The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University

What The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University does

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University, operating under the brand Arcadia Abroad, is a division of the private Arcadia University (Glenside, PA) that has delivered study abroad programming since 1948. It is one of the largest campus-based international study programs in the United States, offering 130+ programs in 15 countries spanning Australia, Austria, England, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Southern Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Wales. The portfolio includes semester and academic-year programs, 28 summer programs, 8 preselected STEM Summer Research tracks, internship programs in 7 countries, and a professional Apprentice Program for recent graduates.

The product surface is built on partnerships with elite host universities (University of Oxford, King's College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Melbourne, Trinity College Dublin) and on-site Arcadia Centers in London, Edinburgh, Perugia, and Granada that provide faculty-led courses, excursions, and student support. Supporting services include a Curriculum Matching Service for STEM students, one-on-one academic advising, 24/7 emergency support via International SOS, and compliance with FERPA, GDPR, and the Clery Act. No proprietary technology platform is disclosed; delivery is managed through an application portal at student.studyabroad.arcadia.edu.

The business model is tuition and program fees charged to students, classified in the data as subscription/recurring given semester- and term-based enrollment cycles. GTM is a hybrid: direct-to-consumer recruitment via the website, student bloggers, social media (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), and college recruitment fairs, combined with a channel model in which 200+ U.S. partner colleges and universities refer students and accept transfer credit. Arcadia also serves as School of Record for partner institutions such as HCISR. Annual enrollment exceeds 2,200 students from 200+ institutions, supported by a 70,000+ alumni network, with 51-100 employees across U.S. and international offices.

Name

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University

Legal name

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University

Website

https://studyabroad.arcadia.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arcadia Abroad is the study abroad division of Arcadia University, delivering 130+ accredited programs in 15 countries to 2,200+ students annually from 200+ U.S. partner colleges and universities, with a 75-year operating history and 70,000+ alumni.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Study Abroad Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAIAAAE

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Study Abroad Program Providers (Multi-Country & Multi-Discipline)

SECONDARYEDAIAAAJ

Study Abroad Program Management & Administration (for Institutions)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/Study Abroad Program Providers (Multi-Country & Multi-Discipline)

SECONDARYEDAIAIAF

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate)

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/International Summer/Winter Schools & Short-Term Academic Programs

SECONDARYEDAIABAI

International Branch Campus & Offshore Program Partnerships

Education/International Education & Study Abroad/University/College Exchange Programs & Partnerships

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• International education services
• STEM research abroad
• Global academic programs
• Internship abroad programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenside

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Study Abroad Program Fees: Students pay tuition and program fees for study abroad experiences including semester, summer, and academic year programs at international partner institutions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University, operating as Arcadia Abroad, is a campus-based study abroad program provider offering more than 130 programs across 15 countries. It delivers semester, summer, and academic year programs spanning disciplines including STEM, humanities, business, social sciences, and the arts, and serves as School of Record for partner institutions, validating academic credit for U.S. college and university students studying abroad.

Product overview

The College of Global Studies at Arcadia University operates as Arcadia Abroad, a comprehensive study abroad provider offering over 130 programs in 15 countries. The portfolio consists of semester/academic year programs, STEM Summer Research Programs (8 preselected research-focused programs), Summer Programs (28 offerings), Internship Programs (available in 7 countries), and the Apprentice Program for professional development. Core academic offerings span disciplines including Business, Engineering, Humanities, Science & Technology, Social Sciences, and Visual/Performing Arts. The organization provides supporting services including Curriculum Matching, one-on-one STEM advising, Arcadia Centers with on-site staff support, and Health & Safety Services including International SOS integration. Programs are available across Australia, Austria, England, Ireland, Italy, Latin America, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Southern Africa, Spain, Switzerland, USA, and Wales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Study Abroad Programs Comprehensive study abroad programming covering semester and academic year options in disciplines including Area/Ethnic/Cultural/Gender Studies, Business, Communication/Media/Journalism, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Humanities, Science & Technology, Social Sciences, and Visual and Performing Arts, delivered to undergraduate and graduate students from over 200 partner institutions.
• Summer Programs
• STEM Summer Research Programs Eight preselected academically challenging research programs in STEM disciplines (Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Genetics, Geological Sciences, Math, Marine Biology, Physics, Psychology) held in England, Spain, Ireland, and Scotland.
• Internship Programs Study abroad programs that pair academic credit with professional internships in 7 different countries, providing students with resume-building professional experience and cultural immersion.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,200 students served annually from over 200 colleges and universities
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Hellenic Center for Interdisciplinary Studies and Research (HCISR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArcadia Abroad serves as HCISR's School of Record, providing academic oversight and credit validation for their programs.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution offering study abroad programs in Scotland including semester, summer, and STEM research options.
• King's College LondoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite partner institution in England offering programs including health and society pre-medical track and STEM summer research.
• University of MelbournecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner institution in Australia offering study abroad opportunities in the World's most Livable City.
• Trinity College DublincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier partner institution in Ireland offering diverse study abroad opportunities.
• University of OxfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElite partner offering study abroad programs at one of the world's most renowned universities.
• ISI Perugia - The Umbra InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy center in Perugia, Italy - a big university town in a small, medieval city.
• International SOScoreTechnology or Integration24/7 global medical and travel assistance partner providing emergency support services to students abroad.
• 200+ Partner Colleges and UniversitiescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of colleges and universities across the US that refer students to Arcadia programs and accept transfer credit.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CAPA The Global Education Network: Study abroad provider with city-based programs in London, Dublin, Florence, Barcelona, and Sydney. Overlaps with Arcadia's flagship destinations and serves a similar student demographic seeking credit-bearing semester and internship experiences.
• CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Provider of credit-bearing study abroad and internship programs across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. Directly competes with Arcadia in Spain, Italy, France, and Ireland, with comparable pricing, services, and partner-institution distribution model.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): One of the largest U.S.-based nonprofit study abroad providers, offering semester and summer programs across many of the same countries as Arcadia (England, Ireland, Italy, Spain). Both serve as School of Record for hundreds of partner U.S. institutions and compete directly for the same cohort of U.S. undergraduates seeking credit-bearing international study.
• USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium): Consortium-based study abroad provider headquartered at the University of Nevada, Reno, offering programs in 30+ countries. Mirrors Arcadia's multi-country, multi-discipline model and partner-institution referral distribution, with similar scale in semester and summer offerings.
• ISA (International Studies Abroad) by Worldstrides: Now part of Worldstrides, ISA is a direct competitor offering multi-country semester, summer, and internship programs. Targets the same U.S. undergraduate segment with comparable program catalog and pricing model across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.
• IFSA (Institute for Study Abroad): U.S.-based study abroad provider (merged IFSA and Butler) offering semester, summer, and internship programs across multiple countries including the UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Directly competes with Arcadia for STEM and humanities students at the same partner U.S. institutions.
• API (Academic Programs International): U.S.-based study abroad provider with a multi-country, multi-discipline portfolio including STEM, business, and humanities tracks. Directly competes in the same institutional channel and overlapping destinations (Spain, Italy, Ireland, England) as Arcadia.
• IES Abroad: Direct competitor operating multi-country, multi-discipline semester and summer study abroad programs with dedicated centers in Europe and Asia. Overlaps with Arcadia across London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Madrid, Granada, and Rome offerings, and serves the same U.S. undergraduate market through partner institutions.

Broad incumbents

• Worldstrides: Large education-travel parent company owning ISA and other travel/study brands. Compares to Arcadia via the ISA multi-country study abroad portfolio, but operates a much broader K-12 and adult educational travel portfolio rather than specializing in U.S. undergraduate study abroad.

Emerging players

• DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia: Denmark-based provider specializing in programs in Scandinavia and Europe, including STEM and sustainability tracks. An adjacent competitor that overlaps with select Arcadia offerings (Northern Europe, Germany) and competes for the same demographic seeking specialized academic experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=eQf99CGBLC4
• Facebookfacebook.com/arcadia.abroad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-college-of-global-studies-at-arcadia-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/arcadiaabroad
• Xx.com/ArcadiaAbroad

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 College of Global Studies at Arcadia University