University of Chicago Education Lab
The University of Chicago Education Lab is a non-profit research organization that partners with school districts to design, test, and scale evidence-based education programs using randomized controlled trials and behavioral science, funded by philanthropy and federal grants.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What University of Chicago Education Lab does
The University of Chicago Education Lab is a non-profit, university-affiliated research organization founded in 2011 as a sister lab to the University of Chicago Crime Lab within the UChicago Urban Labs network. The organization partners with school districts, government agencies, and community-based organizations to design, rigorously evaluate, and scale evidence-based education programs. Its core methodology centers on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) — the gold standard for causal inference — supported by data analytics, behavioral science, and qualitative research, with deep data-sharing agreements that allow analysis of administrative records from public-sector partners. The portfolio spans seven distinct products and initiatives: the Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI), a national effort to scale high-dosage tutoring; Saga Tech, a technology-augmented tutoring model; Working on Womanhood (WOW) and Becoming a Man (BAM), school-based trauma-informed group counseling programs; Choose to Change (C2C), a wraparound youth-violence intervention; Restorative Practices evaluation work; and the Every Choice Has Opportunity (ECHO) open-source curriculum, launched in 2026. As of late 2024, Education Lab programs support more than 30,000 students across 150+ schools nationwide, with the Personalized Learning Initiative having randomized 27,000+ students across three conditions in partnership with eight state, district, and charter agencies including Chicago Public Schools, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, New York City Public Schools, Fulton County Schools, and the New Mexico Public Education Department. Documented outcomes include 2–3x learning gains for students in high-dosage tutoring, a 34–35% decrease in student arrests in CPS schools using restorative practices, a 22% reduction in PTSD symptoms among WOW participants, and a 48% reduction in violent-crime arrests among Choose to Change participants.
University of Chicago Education Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Chicago Education Lab
- Legal name
- University of Chicago Education Lab
- Website
- https://educationlab.uchicago.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The University of Chicago Education Lab is a non-profit research organization that partners with school districts to design, test, and scale evidence-based education programs using randomized controlled trials and behavioral science, funded by philanthropy and federal grants.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of Chicago Education Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Research Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation Programs (EDAHAFAL)
Keywords
Where University of Chicago Education Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of Chicago Education Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Funding: The Education Lab receives third-party funding from philanthropic sources who have no vested interest in the outcome of evaluations. Major funders include Kenneth C. Griffin ($9M gift), AbbVie Foundation, Arnold Ventures, Griffin Catalyst, Overdeck Family Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, and others.
- Federal Government Grants: Funding from federal government agencies including National Science Foundation, Institute for Education Sciences, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Justice in the form of peer-reviewed grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Free research services for government and NGO partners |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
University of Chicago Education Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Education Lab partners with school districts, government agencies, and community-based organizations to design, rigorously test (using randomized controlled trials), and scale evidence-based education and youth-development programs. It delivers free research and evaluation services to its partners, funded by philanthropic gifts and federal grants, and produces peer-reviewed research, open-source curricula, and program models such as high-dosage tutoring, restorative practices, and trauma-informed counseling.
Product overview
The University of Chicago Education Lab is a university-affiliated research organization that partners with school districts to design, test, and scale evidence-based programs. Their portfolio includes multiple distinct products and initiatives: the Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI) as their flagship program addressing pandemic learning loss through high-dosage tutoring; Every Choice Has Opportunity (ECHO), a free open-source curriculum for decision-making; Saga Tech, a technology-enhanced tutoring model; and several counseling and intervention programs including Working on Womanhood (WOW), Choose to Change (C2C), Becoming a Man (BAM), and Restorative Practices. These programs work together within a research framework to generate evidence on what interventions effectively support student success, with findings disseminated to guide policy and scale effective approaches nationwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Personalized Learning Initiative (PLI) A multi-year national initiative to overcome pandemic learning loss by bringing high-dosage tutoring to students nationwide. PLI partners with school districts to design, test, and scale personalized academic supports through evidence-based tutoring programs, and has randomized more than 27,000 students across three conditions with eight state, district, and charter education agency partners.
- Every Choice Has Opportunity (ECHO) A free, open-source curriculum that helps service providers guide young people to make better decisions using tools informed by research and practice on cognitive behavioral interventions. ECHO is modularized so that programs can incorporate it into existing programming or use it as a standalone component.
- Saga Tech A high-dosage tutoring model that substitutes some tutor time with educational technology. The model can reduce costs by one-third and halve the number of tutors needed without compromising effectiveness, while students experience the equivalent of 1-2 years of additional math learning.
- Working on Womanhood (WOW) A school-based, trauma-informed group counseling program for adolescent girls that reduces PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and narrative therapy, and evaluated through a randomized study published in Science Advances.
- Choose to Change (C2C) A program combining trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (SPARCS curriculum) with intensive advocacy and wraparound supports, aimed at reducing youth violence while improving educational outcomes. Partnership between Brightpoint and Youth Advocate Programs (YAP).
- Becoming a Man (BAM) A school-based group counseling program for young men in grades 7-12 that uses insights from behavioral science to help youth navigate high-stakes situations and reduce arrests for violent crimes.
- Restorative Practices An evidence-based alternative to punitive discipline that promotes socio-emotional learning, encourages self-reflection and empathetic listening, and helps create non-judgmental spaces for conflict resolution in schools. Evaluated in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and associated with a 34-35% decrease in student arrests.
Quantifiable outcome
- High-dosage tutoring increases student learning by 2-3x over one year
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use University of Chicago Education Lab
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
University of Chicago Education Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
University of Chicago Education Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Miami-Dade County Public SchoolscoreM-DCPS is a key expansion partner for the Personalized Learning Initiative, launching high-dosage math tutoring in middle schools with support from a $9M gift from Kenneth C. Griffin.
- Fulton County Schools (Georgia)secondaryFulton County Schools partnered with PLI to study high-dosage tutoring effectiveness as part of the national initiative to scale tutoring programs.
- New Mexico Public Education DepartmentsecondaryNMPED partnered with PLI to deliver and study virtual high-dosage tutoring for middle school math across the state.
- MDRCcoreMDRC is a key research partner in the Personalized Learning Initiative, providing technical expertise in scaling tutoring programs and conducting rigorous evaluations across multiple school districts.
- Chicago Public SchoolscoreChicago Public Schools is the primary long-term partner, having worked with the Education Lab since its founding in 2011. CPS provides data access and collaborates on multiple research initiatives including Personalized Learning Initiative, restorative practices evaluation, and working on Womanhood study.
- Saga EducationcoreSaga Education is the nonprofit tutoring provider partner for high-dosage tutoring programs. The Education Lab has partnered with Saga on multiple studies including the Saga Technology model that combines tutoring with educational technology.
- Youth Advocate Programs (YAP)coreYAP partners with Brightpoint and the Education Lab on Choose to Change program, providing intensive advocacy and wraparound services to youth impacted by violence in Chicago's south and west sides.
- BrightpointcoreBrightpoint (formerly Children's Home & Aid) partners with YAP and the Education Lab on Choose to Change, providing trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy through the SPARCS curriculum.
- Youth GuidancecoreYouth Guidance is the nonprofit implementing partner for the Working on Womanhood (WOW) program, delivering in-school trauma-informed counseling to adolescent girls in Chicago schools.
- New York City Public SchoolssecondaryPartner in Saga Technology study evaluating high-dosage tutoring combined with educational technology in large urban school district.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
University of Chicago Education Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab): MIT-based global research center that uses randomized controlled trials to evaluate education, anti-poverty, and social programs. Shares the Education Lab's RCT-driven approach to education policy and operates as both researcher and partner to implementing organizations.
- WestEd: Nonprofit education research and service agency that conducts program evaluation and applied research for schools, districts, and states. Comparable in mission to design, study, and scale evidence-based K-12 practices, though with broader service-delivery offerings alongside research.
- MDRC: Social policy research nonprofit that is also a core partner of the Education Lab on the Personalized Learning Initiative. MDRC conducts rigorous evaluations of education and workforce programs using RCTs, serving the same district and government clients with comparable evidence-generation methodologies.
- American Institutes for Research (AIR): Large nonprofit behavioral and social science research organization conducting rigorous evaluations in education, health, and workforce. Directly competes for federal IES and NSF grants and serves overlapping K-12 district and state agency clients.
- University of Chicago Crime Lab: Sister organization to the Education Lab within UChicago Urban Labs, applying the same RCT-based evidence-generation model to public safety and violence prevention. Shares co-located offices, staff overlap, and the Choose to Change partnership, operating as the closest direct functional analog.
Broad incumbents
- Urban Institute: Nonprofit policy research organization with an education policy center studying equity, school finance, and program effectiveness. Shares the Lab's evidence-driven approach and federal grant funding sources but operates across a broader social-policy portfolio.
- RAND Corporation: Established policy research institution with a substantial education division conducting RCTs and large-scale evaluations for federal and state clients. Operates across a far broader portfolio (defense, health) but is a major competitor for the same education research contracts and federal grants.
- Mathematica: Nonpartisan research and evaluation firm with a large education practice evaluating federal and state K-12 programs using RCTs and quasi-experimental designs. Competes for IES contracts and partners with overlapping districts on tutoring, SEL, and post-secondary evaluations.
- SRI International: Independent nonprofit research institute with an education division conducting program evaluation, RCTs, and technology-enhanced learning research. Competes for similar federal grants and serves overlapping state education agency clients.
- Brookings Institution: Think tank with a Brown Center on Education Policy producing influential research on K-12 outcomes and tutoring effectiveness. Differs from the Lab by being more policy-commentary-focused but covers overlapping topics such as pandemic learning loss recovery and high-dosage tutoring.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of Chicago Education Lab social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Chicago Education Lab compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
University of Chicago Education Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of Chicago Education Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
University of Chicago Education Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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University of Chicago Education Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about University of Chicago Education Lab
What does University of Chicago Education Lab do?
The Education Lab partners with school districts, government agencies, and community-based organizations to design, rigorously test (using randomized controlled trials), and scale evidence-based education and youth-development programs. It delivers free research and evaluation services to its partners, funded by philanthropic gifts and federal grants, and produces peer-reviewed research, open-source curricula, and program models such as high-dosage tutoring, restorative practices, and trauma-informed counseling.
Is University of Chicago Education Lab a public or private company?
University of Chicago Education Lab is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was University of Chicago Education Lab founded?
University of Chicago Education Lab was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is University of Chicago Education Lab based?
University of Chicago Education Lab is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does University of Chicago Education Lab make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Philanthropic Funding is the primary driver. The others are federal Government Grants.
Who are University of Chicago Education Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are J-PAL (Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab), WestEd, MDRC, American Institutes for Research (AIR) and University of Chicago Crime Lab. Broad incumbents are Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, Mathematica, SRI International and Brookings Institution.
Does University of Chicago Education Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Chicago Education Lab.
What industry is University of Chicago Education Lab in?
University of Chicago Education Lab's product category is Education Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAFAL, Educational Research, Measurement & Evaluation Programs. Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.