EcoLeague

What EcoLeague does

EcoLeague is a non-profit higher education consortium launched in 2003 that coordinates ecologically focused liberal arts education across six member institutions in the United States: Alaska Pacific University, College of the Atlantic, Dickinson College, New College of Florida, Prescott College, and St. Lawrence University. The consortium's core products are a student exchange program (allowing matriculated students to spend a semester or two at another member campus while paying home-institution tuition and retaining financial aid), faculty collaboration programs (over 400 faculty engaged in joint research, co-teaching, and the Faculty Development Grant Program awarding up to $3,500), joint field courses across bioregions, shared academic certificates (e.g., Water Resources Management), a joint EcoLeague Jobs Board for sustainability internships, and global study abroad listings spanning 28+ countries. Administrative coordination is hosted at Dickinson College's Center for Sustainability Education in Carlisle, PA, under Consortium Director Brady McCartney.

The consortium does not operate a proprietary technology platform; its operational backbone consists of a DocuSign-based Request to Participate form, the EcoLeague website, social media channels, an annual retreat held each June, and faculty representatives at each member campus who run recruitment tabling and info sessions in September and February. Revenue mechanics are indirect: students pay tuition to their home institution and housing/fees to the host institution, with no separate EcoLeague-specific tuition or program fee disclosed. The consortium itself is funded through unstated contributions and grants, and the only direct cash instruments visible are the Faculty Development Grant Program and Conference Connections reimbursements.

Customer segments are three-layered: (1) member institutions themselves, which gain access to a broader course catalog, faculty expertise, and research facilities; (2) undergraduate and graduate students (sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a 2.6+ GPA) seeking experiential field-based education in diverse ecosystems; and (3) the 400+ faculty members across member campuses engaged in cross-institutional research and pedagogy. Distribution is exclusively direct through member institutions — there is no third-party channel — and exchange applications follow fixed deadlines (March 15 for Fall, October 15 for Spring). The consortium's scale commentary indicates 15 students in the Fall 2015 exchange cohort and nine in Winter-Spring 2016, though current participation figures are not disclosed.

Name

EcoLeague

Legal name

EcoLeague

Website

https://ecoleague.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

EcoLeague is a non-profit consortium of six U.S. liberal arts colleges that coordinates ecologically focused student exchanges, faculty collaboration, and joint field courses across diverse bioregions, administered from Dickinson College's Center for Sustainability Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Consortium Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

General Liberal Arts Colleges (EDAHACAA)

Keywords

• Higher education consortium
• Student exchange programs
• Sustainability education
• Environmental liberal arts
• Faculty collaboration networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Oak Brook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Student Exchange Tuition (Home Institution): EcoLeague exchange students pay tuition to their home college/university. If eligible, students receive financial aid from their home college during exchanges as they would if attending their home college. Financial aid packages remain intact and can be used toward the EcoLeague exchange.
2. Housing, Food & Meal Plans, Student Fees (Host Institution): Housing, food & meal plans, and any additional student fees are paid directly to the host college/university.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EcoLeague is a non-profit consortium of six U.S. liberal arts colleges (Alaska Pacific University, College of the Atlantic, Dickinson College, New College of Florida, Prescott College, and St. Lawrence University) that delivers student exchange, faculty collaboration, joint field courses, shared academic certificates, and cross-institutional research opportunities spanning six distinct bioregions. Students pay tuition to their home institution while attending another member college for a semester or two, with financial aid portability preserved across exchanges. Over 400 faculty members collaborate on co-teaching, research, and curricular initiatives supported by a Faculty Development Grant Program and a Scholar in Residence exchange.

Product overview

EcoLeague is a consortium of six liberal arts colleges dedicated to ecologically focused education and research. The consortium offers a unified portfolio of programs centered on student and faculty exchanges across member institutions (Alaska Pacific University, College of the Atlantic, Dickinson College, New College of Florida, Prescott College, and St. Lawrence University). Core offerings include the Student Exchange Program for cross-campus study, Faculty Collaboration opportunities, Joint Field Courses taught by multiple institutions, Global Study Abroad programs, Graduate School Programs at member schools, the Faculty Development Grant Program for collaborative projects, Conference Connections for faculty networking, the EcoLeague Jobs Board for sustainability-related employment, and the Scholar in Residence Program for faculty exchanges. The consortium models sustainability through its operations and facilities while providing students diverse ecosystems and academic expertise across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Exchange Program Allows students enrolled at one EcoLeague member college to attend another member institution for a semester or two, taking unique coursework and transferring earned credits back to their home institution while paying tuition to the home college.
• Faculty Collaboration Program Enables the 400+ faculty members across the six member colleges to collaborate on courses, research projects, scholarship, co-teaching, syllabi sharing, and pedagogical discussions.
• Joint Field Courses Field-based courses taught collaboratively by faculty from two to three member colleges, typically offered in summer or regular semesters, providing place-based educational experiences across diverse bioregions.
• Faculty Development Grant Program Grant funding program promoting collaborative teaching, curricular development, and scholarly opportunities for EcoLeague faculty, with awards typically not exceeding $3,500 for projects involving faculty from at least two EcoLeague institutions.
• EcoLeague Scholar in Residence Program Faculty-to-faculty exchange program encouraging interactions through short (3-14 day) or extended visits, with visiting faculty presenting guest lectures, working with students, and sharing experiences upon returning to their home institution.
• Conference Connections Program offering reimbursement to faculty and staff attending academic conferences to meet with fellow EcoLeaguers for meals, promoting relationship building and collaborations among member colleges.
• EcoLeague Jobs Board Joint jobs board project between consortium member colleges featuring internship and job postings related to environment or sustainability across all institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 students participated in the Fall 2015 exchange cohort; nine students in Winter-Spring 2016 semester
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NextEra Energy ResourcescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDickinson College and eight other colleges and universities (Davidson College, Elon University, Haverford College, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, Muhlenberg College, Swarthmore College, and Wake Forest University) are collaborating with NextEra Energy Resources through a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to support the Sebree Solar II project in western Kentucky. This consortium PPA enables participating institutions to access renewable energy benefits typically only feasible for large customers. NextEra is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from wind and sun.
• Coho (an ERM Group Company)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoho, an ERM Group Company, is guiding the consortium of nine colleges and universities in their collaboration with NextEra Energy Resources on the Sebree Solar II solar facility project. ERM provides sustainability advisory services helping institutions achieve their renewable energy and sustainability goals.
• American University of Sharjah (AUS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDickinson College partnered with the American University of Sharjah (AUS) for a virtual exchange project funded by Stevens Institute, enabling Dickinson students to attend COP28 in Dubai and reside at AUS as part of a U.S. student cohort.
• Second Nature (Climate Leadership Resilience Commitment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDickinson College joined the Second Nature Climate Leadership Resilience Commitment, supporting its ongoing commitment to carbon neutrality and climate leadership among higher education institutions.
• Cross-College Alliance (New College of Florida)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew College of Florida is a member of the Cross-College Alliance with four other higher education institutions in Sarasota and Bradenton, providing cross-enrollment in courses in addition to EcoLeague membership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Claremont Colleges: A consortium of five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions in Claremont, CA enabling cross-registration, shared dining, and joint programs. Operates the same fundamental model as EcoLeague (multi-campus academic consortium with shared services) but on a geographic rather than bioregional basis.
• Quaker Consortium: A consortium of Quaker-affiliated colleges (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Penn, Swarthmore, etc.) enabling cross-registration, library access, and shared dining. EcoLeague parallels this model but with sustainability rather than religious identity as its unifying thread.
• Associated Colleges of the Midwest: A consortium of liberal arts colleges (including some with strong environmental programs) in the U.S. Midwest offering shared off-campus study, faculty development, and cross-registration. Comparable to EcoLeague as a multi-college liberal arts consortium focused on collaboration rather than a single institution.
• Five Colleges Consortium: A longstanding academic consortium of five Massachusetts institutions (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, UMass Amherst) enabling cross-registration, shared library access, and faculty collaboration. EcoLeague is functionally analogous but bioregional rather than geographic, making Five Colleges its closest structural peer.
• Great Lakes Colleges Association: An association of 13 liberal arts colleges in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio supporting cross-registration, consortial study abroad, and faculty grants. Functions similarly to EcoLeague in enabling exchanges and shared programming among small liberal arts institutions.
• Atlanta University Center Consortium: The oldest and largest consortium of HBCUs (Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Morehouse School of Medicine, Spelman), enabling cross-registration and shared academic resources among historically Black institutions. Another peer example of a multi-institution academic consortium model.

Others

• Second Nature: A nonprofit organization focused on climate leadership in higher education, including the Climate Leadership Commitments signed by EcoLeague member Dickinson College. Adjacent ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, sharing sustainability-in-higher-education mission.
• Campus Compact: A national coalition of colleges and universities advancing civic and community engagement in higher education. Adjacent to EcoLeague's consortium-of-colleges model, focused on cross-institutional collaboration but in civic rather than ecological programming.

Emerging players

• Higher Education Climate Consortium: Emerging networks of colleges pooling efforts around sustainability and climate action (e.g., regional climate consortia, AASHE-affiliated networks). Represents potential emerging peer competitors that could converge on EcoLeague's bioregional-and-sustainability niche.

Broad incumbents

• Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges: National consortia and associations that aggregate U.S. liberal arts colleges (e.g., NAICU, CIC) for shared services and policy advocacy. Represents a broader, institutional-level incumbent compared to EcoLeague's bioregional-niche focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheEcoLeague
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecoleagueconsortium
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecoleague

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 EcoLeague