Teachers College, Columbia University

What Teachers College, Columbia University does

Teachers College, Columbia University is the oldest and largest graduate school of education in the United States, founded in 1888 and operating as a non-profit affiliated college of Columbia University from its single campus at 525 West 120th Street in Morningside Heights, New York City. The institution delivers master's, doctoral, and certificate programs across three pillars — Education, Health, and Psychology — and serves a primary customer segment of graduate students, with secondary audiences including alumni (active across more than 160 countries), K-5 teachers, and international students/scholars participating in study abroad and fellowship programs. Its distribution model is direct admissions via tc.columbia.edu with rolling applications for select programs, supported by a multi-channel marketing footprint spanning social media, email, content, and events.

Revenue is generated through three streams: tuition and fees from degree programs, institutional advancement and charitable gifts from alumni and foundations globally (with recent giving from Brazil, China, Jordan, Korea, and Poland), and continuing-education/microcredential revenue. Pricing for academic programs is not publicly disclosed; the headline Food Education in the Classroom (Food-E) microcredential is offered at no cost to K-5 teachers. Beyond degree programs, the product portfolio includes the TC SAFE safety mobile application, the Global Policy Fellowship placing students with UN affiliates and member-state missions, study abroad programs in Morocco/Costa Rica/France, and the Public Good Initiative covering Future of Teaching, Mental Health, Digital Innovation, and Sustainability.

Technically, TC is not a technology company: its core technology is the educational institution itself, and its only documented AI capability is a partnership-driven pilot of Ruanyun Edai's HanLink generative-AI platform for Chinese language and culture learning. Recent strategic activity has emphasized partnerships (FoodCorps, Heidelberg University, EUniWell, IES Abroad, UNHCR), credential diversification (Food-E microcredential), and global engagement expansion (Morocco study abroad, Saudi Arabia HanLink pilot), positioning TC as a globally networked graduate school rather than a technology platform.

Name

Teachers College, Columbia University

Legal name

Teachers College, Columbia University

Website

https://tc.columbia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1888

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Teachers College, Columbia University is the oldest and largest US graduate school of education, founded in 1888. The non-profit delivers master's, doctoral, and certificate programs in Education, Health, and Psychology, serving graduate students, K-5 teachers, alumni, and international scholars from New York City.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Graduate Education (Education, Health, and Psychology)

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Graduate Schools of Education (M.Ed., Ed.D., Ph.D.) (EDAHAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM), Curriculum & Instruction / Instructional Design Programs (EDAHAFAE), Online Teacher Education Universities (Licensure & M.Ed.) (EDAHALAG), Undergraduate Teacher Education Colleges (EDAHAFAA), TESOL / Bilingual / World Language Teacher Preparation Programs (EDAHAFAI)

Keywords

• Graduate education programs
• Teacher education
• Educational research
• Professional development
• Higher education services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from graduate education programs including master's, doctoral, and certificate programs across education, health, and psychology disciplines.
2. Institutional Advancement and Donations: Charitable gifts from alumni, foundations, friends and supporters globally. International gifts accepted from individuals and organizations via credit card or wire transfer.
3. Continuing Education and Microcredentials: Revenue from professional development programs including microcredentials such as Food Education in the Classroom (Food-E), a six-week online program for K-5 teachers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Teachers College is a graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University that delivers master's, doctoral, and certificate programs in education, health, and psychology disciplines. It also offers continuing education microcredentials (such as the Food-E program for K-5 teachers), the HanLink AI-assisted Chinese language learning pilot, the Global Policy Fellowship, study abroad programs, and a TC SAFE campus safety mobile application.

Product overview

Teachers College, Columbia University operates as a graduate institution offering academic programs in Education, Health, and Psychology. The institution's product portfolio includes educational programs and initiatives such as the Food Education in the Classroom (Food-E) microcredential program (a six-week online program for K-5 teachers in food education), the HanLink AI-assisted Chinese language learning platform (in partnership with Ruanyun Edai Technology Inc.), the TC SAFE safety mobile application, Global Policy Fellowship programs, and international study abroad programs. The institution also supports various community initiatives through its Public Good Initiative including Future of Teaching, Mental Health, Digital Innovation, and Sustainability focus areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master's, Doctoral, and Certificate Graduate Programs in Education, Health, and Psychology Degree-granting graduate programs (master's, doctoral, and certificate) in Education, Health, and Psychology disciplines, delivered to prospective and current graduate students through rolling and deadline-based admissions. These constitute the institution's core academic offering.
• Food Education in the Classroom (Food-E) Microcredential A six-week online microcredential program training K-5 teachers in food education, combining nutrition science and experiential learning. Offered at no cost to teachers, it is designed as a scalable response to fill gaps left by the loss of federal SNAP-Ed nutrition funding.
• HanLink AI-Assisted Chinese Language and Culture Learning Program An AI-assisted Chinese language and culture learning program built on the HanLink platform, piloted with Teachers College's Center on Chinese Education for Chinese language and culture learning.
• TC SAFE App Official safety mobile application for the Teachers College community providing emergency alerts, campus safety information, and safety resources.
• Global Policy Fellowship Fellowship program offering immersive training and placement with UN affiliates and member-state missions, supporting research in areas like human rights, climate change, global health, and education.
• International Study Abroad Programs International study abroad programs offered through the Office of Global Engagement, including the Morocco program (Education, Refugee, and Migration Policies & Practices), Costa Rica, and France. Ten-day to multi-week credit-bearing courses that combine academic sessions with field-based learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% increase in fruit and vegetable preference among students when food education is implemented.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• FoodCorpscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Launched Food Education in the Classroom (Food-E), the nation's first microcredential for K-5 teachers in food education. The six-week online program combines Teachers College's research in nutrition and pedagogy with FoodCorps' nearly 15 years of school-based programming experience across 1,844 schools. Positioned as a scalable response to fill the gap left by the loss of federal SNAP-Ed nutrition funding.
• EUniWell (European University for Well-Being)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Ongoing transatlantic partnership to advance well-being in education systems worldwide. Inaugural International Conference on Well-Being and (Teacher) Education held at Teachers College and the United Nations Plaza in February 2026, bringing together over 200 participants to collaborate on research and policy aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• IES AbroadcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025Partnership for Morocco study abroad program launched in July 2025. Ten-day credit-bearing course titled 'Education, Refugee, and Migration Policies & Practices' for 25 master's and doctoral students combining academic sessions with field-based learning across Rabat, Tangier, and Fez.
• Ruanyun Edai Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: RYET)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025Pilot project with the Center on Chinese Education at Teachers College under a signed award letter providing a grant to support an AI-assisted Chinese language and culture learning program using the HanLink platform. Builds on existing progress in Saudi Arabia where a HanLink pilot was conducted at Education & Skills International School in Riyadh with 500 students.
• Heidelberg UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Renewed Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in teacher education, expanding joint programs, and enhancing mobility opportunities for students and faculty. Agreement formalized by Dr. KerryAnn O'Meara and Prof. Dr. Frauke Melchior, Rector of Heidelberg University.
• Confucius Institute at Prince Sultan UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Cooperation agreement for HankLink pilot program in Saudi Arabia as part of Ruanyun Edai Technology's international expansion efforts.
• Fondation Orient-OccidentminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Grassroots organization partnered with for Morocco study abroad program to examine intersections of migration, education, and displacement.
• UNHCRminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees partnered with for Morocco study abroad program examining migration, education, and displacement issues.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Stanford Graduate School of Education: Direct peer — elite graduate school of education offering master's, doctoral and credential programs with strengths in policy, learning sciences and teacher education. Closely comparable research and degree mix to TC.
• Vanderbilt Peabody College of Education and Human Development: Direct peer — top-ranked graduate school of education and human development with strong teacher preparation and education research programs, a frequent co-competitor for faculty and graduate applicants.
• NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development: Direct peer — large NYC-based graduate school offering education, health and applied psychology programs at the master's and doctoral levels, directly competing for the same New York talent pool as TC.
• Bank Street College of Education: Direct peer — NYC-based independent graduate school of education focused on teaching, leadership and children's learning; competes directly with TC for in-service educators and school leaders in the New York market.
• UCLA School of Education & Information Studies: Direct peer — major public university graduate school of education offering M.Ed., Ph.D. and credential programs across education, psychology and information studies, similar in scale and research breadth to TC.
• Johns Hopkins School of Education: Direct peer — research-focused graduate school offering M.Ed., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs with strengths in educational leadership, policy and technology, comparable in scale and prestige to TC.
• Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development: Direct peer — graduate school of education with comparable teacher preparation, educational policy and human development programs, often ranked alongside TC for master's-level education offerings.
• University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education: Direct peer — Ivy-affiliated graduate school of education delivering M.Ed., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs with a comparable urban, research-intensive profile and teacher preparation focus.
• Harvard Graduate School of Education: Direct peer — leading Ivy League graduate school of education offering master's and doctoral programs in education, leadership and human development. Most directly comparable to TC in prestige, mission and degree portfolio.
• University of Michigan School of Education: Direct peer — large public university graduate school offering M.A., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs across education, psychology and human development with comparable research intensity and program breadth.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/teacherscollege
• YouTubeyoutube.com/teacherscollege
• Facebookfacebook.com/teacherscollegecolumbia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/teachers-college-columbia-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/teacherscollege?ref=badge

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Teachers College, Columbia University