What Foothill De Anza Community College District does

Foothill-De Anza Community College District is a public California community college district founded in 1957 and headquartered in Los Altos Hills, operating two colleges — Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino — plus a Sunnyvale Admissions & Records satellite. It serves approximately 50,000 students annually across eight Silicon Valley communities (Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Stanford, Sunnyvale, and parts of Saratoga and San Jose), making it one of the largest community college districts in the United States. The district is led by Chancellor Lee D. Lambert (effective July 31, 2023) and governed by an elected Board of Trustees under the California Community Colleges system.

The district's service delivery runs on an integrated platform stack: Canvas as the learning management system, MyPortal as the student/employee portal, Starfish for early-alert and retention, Handshake (launched Fall 2020) for jobs and internships, BankMobile for refund disbursement, and Follett for bookstore operations. Online program quality is supported through the California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI), through which the district narrowed the face-to-face vs. online success gap to less than 4%. Strategic partnerships extend the district's footprint into Silicon Valley industry, including a nano@stanford collaboration for STEM students, an EDF-led HVAC electrification and thermal microgrid research project, and a Santa Clara Valley Health Care mobile clinic hosted at De Anza.

Revenue is structurally diversified across four streams: California state allocations through the Student Centered Funding Formula, tuition and fees, private donations and grants channeled through the Foothill-De Anza Foundation (including multi-million-dollar gifts such as $3.5 million from the Krause family foundation and $1 million from the Advani family), and voter-approved local bond measures funding facilities and infrastructure. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via open enrollment, year-round applications, in-person and online modalities, and targeted international student recruitment. The district does not generate equity returns; it is a government state entity whose 'customers' are students, transfer partners, employers, and the Silicon Valley community it serves.

Name

Foothill De Anza Community College District

Legal name

Foothill-De Anza Community College District

Website

https://fhda.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Foothill-De Anza Community College District is a public California community college district operating Foothill College and De Anza College in Silicon Valley, serving approximately 50,000 students annually through in-person and online programs funded by state allocations, tuition, and philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community College Education

NAICS

Junior Colleges (6112), Junior Colleges (611210), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Multi-Campus Community College Districts (EDAHADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Community Colleges (EDAHADAA), Online Community Colleges (2-Year, Degree/Transfer) (EDAHALAC), University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA), Community College / Training Provider Workforce Pathways Programs (EDAAAOAO)

Keywords

• Community college education
• Higher education services
• Career technical training
• University transfer programs
• Continuing adult education

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Altos Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Student tuition and enrollment fees for credit classes
2. State Funding: Primary funding from California state government based on enrollment and student success metrics through Student Centered Funding Formula
3. Private Donations and Grants: Foundation receives donations and pledges including major gifts like $3.5 million from Gay and Bill Krause family foundation and $1 million from Swati and Vijay Advani
4. Bond Measures: Local bond measures passed to fund facilities and infrastructure improvements

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Foothill-De Anza Community College District operates two public community colleges—Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino—delivering credit-bearing courses, associate degrees, certificates, transfer preparation, career and technical education, and continuing/adult education to approximately 50,000 students annually across Silicon Valley. The district complements classroom instruction with online learning, career services via Handshake, early-alert student support via Starfish, and learning management via Canvas, supported by the Foothill-De Anza Foundation's scholarships and donor-funded programs.

Product overview

Foothill-De Anza Community College District operates as a two-college district in Silicon Valley, serving approximately 50,000 students annually. The district provides its educational services through a platform-based infrastructure centered on Canvas (the learning management system), MyPortal (the student/employee portal), and Starfish (early alert and retention tools). Students access career services through Handshake, a job and internship platform. The district comprises two colleges—Foothill College in Los Altos Hills and De Anza College in Cupertino—each with distinct programs and campus experiences. Additional support services include the Foothill-De Anza Foundation for fundraising and scholarships, the Krause Center for Innovation featuring makerspaces, and De Anza College's Planetarium. Student refunds are managed through BankMobile Disbursements, and bookstore operations are handled by Follett.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Foothill College

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 50,000 students served annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HandshakecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020Student job and internship search platform launching Fall 2020. Provides verified job and internship opportunities from startups to Fortune 500 companies, leveling the playing field for community college students.
• League for Innovation in the Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of this national consortium of leading two-year institutions, participating in innovation initiatives and sharing best practices across member colleges.
• nano@stanfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stanford University to bring nanotechnology content, tools, and techniques to STEM students. Includes fully funded visits and research opportunities for faculty.
• California Virtual Campus-Online Education Initiative (CVC-OEI)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborative partnership ensuring meeting of student needs and supporting innovation in online learning. Average gap between face-to-face and online success rates narrowed to less than four percent through this partnership.
• Vasconcellos Institute for Democracy in ActioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDe Anza College institute focused on civic engagement, community organizing, and democracy education. Trains students and staff in community organizing skills for institutional transformation.
• Family Engagement Institute (FEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCradle-to-career, grant-funded student success initiative at Foothill College. Since 2010, provides programs elevating voice of diverse community with multigenerational pathway to college.
• BankMobile Disbursements (powered by BMTX, Inc.)minorOthersThird-party technology solution for student refund management. District uses this service for delivering student refunds.
• Electricity de France (EDF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research study with EDF to electrify Foothill College's HVAC system using heat recovery technology and develop concept of thermal microgrid for decarbonization.
• Institute for Evidence-Based ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Caring Campus initiative - statewide classified professionals movement focused on improving student transitions and support.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pasadena City College: Major California community college with very large enrollment, transfer programs, and equity-focused initiatives, benchmarked against FHDA on graduation and transfer rates.
• Peralta Community College District: Northern California multi-campus community college district (Berkeley City College, College of Alameda, Laney, Merritt) operating under the same CCC Chancellor's Office and funding formula.
• Mt. San Antonio College: Large single-campus California community college with comparable scale (~50,000 students), CTE strength, and transfer orientation, serving a similar suburban California population.
• Pima Community College: Arizona multi-campus community college district where former FHDA Chancellor Lee D. Lambert previously served as chancellor; comparable scale, mission, and multi-campus operating model.
• West Valley-Mission Community College District: Neighboring Santa Clara County community college district with two colleges and overlapping service areas in Cupertino/San Jose, directly competing for the same student pool.
• Los Rios Community College District: California multi-college district (ARC, CRC, FLC, SCC) with similar scale, transfer and CTE missions, and state-funding model under the California Community Colleges system.
• San Mateo County Community College District: Adjacent Bay Area multi-campus community college district (Cañada, College of San Mateo, Skyline) serving similar Silicon Valley-adjacent populations with comparable transfer, CTE, and online programs.
• Lone Star College System: Texas multi-campus community college system with similar student scale, transfer and CTE focus, and rapid suburban growth context analogous to FHDA's Silicon Valley setting.

Broad incumbents

• Maricopa County Community College District: One of the largest U.S. community college districts (10 colleges), serving as a broader incumbent comparable on multi-campus scale, governance, and state-county funding model.

Emerging players

• Southern New Hampshire University: Large online-focused institution competing for adult and transfer-oriented learners; representative of the broader online education pressure on community college enrollment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fhda_foundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX3VSeG_yaYFzvde4JhgMKA
• Facebookfacebook.com/fhdafoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foothill-de-anza-community-college-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/fhdafoundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

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 Foothill De Anza Community College District