College Bound

Name

College Bound

Legal name

A Million Stars Inc.

Website

https://collegeboundstl.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Support Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth-to-Adult Bridge & College Readiness (Noncredit) (EDAAAEAK), College Readiness & Admissions Prep Centers (Small-Group Workshops) (EDANAHAI)

Keywords

• College access programs
• College persistence support
• First-generation student services
• Education nonprofit services
• High school to college pipeline

Headquarters

HQ city

St Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time or recurring gifts from individual donors supporting student recruitment through graduation. Donations are tax-deductible through the organization's 501(c)(3) status.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support College Bound through events such as annual gala (Cap & Gown), pickleball event (CB Pickle & Rally), and engagement events (Rise & Shine with College Bound).
3. Foundation Grants: Foundation grants from organizations like Jack Kent Cooke Foundation ($100,000) and Bayer Fund ($50,000) support specific programs including college preparation, summer institute, and tuition assistance.
4. Enterprise Mobility Funding: Enterprise Mobility provides funding specifically for the CB@Ranken program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

College Bound is a nonprofit organization that provides free, individualized college preparation and persistence programs to first-generation, low-income students in the St. Louis region. Its offerings include a long-term high school through college graduation support program (To and Through), two on-campus persistence programs at community and technical colleges (CB@STLCC and CB@Ranken), and a college credit-bearing summer institute. All programs are delivered free of charge and funded through donations, foundation grants, and corporate sponsorships.

Product overview

College Bound is a nonprofit organization offering a suite of education access and completion programs. Its flagship To and Through program provides 7-9 year individualized support from high school sophomore year through college graduation. CB@STLCC and CB@Ranken are on-campus persistence programs at St. Louis Community College and Ranken Technical College respectively, offering embedded academic and wellness support. The Bayer Fund College Bound Summer Institute provides college credit-bearing summer coursework. All programs emphasize holistic support including academic skill building, mental health services, career readiness, and financial assistance for low-income and first-generation students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• To and Through Flagship relationship-based program supporting Saint Louis students from sophomore year of high school until college graduation. Provides individualized coaching including academic development, college counseling, mental health services, career exposure, and financial assistance.
• CB@STLCC On-campus persistence program based at Saint Louis Community College Forest Park offering daily access to mentoring, tutoring, peer support groups, mental health counseling, and resources for low-income and first-generation community college students ages 18-25.
• CB@Ranken Campus-based program at Ranken Technical College providing personalized coaching, summer bridge programming, academic support, and career readiness for first-year technical college students ages 17-26, particularly students of color and female students.
• Bayer Fund College Bound Summer Institute (CBSI) Intensive summer program at the University of Missouri St. Louis where high school students take college courses taught by college faculty and earn transferable college credit, providing academic enrichment and career exposure at no cost.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5x graduation rate compared to economically disadvantaged peers
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ranken Technical CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021CB@Ranken program based at Ranken Technical College. College Bound staff work hand-in-hand with Ranken faculty and administration, participating in meetings, visiting classrooms, and gaining access to internal systems for real-time student support.
• Washington University in St. LouiscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019University partner providing full WashU Pledge scholarships to College Bound students who are Pell-eligible. Scholarship covers tuition, room, board and fees for admitted students from Missouri and southern Illinois.
• University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Bayer Fund College Bound Summer Institute (CBSI) hosted at UMSL campus. Students take college courses on a college campus, are exposed to engaging academically rigorous classes taught by college faculty, and earn credit toward a college degree.
• Saint Louis Community College (STLCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CB@STLCC program based at STLCC Forest Park campus. Provides on-campus space and collaborative environment for supporting low-income and first-generation community college students.
• Teach For AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014College Bound's former CEO Scott Baier led the St. Louis region's Teach For America office before joining College Bound in a consulting role in 2013.
• St. Louis Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Original school district partner when College Bound was founded in 2006. Now serves students from over 40 high schools in the St. Louis region.
• University City High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Original partner high school when College Bound was founded. College Bound now works with over 40 high schools in the region.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bottom Line: Nonprofit delivering one-on-one college access and success advising to first-generation students from low-income communities in Boston, New York, Chicago, and Washington DC. Closely comparable mission, target population, and multi-year service model.
• iMentor: College success nonprofit pairing low-income high school students with mentors who support them through college graduation. Comparable in serving first-generation students with multi-year relationships, though it relies more heavily on volunteer mentors.
• College Advising Corps: Places recent college graduates as near-peer advisors in underserved high schools to expand college access. Comparable in its focus on increasing college advising capacity in low-income high schools through a structured program model.
• Posse Foundation: College access and success nonprofit that identifies and supports cohorts of first-generation students through full-tuition leadership scholarships at partner colleges. Comparable in targeting first-generation, low-income students with multi-year wraparound support.
• uAspire: National nonprofit focused on college affordability and financial aid advising for low-income students. Adjacent peer that overlaps with College Bound's financial aid navigation and scholarship identification services.
• College Possible: National nonprofit providing near-peer coaching to low-income and first-generation college students from high school through college graduation. Operates a similar multi-year, cohort-based wraparound model in multiple U.S. cities.
• OneGoal: Three-year college and post-secondary persistence program serving low-income and first-generation high school students. Comparable in serving students from junior year of high school through college matriculation with structured programming.

Emerging players

• Matriculate: Virtual college access nonprofit connecting low-income, high-achieving high school students with trained undergraduate coaches for one-on-one advising. Comparable in serving first-generation students, but lighter-touch and fully remote.
• College Spring: Nonprofit providing SAT prep and college advising to low-income and first-generation students in the Bay Area. Comparable target population but narrower scope and primarily focused on high school stage.

Others

• National College Attainment Network: National membership organization connecting college access and success programs; College Bound received its Award of Excellence. Industry association rather than direct competitor, but valuable as ecosystem context and peer benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/collegeboundstl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/college-bound-stl
• Xx.com/collegeboundstl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 College Bound