Study Portals B. V.

What Study Portals B. V. does

Studyportals B.V. is a Netherlands-based private limited company operating since 2007 the Mastersportal platform, a search and comparison engine for 95,000+ postgraduate programmes (MBA, MSc, MA, LLM, MPhil and other Master's degrees) from 3,500+ universities across 25+ countries. The platform is part of a broader portfolio of nine specialized portals covering Bachelor's, PhD, distance learning, short courses, admission tests, English language tests, student insurance, and language preparation. The technology stack consists of a structured programme catalogue (tuition, duration, format, language, discipline) layered with a recommendation engine, filters by discipline, country, tuition, and attendance mode, and a conversational AI assistant called Sophia that provides personalized study advice.

The company operates a two-sided marketplace with a freemium consumer model: students access search, comparison, wishlist, scholarship discovery, peer chat, and the AI advisor for free after registration, while universities, business schools, and educational institutions pay for featured programme placements and marketing services to reach the 50M+ annual student audience. The go-to-market combines organic SEO and content marketing for consumer acquisition with a direct B2B sales motion for institutional customers. Partnerships include VFS Global for integrated visa support and Udacity for online pre-Master and professional development listings. The team spans 35 nationalities, supporting a global footprint that spans Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa.

Name

Study Portals B. V.

Legal name

Studyportals B.V.

Website

https://mastersportal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Studyportals B.V. operates Mastersportal, a global search and comparison platform for 95,000+ Master's programmes from 3,500+ universities, serving 50M+ international students annually via a freemium model while monetizing university marketing and featured placements.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Search Platform

NAICS

Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services (519), Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (519290), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIACAF

Virtual Recruitment Events, Fairs & Webinar Platforms

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Student Recruitment & Admissions Services

SECONDARYBPAMAJAL

Online Learning Content & Course Publishing Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Media Streaming, Publishing & Content Platforms

SECONDARYEDAIACAB

Application Processing & Admissions Support (Document Prep, SOP/Essay, Credential Review)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Student Recruitment & Admissions Services

Keywords

• Study abroad search
• Master programme comparison
• International student recruitment
• University marketing platform
• Postgraduate programme discovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. University Marketing Services: Universities and educational institutions pay to feature their programmes prominently on the platform, appearing as 'Featured' listings and potentially in premium placement positions on search results and category pages
2. Institutional Partnerships: B2B marketing and promotional services offered to universities and institutions to reach international student audiences through the platform's global network

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Studyportals B.V. operates an online search, comparison, and discovery platform for international study programmes, anchored by Mastersportal which lists 95,000+ Master's programmes from 3,500+ universities worldwide. The platform provides free access to students for programme search, comparison, wishlist, scholarship discovery, and AI-powered advisory, while universities purchase featured placements and marketing services to reach international student audiences. A network of specialized sub-brand portals extends coverage to Bachelor's, PhD, distance learning, short courses, admission testing, English testing, student insurance, and language learning.

Product overview

Studyportals B.V. operates a multi-portal platform network centred on Mastersportal, a comprehensive search and discovery platform for 95,400+ Master's programmes from 3,500+ universities worldwide. The platform uses a recommendation engine to deliver personalised study matches. The broader portfolio includes eight specialised sub-brands covering undergraduate (Bachelorsportal), doctoral (PhDportal), distance learning (DistanceLearningportal), short courses (ShortCoursesportal), admission testing (AdmissionTestportal), English testing (EnglishTestportal), student insurance (StudentInsuranceportal), and language support (LanguageSuccessPortal). Core platform features include AI-powered study advisory (Sophia), scholarship matching, visa support tools, and a scholarship programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sophia - AI Student Advisor: AI-powered student advisor providing personalized study advice and recommendations

Products and services

• Mastersportal A comprehensive online portal for discovering and comparing 95,000+ Master's programmes (MBA, MSc, MA, LLM, MPhil and other postgraduate programmes) from 3,500+ universities worldwide, featuring advanced search filters by discipline, location, tuition fee, duration, and format. Target users are international prospective postgraduate students (free access) and universities (paid marketing placements).
• Bachelorsportal A sister portal to Mastersportal focused on discovering and comparing Bachelor's degree programmes from universities worldwide for prospective undergraduate students.
• PhDportal A dedicated portal for discovering doctoral and PhD programmes offered by universities globally for prospective doctoral candidates.
• DistanceLearningportal A portal specialised in distance learning and online education programmes from universities and institutions worldwide.
• ShortCoursesportal A portal for finding short courses and professional development programmes from educational institutions globally.
• AdmissionTestportal A portal for test preparation resources and information about admission tests required for international study.
• EnglishTestportal A portal providing resources and information about English language proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL for prospective international students.
• StudentInsuranceportal A portal for international students to find and compare student insurance options.
• LanguageSuccessPortal A portal providing language learning resources and support for students preparing for study abroad.
• Studyportals €10,000 Scholarship A merit-based scholarship programme offered by Studyportals to support international students pursuing study abroad, with an annual award of €10,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50M+ students use the platform annually to find study abroad programmes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• VFS GlobalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVFS Global provides visa support services integrated into the Mastersportal platform, helping international students access visa information and application assistance directly through the study abroad portal.
• UdacityminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUdacity programmes (Generative AI, Cybersecurity, Web Development, etc.) are featured on Mastersportal as Pre-Master and professional development offerings, reaching the platform's 50M+ annual student users.
• 3,500+ Universities WorldwidecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUniversities pay to feature their Master's programmes on the platform, gaining visibility among international students. Featured universities include top-ranked institutions like UCL, Imperial, Loughborough, and Tilburg University.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• QS (Quacquarelli Symonds): Operates QS Top Universities rankings, search, and lead-generation services for international student recruitment. Directly comparable to Studyportals in serving both prospective students and universities seeking international enrolments.
• Times Higher Education: Provides university rankings, course search, and student recruitment solutions. Overlaps with Studyportals on the discovery and B2B university marketing layers of the international education funnel.
• ApplyBoard: Digital marketplace that connects international students with educational institutions, including application support. Comparable in two-sided platform model and revenue from institution fees, though more focused on application processing than discovery.
• Hotcourses Abroad: Course search and comparison platform focused on international students, with a similar freemium model and university marketing services. Closest head-to-head competitor in the study abroad search vertical.
• educations.com: Online education search platform covering undergraduate, graduate, and online programs worldwide. Directly comparable in programmatic search and university lead-generation offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Large online learning platform that has expanded into degree programs and student recruitment. Overlaps with Studyportals' DistanceLearningportal and broader programme discovery, though Coursera is a content provider rather than a pure aggregator.
• IDP Education: Global education services company operating student placement, English language testing (IELTS), and digital international student recruitment. Comparable in B2B university marketing and overseas student placement services.
• Kaplan International: Operates pathway programs, English language training, and university partnerships for international students. Overlaps with Studyportals' pre-master, English test prep, and university marketing positioning.
• Navitas: Global education provider offering pre-master, pathway, and university partnership programs. Comparable in the pre-master and international student recruitment space, particularly as a partner listed on Studyportals-adjacent platforms.

Emerging players

• The Princeton Review: Test prep and college admissions services that include international student support. Comparable with Studyportals' AdmissionTestportal and EnglishTestportal sub-brands, though narrower in test prep versus programme discovery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/studyportals
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studyportals

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries8 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 Study Portals B. V.