International Experience

What International Experience does

International Experience (iE) is a non-profit student exchange organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Northfield, Minnesota. The organization places international high school students — primarily from Germany, Spain, and other European countries — with carefully screened U.S. host families for semester or full-year academic programs under J-1 and F-1 visa categories. Its core product portfolio comprises four inbound exchange programs differentiated by visa type and school setting (Public School J-1, Public School Select F-1, Private School F-1/J-1, Boarding School F-1), plus an outbound Summer Immersion Program in Germany and Spain for U.S. teens priced at $1,000-$2,500. Supporting programs include a short-term Welcome Family option and annual Student Recognition Awards.

The business operates through a hybrid community-led and direct-to-consumer GTM motion: 230+ local coordinators embedded in U.S. communities recruit and support host families, supplemented by website-driven inquiries, digital marketing, and a $200-per-successful-placement referral program. Inbound students must apply through designated partner organizations in their home countries, creating a channel-partner distribution layer on the international side. Technology is limited to an online student finder portal and application management system, with screening conducted via in-home interviews, academic reviews, and English proficiency testing.

Revenue is generated primarily through program fees paid by international students or their families; J-1 Public School Program fees are the entry-level offering while F-1 programs involve tuition pass-through to schools. F-1 programs may include monthly host family stipends paid by the program. iE holds U.S. Department of State J-1 designation and CSIET accreditation for J-1 and F-1 programs, both of which are required regulatory credentials. The organization positions itself as a mid-size, quality-focused operator choosing higher screening standards than required by regulators.

Name

International Experience

Legal name

International Experience USA

Website

https://ie-usa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

International Experience is a non-profit, CSIET-accredited and U.S. State Department-designated student exchange organization founded in 2002 that places international high school students with vetted U.S. host families across J-1 and F-1 visa programs, and runs outbound summer immersion programs in Germany and Spain for U.S. teens.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Student Exchange Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Overseas Summer School Programs (Secondary) (EDAIAHAC), Inbound Exchange Hosting & Visiting Student Administration (EDAIABAK), Temporary Arrival Housing (Hotels/Hostels/Serviced Apartments for Students) (EDAIALAG), Short-Term Secondary Immersion & Cultural Exchange Trips (EDAIAHAD)

Keywords

• Student exchange programs
• Cultural exchange services
• High school study abroad
• Homestay placement services
• International student hosting

Headquarters

HQ city

Northfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Program Fees: International students pay program fees to participate in exchange programs. Public School Program (J1) typically does not require tuition. Public School Select (F1), Private School, and Boarding School programs require tuition payments that vary by school.
2. Host Family Services: Host families volunteer to host students. Some programs (F1 visa programs) provide monthly host family stipends paid by the program, not to the program.
3. Summer Immersion Programs: U.S. teens pay to participate in 2-3 week immersion programs in Germany or Spain, staying with host families abroad. Program fee is $1,000-$2,500 depending on documentation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

International Experience is a non-profit student exchange organization that places international high school students from countries such as Germany, Spain, Poland, Italy, and Mongolia with carefully vetted U.S. host families for one or two semesters, while students attend public, private, or boarding high schools. The organization also runs Summer Immersion Programs allowing U.S. teens to stay with host families in Germany or Spain for 2-3 weeks. Operations are supported by 230+ employees and local coordinators throughout the USA.

Product overview

International Experience (iE) is a non-profit student exchange organization that provides a platform for international high school students, host families, and host communities to connect. The company operates a multi-product portfolio centered around cultural exchange programs. The core offerings include four distinct high school exchange programs differentiated by visa type and school setting: the Public School Program (J1 Visa), Public School Select Program (F1 Visa), Private School Program (F1/J1 Visas), and Boarding School Program (F1 Visa). Complementing these is a Summer Immersion Programs portfolio enabling U.S. teens to travel to Germany or Spain for 2-3 week homestay experiences. The company also offers a Welcome Family short-term hosting option and runs annual Student Recognition Awards. All programs are supported by a network of local coordinators and maintain accreditation from CSIET and U.S. Department of State designation as a J-1 program sponsoring organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public School Program (J1 Visa) Exchange program where international high school students live with volunteer host families and attend local U.S. public high schools for one or two semesters. Program typically does not require tuition payment, and students cannot live with family members residing in the U.S.
• Public School Select Program (F1 Visa) Exchange program similar to the Public School Program but allows international students to select which school district they attend. Host families receive a monthly stipend and students pay tuition that varies by school district.
• Private School Program (F1 and J1 Visas) Exchange program with U.S. partner schools known for academic quality and small class sizes. Students live with host families who receive a monthly stipend, and students pay tuition and school fees that vary by school.
• Boarding School Program (F1 Visa) Exchange program allowing international students to attend quality private boarding schools with on-campus housing. Ideal for students planning to graduate with a U.S. diploma and pursue university studies in the U.S. Tuition, boarding, and school fees vary by school.
• Summer Immersion Programs in Germany and Spain Homestay programs for U.S. high school teens (ages 14-18) to experience life in Germany or Spain. Students stay with local host families for 2-3 weeks, practice language skills, and experience culture and traditions. Full scholarships available for iE host siblings; program cost $1,000-$2,500.
• Host Family Matching Platform Platform connecting international high school students with carefully screened volunteer host families and host communities throughout the USA. Includes the online student finder portal (exos2.international-experience.net) and host family application processing.
• Welcome Family Program Short-term hosting option where U.S. families host an international student for 3-6 weeks at the beginning of the school year while a permanent host family placement is arranged.

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• U.S. Department of StatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartneriE is designated by the U.S. Department of State as a J-1 program sponsoring organization, allowing them to sponsor international exchange visitors for cultural exchange programs.
• Council on Standards for International Educational Travel (CSIET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartneriE is accredited by CSIET for both its J-1 and F-1 programs, meeting high standards for international educational travel and student exchange.
• U.S. Public SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with public school districts throughout the USA that accept international exchange students into their educational programs.
• U.S. Private SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with private schools throughout the United States for the Private School and Boarding School Programs.
• Partner Schools in GermanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorU.S. partner schools that can nominate scholarship recipients for iE's Summer Immersion Programs in Germany and Spain.
• German Host FamiliescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarefully screened host families in Germany who host U.S. students during Summer Immersion Programs.
• Spanish Host FamiliescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCarefully screened host families in Spain who host U.S. students during Summer Immersion Programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door is a non-profit international student exchange organization offering J-1 and F-1 high school programs with comparable host family and coordinator-driven U.S. placement operations.
• ISE - International Student Exchange: ISE is a CSIET-accredited, DoS-designated non-profit placing international high school students with volunteer U.S. host families — a near-identical operating model to iE.
• ASSE International Student Exchange Programs: ASSE is a CSIET-accredited, DoS-designated J-1 exchange organization running high school inbound and outbound programs with a comparable volunteer host family recruitment model to iE.
• AFS Intercultural Programs (AFS-USA): AFS-USA is a leading non-profit international high school student exchange organization sponsoring J-1 inbound and outbound programs with a comparable U.S. local-volunteer model and DoS designation, making it iE's most direct competitor.
• Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange is a non-profit CSIET-accredited organization sponsoring high school J-1/F-1 exchange programs with a volunteer host family network structurally similar to iE.
• Youth For Understanding (YFU USA): YFU is a long-standing non-profit high school exchange organization with DoS J-1 designation, operating a comparable inbound/outbound student exchange model with a U.S. volunteer host family network.
• CETUSA (Council for Educational Travel USA): CETUSA is a CSIET-accredited J-1 sponsoring organization running inbound high school exchange programs through a U.S. volunteer coordinator network, directly comparable to iE's model.
• STS Foundation: STS Foundation is a non-profit international student exchange organization operating J-1 high school exchange programs with comparable volunteer host family recruitment in the U.S.

Broad incumbents

• EF Education First: EF is a global, for-profit education company offering high school exchange, language travel, and cultural immersion programs. While much larger and broader in scope, EF overlaps with iE in inbound/outbound high school exchange and summer language immersion.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a large, well-established non-profit operating broad international education and exchange programs including high school J-1 sponsorship. It competes with iE for inbound host families and outbound students but at greater scale and program breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalExperience
• Instagraminstagram.com/international_experience_usa
• TikToktiktok.com/@international_experience
• Xx.com/StudentXchange
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-experience-ie---usa

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 International Experience