Council of International Schools

What Council of International Schools does

The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a not-for-profit membership organization, legally incorporated in Delaware, USA, with its global headquarters in Leiden, Netherlands, established as a branch in 2011. CIS operates a global membership community of 1,610+ schools and higher education institutions across 121 countries, serving approximately 889,785 students at member schools. Its primary offerings are CIS International Accreditation (a quality assurance framework recognized by ministries, departments of education, and universities worldwide, and the only body accredited by ICAISA), tiered School Membership (€500/year for 0–250 students, €3,430/year for 251+), Higher Education Membership (US$1,125/year), and the International Safeguarding Development Programme (€1,050/year).

The technology footprint consists of member-facing platforms rather than proprietary AI or ML systems: a member-only CIS Community Portal, the KnowledgeBase with regional, financial aid, and compensation data dashboards aggregating benchmarking data across the membership, the University Connection Registry connecting 550+ universities with students from 975+ schools, and an online Safeguarding Toolkit with risk assessments and policy templates. Distribution is institutional and event-driven: members gain organization-wide access for all staff, and engagement is reinforced through the CIS Summit, CIS Global Forum on International Admission & Guidance (~900 attendees, 2026 in Prague), Regional Institutes co-hosted with EARCOS and AISA, and International University Fairs across 18+ cities. Revenue is generated through recurring annual subscriptions, one-time application and accreditation fees, safeguarding subscriptions, and event registration. CIS is governed by a Board of Trustees drawn from member schools and institutions and is tax-exempt under U.S. Section 501(c)(3).

Name

Council of International Schools

Legal name

Council of International Schools, Inc.

Website

https://cois.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Council of International Schools is a not-for-profit membership organization operating a global community of 1,610+ schools and universities across 121 countries, providing international accreditation, professional development, safeguarding programs, and the University Connection Registry linking students with 550+ member higher education institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Transnational Accreditation & Recognition Bodies (EDADACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

International/Transnational Education Authorities (e.g., cross-border recognition) (EDADAAAJ), K–12/School & District Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAE), Program Quality Assurance, Accreditation & Compliance (Secondary Overseas Programs) (EDAIAHAM), Overseas Secondary School Admissions Consulting & Application Support (EDAIAHAE)

Keywords

• International school accreditation
• Education membership services
• International student recruitment
• Child protection safeguarding
• Educational transitions support

Headquarters

HQ city

Leiden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for primary/secondary schools, invoiced in EUR. Fees are tiered based on student enrollment: €500 for schools with 0–250 students, €3,430 for schools with 251+ students. Additional one-time Application & Engagement Fee of €4,500 covers processing and a virtual engagement visit.
2. International Accreditation Fees: Annual accreditation fee of €4,350 (excluding VAT) for CIS-accredited schools. One-time Registration Fee of €2,140 (excluding VAT). Schools undergoing evaluation may incur additional travel costs for on-campus evaluator visits. Accreditation is only available to CIS school members.
3. Higher Education / College and University Membership Fees: Annual membership fee for colleges and universities is US$1,125, invoiced in USD. Membership grants access to the community portal, student recruitment tools, professional development events, and the University Connection Registry.
4. International Safeguarding Development Programme Subscription: Annual subscription fee of €1,050 for the Safeguarding Development Programme toolkit and training sessions. Available to CIS member schools. Includes eight expert-led sessions for one school member and unlimited use of the online developmental toolkit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a not-for-profit membership organization that delivers CIS International Accreditation to primary and secondary schools, institutional membership programmes for schools and higher education institutions, the University Connection Registry linking students with member universities, the CIS KnowledgeBase of benchmarking data dashboards, and the International Safeguarding Development Programme for child protection. Services are delivered to more than 1,610 schools and universities across 121 countries through a member Community Portal, recurring global and regional events, workshops, and consulting.

Product overview

The Council of International Schools (CIS) operates as a not-for-profit membership organization offering a platform of interconnected services for international schools and higher education institutions. The core offerings include CIS International Accreditation (a quality assurance and benchmarking framework), School and Higher Education Memberships (providing access to professional development and networking), the University Connection Registry (connecting students with universities), and the CIS KnowledgeBase (data dashboards for benchmarking). Supporting services include the International Safeguarding Development Programme (subscription toolkit), Child Protection and Mental Health Workshops, the Foundations of Transitions-Care Course, and Data Protection Resources in partnership with 9ine. The organization also hosts major events including the CIS Global Forum, Regional Institutes, International University Fairs, and the CIS Summit. All services are designed to support the organization's mission of developing socially responsible global citizens through international education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CIS International Accreditation A peer-reviewed accreditation framework for primary and secondary international schools, providing a multidimensional structure (Purpose, Practices and Planning; Guiding Principles; Learning and Well-being) based on the UN Declaration of Human Rights and ITFCP child protection standards; recognized by ministries and universities worldwide.
• CIS School Membership Institutional annual membership for primary and secondary international schools providing organization-wide access for all staff to the CIS Community Portal, professional development events, networking, and benchmarking resources. Fees tiered by student enrollment.
• CIS Higher Education Membership Institutional annual membership for accredited colleges and universities, granting access to the Community Portal, University Connection Registry, professional development events, and recruitment fairs.
• International Safeguarding Development Programme A subscription-based programme for member schools offering eight expert-led training sessions and an unlimited-use online developmental toolkit (risk assessments, safety plans, policy templates, guidance briefings) organized around eight elements of the CIS Safeguarding model.
• University Connection Registry A free online platform connecting students at CIS member schools with CIS member universities and colleges worldwide; students submit academic interests and contact details that are accessible to 550+ higher education institutions in 38 countries.
• CIS KnowledgeBase A data platform with exclusive online dashboards for members, including Regional Data Dashboard, International Student Financial Aid Data, and Compensation Surveys, aggregating benchmarking data from member schools and universities.
• CIS Summit A leadership summit for school and university leaders to collaborate on issues facing international education, with focus on assessment, skills recognition, and transitions to higher education.
• CIS Global Forum on International Admission & Guidance Annual conference uniting school guidance counselors and university admissions professionals from around the world for professional development, networking, and discussion of industry topics.
• Regional Institutes Regional conferences co-hosted with local partners (e.g., EARCOS) providing professional development, networking, and student recruitment fairs with a regional focus.
• International University Fairs In-person student recruitment fairs connecting CIS member universities with international school students across multiple global cities.
• Affiliated Consultant Network A referral network of vetted external consultants covering areas such as appraisal, curriculum design, data protection, diversity/equity/inclusion, global citizenship, leadership training, safeguarding, and strategic planning for member schools.
• Child Protection Workshops In-person and online workshops delivered by global child protection and mental health experts to help educators build child protection capacity.
• Mental Health & Well-being Workshops Workshops covering mental health, intercultural competence, transitions between institutions, and proactive identification of struggling students for educators.
• Foundations of Transitions-Care Course A five-week online course helping educators understand how educational transitions impact student learning, well-being, and belonging and how supportive practices reduce risks to learning.
• Data Protection Resources Expert guidance, workshops, articles, and assessment tools developed in partnership with 9ine to support schools with data protection, cybersecurity, and GDPR compliance.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 580 schools have completed CIS International Accreditation; 740+ schools are engaged with the accreditation process
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Taskforce on Child Protection (ITFCP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014CIS Executive Director Jane Larsson founded and has chaired the International Taskforce on Child Protection since 2014. Following two years of consultation, comprehensive child protection standards were agreed by accreditation and inspection bodies globally. The ITFCP develops standards covering allegation management, staff selection, detecting and reporting abuse, education and support for leaders, teachers and students, policy implementation, and collaboration with local communities.
• Wren ToursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWren Tours is a leading provider of global educational travel and student recruitment tours, managing tours for more than 20 years and providing hundreds of colleges and universities with quality interactions with undergraduate students seeking international higher education. CIS members receive discounts on Wren Tours fees and priority registration. Wren Tours supports CIS member universities in student recruitment outreach.
• Match (formerly Concourse / Concourse Global Match)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMatch (formerly Concourse) operates an online platform through which universities receive detailed profiles of well-matched students and make admission offers based on academic performance, interests, and financial needs, 'flipping the script on traditional admissions.' CIS partnered with Concourse to expand access for students seeking global higher education opportunities.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) World SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIS works in partnership with the IB to help schools align multiple accreditation cycles. The partnership helps schools coordinate evaluation cycles between CIS accreditation and IB programme evaluations, reducing the burden of overlapping reviews. Students at IB World Schools are invited to attend CIS International University fairs as a supporting member benefit.
• 9ineminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCIS partners with 9ine, an education technology and safeguarding consultancy, to address data protection and cybersecurity challenges in international schools. 9ine supports CIS member schools through workshops, articles, assessment tools, and guidance on developing data protection policies and systems.
• East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIS co-hosts a regional conference in association with EARCOS in the Asia Pacific region. This partnership provides a regional professional development and networking event with a student recruitment fair for the Asia Pacific region.
• The Association of International Schools of India (TAISI)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerTAISI (The Association of International Schools of India) is a Supporting Member of CIS. Supporting members are educational organizations whose purposes align with CIS objectives and who support CIS activities through purposeful collaboration, mutual support, and information exchange within the international education community.
• Childnet InternationalminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCIS collaborates with Childnet International on online safety resources and guidance for international schools. Childnet contributed content and resources to CIS's Safer Internet Day initiatives and broader data protection and safeguarding guidance.
• Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCIS references the AISA Child Protection Handbook as a key resource for international school communities on child protection. The handbook addresses how international school communities are especially vulnerable to abuse due to characteristics like insularity, isolation, and limited access to support resources.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Association of International Schools in Africa (AISA): AISA is a regional membership body for international schools across Africa, providing professional development and child protection resources referenced by CIS. It overlaps with CIS in member services but focuses on African geography.
• East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS): EARCOS is a membership organization serving international schools in East Asia, co-hosting events with CIS. It overlaps in professional development and networking for international schools but is regional in scope.
• Near East South Asia Council of Schools (NESA): NESA is a regional membership organization serving international schools across the Near East and South Asia. It competes with and complements CIS membership services in these geographies.

Direct peers

• Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC): WASC is a major U.S. and international school accreditation body that evaluates and accredits schools worldwide. It is a direct competitor to CIS for international school accreditation mandates in many regions.
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC): NEASC's Commission on Public and International Schools accredits international schools globally. It is a direct competitor to CIS International Accreditation, particularly for schools seeking U.S.-affiliated accreditation marks.
• European Council of International Schools (ECIS): ECIS is a membership organization serving international schools and educators across Europe and globally, offering accreditation, professional development, and conferences. It is the closest direct peer to CIS in international school membership and accreditation.
• Middle States Association (MSA-CESS): MSA-CESS accredits schools and education institutions across the U.S. and internationally. It competes directly with CIS for accreditation mandates at international schools seeking U.S.-recognized credentials.
• Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI): ACSI provides accreditation, professional development, and member services to Christian schools globally, including many international schools. It overlaps with CIS in serving faith-oriented and mission-driven international schools seeking accreditation.

Broad incumbents

• International Baccalaureate (IB): IB is a global leader in international curriculum frameworks (PYP, MYP, DP) for schools worldwide. While not a pure accreditation body, IB's curriculum recognition is a competing quality signal and IB partners formally with CIS on aligned accreditation cycles.
• Cognia (formerly AdvancED): Cognia is a large U.S.-headquartered accreditation and school improvement organization serving K-12 institutions globally. It overlaps with CIS in accreditation services but at much broader scale across U.S. public, charter, and international schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CISeducation
• Facebookfacebook.com/CouncilofInternationalSchools
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/council-of-international-schools
• Instagraminstagram.com/cis_education_/#

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Council of International Schools