitor Program sponsor since 1982, Ayusa administers government-funded high school exchange programs.
- IntraxcoreAyusa is a part of the Intrax family, a globally-oriented company providing educational and work programs. Intrax has operations in more than 100 countries worldwide. Sister companies include Intrax Work Travel, Intrax Global Internships, AuPairCare, AmeriCamp, and FurtherTravel.
- Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET)coreAyusa is a founding member of CSIET and has been approved for listing since 1984. CSIET sets standards for international youth exchange programs.
- Intrax JapancoreIntrax Japan operates the Ayusa Japan programs, including summer camps, winter camps, and academic year programs in Japan. Provides local on-ground support for Japanese study abroad programs.
- Ayusa GermanycoreAyusa Germany office (originally Stuttgart, now Berlin) manages German exchange programs including Berlin Language Camp and academic programs. Contact: [email protected]
- Better Business Bureau (BBB)minorAyusa holds BBB accreditation (BBB of Greater San Francisco, Business Review #206332), demonstrating commitment to ethical business practices.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Ayusa competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest U.S.-based nonprofit international exchange organizations, running high school study abroad, work & travel, and exchange visitor programs with State Department designations — directly comparable to Ayusa's core BridgeUSA secondary school student program.
- AFS Intercultural Programs: AFS is a long-standing, CSIET-listed nonprofit that runs secondary school exchange, host family matching, and intercultural programs in 100+ countries — serving the same international high school student and host family segments as Ayusa.
- Program of Academic Exchange (PAX): PAX is a CSIET-listed exchange organization that places international high school students with U.S. host families, offers a Community Representative-style field model, and is also a State Department BridgeUSA-designated sponsor — directly overlapping with Ayusa's program portfolio.
- Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a CSIET-listed BridgeUSA sponsor operating high school inbound and outbound exchange programs, au pair programs, and short-term cultural immersion — directly competing with Ayusa in secondary school student exchange.
- International Student Exchange (ISE): ISE is a nonprofit CSIET-listed organization offering high school exchange programs for inbound international students, with a similar U.S. host family recruitment and community-based local support structure to Ayusa.
- ASSE International Student Exchange Programs: ASSE is a CSIET-listed, State Department-designated high school exchange sponsor offering both inbound (to the U.S.) and outbound exchange programs, directly competing with Ayusa for international students and host families.
- Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is a CSIET-listed exchange organization that places international high school students with U.S. host families, with programs and a community representative model that closely mirror Ayusa's core offering.
- STS Foundation (Student Travel Schools): STS Foundation runs CSIET-listed high school exchange programs placing international students in U.S. and other host countries, operating on a similar model to Ayusa with host family placement and academic year/semester programs.
Broad incumbents
- EF Education First: EF is a large, established global education company offering study abroad, language schools, and cultural exchange programs. While broader in scope than Ayusa, it competes in adjacent spaces such as Japan summer programs, language immersion, and homestay-based study abroad.
Others
- AuPairCare: AuPairCare is a sister company within the Intrax family, placing au pairs with American host families under the State Department Au Pair program. It is not a direct exchange competitor but operates on the same regulatory BridgeUSA framework and shares back-office and distribution assets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Ayusa social profiles
Digital presenceAyusa financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Ayusa leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Ayusa subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Ayusa funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Ayusa 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 Ayusa
What does Ayusa do?
Ayusa is a nonprofit organization that facilitates international high school student exchange programs, placing inbound foreign students with vetted American host families and coordinating outbound immersion experiences for U.S. students in Japan and Germany. The organization also administers U.S. government-sponsored scholarship exchange programs (YES, FLEX, and CBYX) under its designation by the U.S. Department of State BridgeUSA. Program delivery is supported through a national community representative network and international offices in Tokyo, Belgrade, and Berlin.
Is Ayusa a public or private company?
Ayusa is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Ayusa founded?
Ayusa was founded in 1981. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Ayusa based?
Ayusa is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Ayusa make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Student Program Fees are the primary driver. The others are U.S. Department of State Program Administration.
Who are Ayusa's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange), AFS Intercultural Programs, Program of Academic Exchange (PAX), Greenheart Exchange, International Student Exchange (ISE), ASSE International Student Exchange Programs, Nacel Open Door and STS Foundation (Student Travel Schools). EF Education First is listed as a broad incumbent. AuPairCare is listed as an others.
Does Ayusa have an API?
No public API is recorded for Ayusa.
What industry is Ayusa in?
Ayusa's product category is Cultural Exchange Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAIAHAB, Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester), with a secondary code of EDAIAHAD, Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.