The Cowen Institute

What The Cowen Institute does

The Cowen Institute is a New Orleans-based nonprofit education research and policy organization operating since 2007 as a strategic initiative of Tulane University. It does not sell a software product; instead, it delivers a portfolio of programs focused on improving public education and postsecondary outcomes for New Orleans students. Its core offerings include the State of Public Education in New Orleans (SPENO) annual report and perception polls published since 2007, the NOLA CCAN (New Orleans College & Career Attainment Network) city-wide hub that convenes 26 of 28 NOLA public high schools and partner organizations, the annual Life After High School convening, professional development training for high school counselors, FAFSA completion support, the New Orleans High School Data Fellowship, and the Educational Entrepreneurship Summit. Its operating geography is concentrated in New Orleans and Louisiana, with secondary reach via membership in the National College Attainment Network.

The organization is funded through a mix of individual donations (including a $2,500+ Cowen Sustainers tier), foundation grants (Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kresge Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Booth-Bricker, Pro Bono Publico), and corporate support (notably Entergy). Documented grants include $725,000 from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation in 2017 for the Earn and Learn Career Pathways program and $500,000 from Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2025 for a college persistence research initiative. Total revenue is not publicly disclosed. The institute's customer base is distributed across education leaders, charter school networks (Crescent City Schools, InspireNOLA), high school counselors, K-12 students, parents, and Tulane graduate students, but its economic counterparties (funders) are concentrated among a small set of foundations and corporate sponsors. There is no evidence of AI/ML capabilities, proprietary technology platforms, or commercial software offerings; the institute's value is delivered through human-facilitated research, convening, training, and direct program operations.

Name

The Cowen Institute

Legal name

The Cowen Institute

Website

https://coweninstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Cowen Institute is a nonprofit education research and policy organization at Tulane University that equips New Orleans educators and counselors through research publications, the NOLA CCAN postsecondary readiness network, and the annual Life After High School convening.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Research and Nonprofit Programming

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Teacher Professional Development & In-Service Training Institutes (EDAHAFAM), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Education policy research
• Postsecondary readiness programs
• College access support
• School counselor training
• K-12 education advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

New Orleans

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization relies on individual donor contributions to sustain operations, initiatives, research, and programs. Major individual donors (Cowen Sustainers) contribute $2,500 or more annually.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Support from foundations and corporations including Entergy, Booth-Bricker, Carnegie Corporation of New York, Kresge Foundation, and Pro Bono Publico. These funders support specific initiatives like college persistence research and career training programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Cowen Institute is a nonprofit education research and policy organization based at Tulane University that equips education leaders and practitioners with skills, research, and resources to increase educational and postsecondary success among New Orleans students. Its core offerings include the NOLA CCAN city-wide postsecondary readiness hub, the annual Life After High School convening, research and policy publications (including the annual State of Public Education in New Orleans report), professional development training for high school counselors, and the New Orleans High School Data Fellowship.

Product overview

The Cowen Institute is a research and education nonprofit at Tulane University that does not offer a software product or platform. Rather, it operates a portfolio of programs and services focused on increasing educational and postsecondary success among New Orleans students. The core offerings include: (1) the NOLA CCAN initiative, which serves as a hub for postsecondary readiness providing professional development and citywide FAFSA support; (2) the annual Life After High School convening offering breakout sessions and resources for practitioners; (3) research publications including the annual State of Public Education in New Orleans (SPENO) reports since 2007; (4) professional development training for counselors and youth-serving organizations; and (5) the New Orleans High School Data Fellowship. These services are delivered through collaborative partnerships, training sessions, and published resources—not through a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NOLA CCAN (New Orleans College & Career Attainment Network): A strategic initiative of the Cowen Institute that serves as the essential hub for postsecondary readiness and success in New Orleans' education landscape, fostering collaboration across schools and community organizations.
• Life After High School (LAHS)

Products and services

• Research and Policy Publications Annual reports, briefs, polls, and governance charts providing data-driven insights on public education in New Orleans, including the State of Public Education in New Orleans (SPENO) reports. Targeted at education leaders, policymakers, practitioners, parents, and the public.
• Life After High School (LAHS) Convening Annual convening hosted by NOLA CCAN that brings together education practitioners for collaboration and knowledge sharing on postsecondary success, featuring breakout sessions on counseling, career readiness, and college access. Free to attend with registration.
• New Orleans College & Career Attainment Network (NOLA CCAN) Strategic initiative of the Cowen Institute serving as the hub for postsecondary readiness in New Orleans, providing professional development for counselors, citywide FAFSA support, and monthly practitioner gatherings. NOLA CCAN is a member of the National College Attainment Network.
• Professional Development Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,263 high school students supported through NOLA CCAN
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• National College Attainment Network (NCAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOLA CCAN is a proud member of NCAN. Partnership provides access to national resources, training, and collaborative opportunities for college access professionals across the country.
• NOLA PS (New Orleans Public Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education system partner engaged through NOLA CCAN, with the executive director of system-wide programming providing testimonial support for the network.
• Career Immersion & Leadership Institute (CILI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOLA CCAN partner organization focused on career coaching and leadership development for youth, providing panelists for Life After High School convening.
• College Track New OrleanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOLA CCAN partner focused on college access and success, providing session facilitators for annual LAHS convening on topics including first-gen student support and AI in college counseling.
• Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing resources and support through NOLA CCAN network for financial aid counseling.
• Louisiana Board of RegentssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerState higher education governing body partner providing resources and training access through NOLA CCAN.
• u-AspiresupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational college access organization providing resources and training through NOLA CCAN network.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• College Board: National college access organization administering the SAT, AP, and FAFSA-related tools; shares Cowen's college readiness mission and serves overlapping K-12 counselor and student audiences at much larger scale.
• Urban Institute: Major social and education policy research organization producing reports on K-12 performance, college access, and equity; comparable to Cowen's research-publication function but at significantly broader national scope.
• RAND Corporation: Large, established research institution with a substantial K-12 and higher education policy practice; comparable to Cowen in producing trusted, longitudinal education research but operates across many policy domains at national scale.

Direct peers

• uAspire: National nonprofit focused on college affordability and FAFSA completion; uAspire is an active NOLA CCAN partner and shares Cowen's emphasis on counselor training, financial aid support, and equity-focused postsecondary access.
• National College Attainment Network (NCAN): National membership network for college access and attainment programs; NOLA CCAN is a member of NCAN, and both organizations run practitioner convenings, professional development, and policy advocacy aimed at increasing postsecondary success — making NCAN the closest structural and mission-aligned peer.
• The Education Trust: National education policy and advocacy nonprofit focused on K-12 equity and college access; comparable to Cowen in producing research reports, convening practitioners, and pushing policy reform aimed at closing postsecondary attainment gaps.
• MDRC: Education and social policy research organization that designs and evaluates programs targeting low-income students' college persistence and career outcomes; directly comparable to Cowen's Carnegie-funded college persistence research agenda.

Emerging players

• Teach For America: National K-12 equity and teacher pipeline nonprofit that operates in New Orleans and across the country; comparable to Cowen in working toward equitable educational outcomes and engaging the same local school leader community.

Others

• Center for American Progress: National progressive think tank with an active K-12 and higher education policy team; adjacent peer in the sense that both produce research and policy commentary shaping U.S. public education debate, though CAP does not run local practitioner programs.

Regional players

• New Schools for New Orleans: New Orleans-based K-12 education reform intermediary supporting the city's charter sector; operates in the same local education ecosystem as Cowen, often co-engaging the same charter operator partners (e.g., Crescent City Schools, InspireNOLA).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/coweninstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/CowenInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cowen-institute-for-public-education-initiatives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 The Cowen Institute