National Institute for Early Education Research

What National Institute for Early Education Research does

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is a non-profit, independent research institute housed within the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, based in New Brunswick, NJ. Its mission is to improve early childhood education and care through research that informs policy and practice. NIEER produces the annual State of Preschool Yearbook — a comprehensive national report tracking state-funded pre-K enrollment, funding levels, and quality standards across all 50 states and DC, accompanied by an interactive State of Preschool Data Explorer. Beyond the yearbook, NIEER delivers thematic Policy Landscapes (Head Start, Special Education, Early Learning in Cities, Mixed-Delivery Prekindergarten), rigorous multi-year Program Evaluations for state and local agencies (Philadelphia PHLpreK, Early Learning Indiana, California Department of Education, NJ Department of Children and Families), proprietary research tools (CASEBA and SESEBA assessment instruments), peer-reviewed scholarship via the International Journal of Childcare & Education Policy, and Technical Assistance to state advocates.

NIEER's core technology stack is research-oriented rather than software-oriented: domain-specialized assessment instruments, cost calculators, survey instruments, and an interactive data explorer powered by longitudinal state-level data collected over 20+ years. The organization is funded through a mix of research grants and contracts from government agencies and foundations (e.g., NJ DCF, Early Learning Indiana, California DOE, Philadelphia Office of Education), institutional support from Rutgers University, and external grants. All research outputs and publications are free and open to the public; NIEER's go-to-market motion is community-led and centers on thought leadership, policy advocacy support, and direct technical assistance to state policymakers, ECE advocates, and academic researchers rather than commercial pricing.

Name

National Institute for Early Education Research

Legal name

National Institute for Early Education Research

Website

https://nieer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NIEER is a non-profit research institute at Rutgers University that conducts independent early childhood education policy research, publishes the annual State of Preschool Yearbook tracking all 50 states, develops proprietary assessment tools, and provides technical assistance to state education agencies and advocates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Research

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADADAJ

Early Childhood & Child Development Policy Research

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

SECONDARYEDACAFAA

Developmental Screening & Assessment (0–5)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Intervention & Developmental Services (0–5)

SECONDARYBPADAKAB

Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Education & Skills Development Programs

SECONDARYEDACAIAF

Inclusion, Special Needs & Early Intervention Training (IEPs/IFSPs, Neurodiversity)

Education/Early Childhood Education/Early Childhood Teacher Training & Professional Development

Keywords

• Early childhood education research
• Preschool policy analysis
• Education program evaluation
• Pre-K quality benchmarks
• Childcare policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

New Brunswick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Contracts: NIEER conducts research funded by grants and contracts from government agencies, foundations, and state departments of education. Examples include evaluations for New Jersey Department of Ed, Early Learning Indiana, and various federal research grants.
2. Rutgers University Support: As part of Rutgers University Graduate School of Education, NIEER receives institutional support from the university

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NIEER is an independent, non-profit research institute at Rutgers University that conducts early childhood education policy research and disseminates findings through publications, data tools, and program evaluations. Its flagship offering is the annual State of Preschool Yearbook, which tracks state-funded pre-K enrollment, funding, and quality across all 50 states and DC, complemented by proprietary research tools (CASEBA, SESEBA), policy landscapes, and technical assistance for state agencies and advocates.

Product overview

The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) is a research institute at Rutgers University that provides independent research and analysis on early childhood education policy. Rather than a unified product platform, NIEER offers a portfolio of interconnected research products and services: the annual State of Preschool Yearbook (with its companion Data Explorer tool) serves as the flagship publication tracking state pre-K progress; Policy Landscapes provide thematic policy analyses; Program Evaluations offer rigorous assessments of specific programs; NIEER-Developed Tools (including CASEBA and SESEBA assessments) provide proprietary measurement instruments; and the International Journal of Childcare & Education Policy publishes scholarly research. Technical Assistance and Partnership with New Jersey round out their service offerings, creating a comprehensive research ecosystem for early childhood education stakeholders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• State of Preschool Yearbook Annual comprehensive report providing state-by-state analyses of progress in public pre-K, tracking enrollment, funding, and quality standards across all states and DC.
• State of Preschool Data Explorer

Quantifiable outcome

• Georgia became the first universal pre-K state to meet all 10 of NIEER's quality benchmarks
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• TORSHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2025TORSH and Rutgers University jointly launched the SESEBA initiative aimed at improving instruction for Dual Language Learners in U.S. school systems. The program offers a scalable, research-based framework integrated into TORSH Talent to support educators and school leaders with various tools and professional development options.
• Rutgers UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNIEER is housed within the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The university provides institutional support, infrastructure, and academic affiliation for the research institute.
• Center for Women and Work at RutgersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-center collaborative project providing comprehensive portrait of licensed center-based child care providers in New Jersey, including workforce and financial analysis.
• John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at RutgersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the multi-center project on New Jersey child care providers, focusing on workforce development aspects.
• New Jersey Department of Children and Families (NJ DCF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNJ DCF provides support and collaboration for research on licensed center-based child care providers, summer programs, and early childhood workforce in New Jersey.
• Early Learning Indiana (ELI)majorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerELI commissioned NIEER to conduct a landscape evaluation of early childhood programs in Indiana between spring 2021 and summer 2022, studying 321 classrooms in 206 programs.
• Philadelphia Office of EducationmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNIEER has been evaluating Philadelphia's PHLpreK universal pre-K program since its 2015 inception, focusing on program quality, components, and children's learning and development through annual classroom quality reports.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• MDRC: Education and social policy research organization that designs and evaluates programs serving low-income children and families, including early childhood interventions. Comparable as a peer evaluator of state and federal ECE programs.
• Child Trends: Independent non-profit research organization focused on child and family well-being, including early childhood education policy research and program evaluation. Highly comparable to NIEER in mission, non-profit research model, and focus on ECE outcomes.
• Mathematica Policy Research: Major social policy research and evaluation firm that conducts rigorous program evaluations in early childhood education, often competing with NIEER for state and federal evaluation contracts using similar methodologies.
• Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA): Federally-funded technical assistance center supporting state early intervention and preschool special education systems. Comparable as a provider of state-level technical assistance and policy guidance in ECE, though with a disability/inclusion focus.
• Urban Institute: Non-profit policy research organization that conducts economic and social policy research including early childhood education access, quality, and financing studies. Overlaps with NIEER on ECE policy analysis and data-driven research.

Regional players

• National Institute for Early Education Research at Peabody (Vanderbilt): Vanderbilt Peabody College's early childhood research programs produce policy-relevant ECE scholarship and program evaluations. Comparable as a university-based ECE research operation, though not identically branded.

Broad incumbents

• American Institutes for Research (AIR): Large behavioral and social science research organization that conducts ECE program evaluations and technical assistance for state agencies. Comparable as a competing ECE evaluation and TA provider at scale.
• RAND Corporation: Large, established policy research organization with a broad education research portfolio including early childhood. Comparable as a competing evaluator and policy research provider, though less specialized in ECE than NIEER.

Emerging players

• Center for American Progress (Early Childhood Policy): Public policy think tank with an early childhood policy initiative producing research and advocacy on universal pre-K. Comparable in producing ECE policy reports and benchmarking frameworks aimed at state and federal policymakers.
• Harvard Graduate School of Education (Ceedar / Saul Zaentz Early Education Initiative): University-based ECE research center that produces research, evaluation, and policy analysis on early learning. Comparable as a peer academic research hub producing influential ECE policy scholarship.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PreschoolToday
• Facebookfacebook.com/PreschoolToday
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nieer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Institute for Early Education Research