Cambridge Network
Cambridge Network is a Boston-based private education services company that places international students in 500+ U.S. high schools across 39 states, providing school matching, screened homestay accommodation, and academic support to students primarily from China, Korea, and Vietnam.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWaltham, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Cambridge Network does
Cambridge Network is a privately held, Boston-based education services company founded in 2009 that operates a one-stop turnkey platform for international students seeking enrollment in U.S. high schools. The company serves three integrated customer segments: international students and families (primarily from China, South Korea, and Vietnam), U.S. high schools seeking to recruit and support international students, and American host families providing residential accommodation. Its core service pillars are school placement across 500+ partner schools in 39 U.S. states, homestay management with 10,000+ vetted host families under CSIET Full F-1 certification, and academic services including tutoring, test prep, and the Cambridge UP online curriculum delivered via Zoom. Supporting services include Student Development Managers providing weekly in-person check-ins, bilingual Family Education Advisors liaising with parents, and In-Country Orientations held in major Asian cities prior to departure.
The business model generates revenue primarily through per-student annual service fees in the $40,000-$60,000+ range, complemented by school partnership services, host family stipend administration, and a $2,000-per-referral student referral program. Go-to-market is hybrid: direct-to-consumer sales supported by sales/marketing offices in 15+ cities across 6 countries, combined with B2B partnership sales to U.S. high schools and channel partnerships with international education agencies such as New Oriental, Shinyway, and JLL Overseas Education. The technology stack is composed of best-of-breed third-party platforms (MediaValet for digital asset management, PayToStudy for cross-border payments, TeachWorks for tutor session reporting, Zoom and ClassIn for curriculum delivery) rather than proprietary AI/ML systems. Reported 2017 revenue was $50.1M with a 220% three-year growth rate; the company was ranked on the Inc. 5000 list for 5 consecutive years (2014-2018) and recognized as a Top 100 Women-Led Business in Massachusetts from 2015-2019. Leadership is concentrated with President and CEO Christine Lin, and the company operates as an independent entity with no disclosed institutional investment or acquisition activity.
Cambridge Network firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cambridge Network
- Legal name
- Cambridge Network
- Website
- https://cambridgenetwork.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Cambridge Network is a Boston-based private education services company that places international students in 500+ U.S. high schools across 39 states, providing school matching, screened homestay accommodation, and academic support to students primarily from China, Korea, and Vietnam.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cambridge Network industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals) (EDALANAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Academic Support, Tutoring & Language Support for Enrolled Overseas Secondary Students (EDAIAHAK), Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB), Virtual Tutoring & Academic Intervention (K–12) (EDAJADAH)
Keywords
Where Cambridge Network is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waltham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices18 records
Markets served
Cambridge Network business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Student Service Fees: Fees charged to international students and families for comprehensive services including school placement, homestay matching, academic support, and ongoing student services. Total budget ranges suggest annual service costs of $40,000-$60,000+ per student.
- School Partnership Services: Services to US high schools for international student recruitment, marketing support, and program management. Schools receive international students through Cambridge's network.
- Host Family Stipend Administration: Cambridge Network administers monthly stipends to host families to offset costs of hosting international students. Stipend amounts vary by location and school.
- Referral Rewards: Student referral program paying $2,000 per qualified student accepted into the Cambridge Network program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Budget Range $40,000-$50,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Budget Range $50,000-$60,000 |
| Subscription | Annual | Budget Range >$60,000 |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Student Referral Reward |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
Cambridge Network product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cambridge Network provides turnkey international student services for students seeking U.S. high school education, encompassing school placement with 500+ partner schools across 39 states, homestay matching with 10,000+ screened American host families, and academic support including the proprietary Cambridge UP online curriculum, one-to-one tutoring, and standardized test preparation. The company delivers end-to-end support through local Student Development Managers, bilingual Family Education Advisors, and pre-departure In-Country Orientations.
Product overview
Cambridge Network operates as a one-stop turnkey service for international students seeking U.S. high school education, combining a platform-plus-services architecture. The core offering integrates three main service pillars: (1) School Placement Services connecting students with 500+ partner schools across 39 states, (2) Homestay Services providing screened host families and ongoing residential support, and (3) Academic Services including Cambridge UP (weekly online curriculum via Zoom), tutoring, and test preparation. Supporting these are Student Development Managers for local support, Family Education Advisors for parent liaison, and the CPLC (College Preparation Language and Culture) program for additional academic English support. The company also operates supplementary platforms including MediaValet for partner school marketing assets, PaytoStudy for payment processing, and a Student Referral Program. In-Country Orientations prepare students before departure. The organization holds CSIET Full F-1 certification and maintains 10,000+ host families and 700+ staff members across global offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cambridge UP: An interdisciplinary online curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of international high school students by preparing them for cultural adjustment, improving academic outcomes, and strengthening social-emotional growth.
Products and services
- School Placement Services Matching international students with suitable U.S. high schools through a network of 500+ private and public partner schools across 39 states, including admission consulting and application support. Designed for international students seeking U.S. high school education.
- Homestay Services Matching international students with thoroughly screened American host families. Includes 5-criteria selection process, background checks, regular check-ins, monthly visits, and translated residential reports for parents. Network includes 10,000+ host families subject to rigorous background checks.
- Academic Services and Tutoring Extensive range of subject tutoring, standardized test preparation (SAT, ACT, AP, TOEFL, IELTS), and academic counseling. Certified professional teachers customize lesson plans to match each student's educational goals. Includes one-to-one customized tutoring courses designed by veteran educators.
- Cambridge UP Online Course Interdisciplinary online curriculum designed to meet the specific needs of international high school students by preparing them for cultural adjustment, improving academic outcomes, and strengthening social-emotional growth through weekly 1-hour online group classes delivered via Zoom.
- College Preparation Language and Culture (CPLC) Program
- In-Country Orientation
- Student Development Manager (SDM) Service Local support staff providing weekly check-ins with students, monthly visits to homes, progress reports for parents, and student guidance. Serves as front line of customer support and student advocate at the local level.
- Family Education Advisor (FEA) Service
- Student Referral Program Online referral system allowing referrers to submit student referrals and track qualified referrals for $2,000 reward per accepted student.
Quantifiable outcome
- 86.3% of international students admitted to Top 100 U.S. ranked colleges
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Cambridge Network
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cambridge Network technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
Feature5 records
Cambridge Network partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- iTEP (International English proficiency)minorInternational English proficiency test provider. Cambridge Network is a certified test administrator for iTEP SLATE and iTEP Academic exams.
- Tokio Marine HCCminorPrimary student insurance provider for Cambridge Network students. Provides health insurance coverage for international students studying in the U.S.
- New Oriental EducationcoreMajor international education agency in China that recruits students and refers them to Cambridge Network partner schools. Cambridge hosts agency partners at headquarters and conducts joint recruitment trips.
- Shinyway EducationcoreInternational education agency partner in China that recruits students for Cambridge Network's U.S. school partner network.
- JLL Overseas EducationcoreInternational education agency partner in China that recruits students for Cambridge Network's U.S. school partner network.
- CSIET (Council on Standards for International Educational Travel)corePreeminent organization for establishing standards for international programs at high school level. Cambridge Network has received Full F-1 Inbound Certification for 7 consecutive years.
- XMedia Research Lab at Harvard Graduate School of EducationminorHarvard research lab whose Associate Director Perry Gao presented at Cambridge Network's 2018 School Summit on marketing trends in international education and US-China youth education solutions.
- MGH Center for Cross-Cultural Student Emotional WellnessminorExecutive Director and Co-Founder Justin A. Chen delivered keynote at 2018 School Summit on supporting emotional needs of international students with focus on emotional health for Asian students.
Scale indicators18 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Cambridge Network competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kaplan International: Kaplan International offers language training, test prep, and pathway programs for international students entering US and UK universities. Comparable in the international student academic preparation space, though focused more on higher education than high school.
- EF Education First: EF Education First is a global education company offering language programs, academic exchange, and cultural immersion. Comparable in serving international students seeking US education experiences but operates at much larger scale across multiple verticals.
- CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is a large, established nonprofit offering international high school, college, and professional exchange programs. Overlaps with Cambridge Network on high school international student placement and homestay but operates a much broader portfolio across multiple education levels.
Emerging players
- Into University Partnerships: Into University Partnerships operates international pathway and foundation year programs primarily in the UK with growing US presence. Comparable in offering international students structured academic and cultural preparation to enter Western schools.
Direct peers
- Greenheart Exchange: Greenheart Exchange runs high school exchange programs for international students with homestay placement and cultural orientation. Directly comparable business model around international student homestay placement and host family matching in the US.
- ASSIST (American Secondary School for International Students and Teachers): ASSIST places international high school students into US private schools with homestay and academic support. Operates a similar school placement + homestay model and serves comparable Chinese and European student populations.
- Educatius Group: Educatius is a direct competitor that places international high school students into US public and private schools and provides homestay and academic support. Closely overlaps with Cambridge Network on school placement, host family matching, and ongoing student services for international high schoolers.
- Nacel Open Door: Nacel Open Door offers international student placement into US high schools with host family matching, closely mirroring Cambridge Network's core offering. Comparable customer base of international high school students seeking US secondary education.
- International Student Exchange (ISE): ISE is a CSIET-listed nonprofit that places international high school students into US schools with host families. Direct competitor in the F-1 inbound homestay certification space, serving similar student demographics.
- STS Student Travel Schools Foundation: STS Foundation operates international student exchange and high school placement programs with homestay. Direct comparable in international high school student placement with host family support.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cambridge Network social profiles
Digital presenceCambridge Network compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Cambridge Network financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cambridge Network leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cambridge Network funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cambridge Network 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 Cambridge Network
What does Cambridge Network do?
Cambridge Network provides turnkey international student services for students seeking U.S. high school education, encompassing school placement with 500+ partner schools across 39 states, homestay matching with 10,000+ screened American host families, and academic support including the proprietary Cambridge UP online curriculum, one-to-one tutoring, and standardized test preparation. The company delivers end-to-end support through local Student Development Managers, bilingual Family Education Advisors, and pre-departure In-Country Orientations.
Is Cambridge Network a public or private company?
Cambridge Network is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cambridge Network founded?
Cambridge Network was founded in 2009. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Cambridge Network based?
Cambridge Network is headquartered in Waltham, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cambridge Network make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Student Service Fees are the primary driver. The others are school Partnership Services, host Family Stipend Administration and referral Rewards.
Who are Cambridge Network's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kaplan International, EF Education First and CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange). Into University Partnerships is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Greenheart Exchange, ASSIST (American Secondary School for International Students and Teachers), Educatius Group, Nacel Open Door, International Student Exchange (ISE) and STS Student Travel Schools Foundation.
Does Cambridge Network have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cambridge Network.
What industry is Cambridge Network in?
Cambridge Network's product category is International Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALANAE, International Student Academic & Personal Support (case management, referrals), with a secondary code of EDAIAHAK, Academic Support, Tutoring & Language Support for Enrolled Overseas Secondary Students. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.