EF Study Abroad

What EF Study Abroad does

EF Study Abroad is the higher-education study abroad division of EF Education First, operating under U.S. entity EF Institute for Cultural Exchange, Inc. and ultimately owned by Signum International AG (Switzerland). Founded in 1965 alongside the broader EF group, the company designs, markets, and operates structured educational travel programs for undergraduate and graduate students, faculty-led cohorts, and high-achieving honors students. The portfolio includes 16-week semester programs with 15–16 transferable credits issued through Colorado State University as School of Record, short-term crash courses, the faculty-led EF Tandem program, the premium Global Challenge Honors Semester in Spain and Sweden, the fully funded Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship (co-created with the Nobel Prize Museum and The Forum on Education Abroad), and Service Learning programs in Latin America and Africa.

The underlying operational platform is a network of 11 proprietary EF Hubs across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, staffed year-round by Field Directors in 50+ countries providing 24/7 safety support, local logistics, and on-the-ground curriculum delivery. Academic partnerships with the Nobel Prize Museum, Hult International Business School, and the University of Granada supply differentiated content IP (design-thinking curriculum tied to Nobel ideals), while Colorado State University supplies the credit-issuance layer that makes programs transferable to students' home institutions. Distribution combines a consumer-direct website enrollment flow with a faculty-led enterprise channel supported by dedicated Program Consultants. Revenue is generated primarily through program tuition — the Global Challenge Honors Semester carries a $23,675 fee per 16-week enrollment — supplemented by optional travel protection plans ($190 standard; $590 Plus with Cancel for Any Reason). Customer segments include college/university students, faculty and academic institutions, high-achieving honors students, and underrepresented populations including HBCU, Hispanic-Serving Institution, and first-generation students.

Name

EF Study Abroad

Legal name

EF Education First International Ltd.

Website

https://efstudyabroad.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Travel / Study Abroad

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

University-Affiliated Pathway & Foundation Programs (EDAIAJAA), Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ)

Keywords

• Study abroad programs
• Educational travel
• Faculty-led programs
• Semester abroad courses
• Language immersion

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Tuition: Tuition fees for study abroad programs. The Global Challenge Honors Semester 16-week program costs $23,675, which includes tuition for 15-16 credits, local transit, apartment-style housing, guided field visits, meals, and end-to-end support. Credits are provided by Colorado State University as School of Record.
2. Travel Protection Plans: Optional insurance and travel protection plans offered to travelers. The Global Travel Protection plan costs $190 and covers trip cancellation, illness/accident, trip interruption, baggage, trip delay, and emergency evacuation. The Global Travel Protection Plus plan costs $590 and adds Cancel for Any Reason coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

EF Study Abroad delivers credit-bearing, immersive study abroad programs for U.S. college and university students, comprising semester-length programs (16 weeks, 15–16 transferable credits through Colorado State University), short-term intensive crash courses, and faculty-led EF Tandem cohorts. The offering is supported by 11 proprietary EF Hubs across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, on-the-ground Field Directors in 50+ countries, and exclusive honors programs tied to the Nobel Prize Museum and Hult International Business School. Optional add-ons include Global Travel Protection insurance plans and the EF Safety Assurance framework.

Product overview

EF Study Abroad is a comprehensive educational travel platform offering structured study abroad experiences ranging from short-term crash courses to full 16-week semester programs. The core portfolio includes Semester Programs with transferable credits through Colorado State University, Short-term Programs, EF Tandem (faculty-led), and specialized Honors Programs including the Global Challenge Honors Semester in Spain & Sweden and the Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program with Nobel Prize Museum partnership. Supporting offerings include Service Learning programs in Latin America, optional Global Travel Protection insurance plans, and the EF Safety Assurance framework. Programs span 11 EF Hub destinations across Europe, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. The platform is part of EF Education First, the world leader in language learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EF Tours: EF Study Abroad tour programs
• EF Educational Tours
• Go Ahead Tours
• EF Global Challenge Honors Semester
• Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program

Products and services

• Semester Programs 16-week immersive study abroad programs for U.S. college/university students offering 15-16 transferable credits issued through Colorado State University as School of Record. Includes coursework at partner universities and EF study centers, cultural immersion, housing, meals, local transit, and 24/7 Field Director support.
• Short-term Programs Brief intensive study abroad programs and crash courses for students seeking shorter international educational experiences with focused language learning. Designed for students with limited time or budget for extended programs.
• EF Tandem (Faculty-Led Programs) Faculty-led study abroad programs enabling university professors to take their academic courses and students to international destinations for immersive educational experiences. EF provides dedicated Program Consultants, logistics, Field Directors, and academic coordination for each group.
• EF Global Challenge Honors Semester: Spain & Sweden 16-week honors program combining study in Spain (Málaga and Granada) with capstone participation in Nobel Week Dialogue in Sweden. Features interdisciplinary studies, Spanish language immersion, and design thinking curriculum developed with Hult International Business School and University of Granada. Priced at $23,675 inclusive of tuition, housing, meals, and field excursions.
• Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program Fully funded scholarship program created with The Forum on Education Abroad and Nobel Prize Museum. Includes project-based coursework, international field study, action-learning project, and attendance at Nobel Week Dialogue in Stockholm. Targets high-achieving students (3.0+ GPA) with strong encouragement for underrepresented backgrounds.
• Service Learning Programs (Peru, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Panama) Community service programs combining volunteer work with cultural immersion across Latin America. Includes Service Learning in Peru (Cusco, Sacred Valley, with optional Amazon Lodge and Lake Titicaca extensions) and Service Learning in the Dominican Republic (reforestation, trail-building, educational workshops, English tutoring, nursing-focused service projects).
• Global Travel Protection Plans Optional travel insurance add-ons for program participants. Standard Global Travel Protection plan is $190 per traveler and covers trip cancellation, illness/accident, trip interruption, baggage theft/delay, trip delay, and emergency evacuation. Global Travel Protection Plus is $590 and adds Cancel for Any Reason coverage. Non-insurance assistance provided through Falck Global Assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students develop global competency and intercultural skills through immersive experiences in multiple international destinations

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• The Forum on Education AbroadflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019The Forum on Education Abroad is a nonprofit membership organization recognized by the U.S. government as the Standards Development Organization for education abroad. With over 800 institutional members worldwide, EF collaborated with The Forum to create the Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program and the Global Challenge Honors Semester, adhering to their Standards of Good Practice.
• Nobel Prize MuseumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEF is the educational partner of the Nobel Prize Museum. Together they create innovative programs like the EF Global Challenge Honors Semester and Future Nobel Laureates Scholarship Program that give student leaders confidence to thrive. Students attend the Nobel Week Dialogue in Stockholm as a capstone experience.
• University of GranadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAs one of the largest and most recognized universities in Spain, the University of Granada offers courses across a variety of academic disciplines for local and international students. EF students enroll in courses at the Center for Modern Languages and study alongside local students.
• Hult International Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEF is associated with Hult International Business School, renowned for its top-ranked graduate and undergraduate programs. Hult is a driving force behind the design thinking course in the Global Challenge Honors Semester curriculum.
• Colorado State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColorado State University serves as the School of Record, providing the academic credits (15-16 credits) for the Global Challenge Honors Semester program. Credits are transferable to students' home institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ISA (International Studies Abroad): ISA provides study abroad, internship, and service-learning programs across 30+ countries with credit-transfer arrangements, competing head-to-head with EF Study Abroad on multi-country programming and university partnerships.
• API (Academic Programs International): API provides study abroad and internship programs with university credit, serving both students and faculty-led cohorts across multiple countries — a near-direct competitor to EF Study Abroad's semester and EF Tandem lines.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): CIEE is one of the largest US-headquartered study abroad program providers offering semester, short-term, and faculty-led programs with credit-transfer partnerships. It directly competes with EF Study Abroad on multi-country portfolio, academic credit portability, and university-channel distribution.
• CET Academic Programs: CET offers semester, short-term, and faculty-led study abroad programs with intensive language and academic components, overlapping with EF Study Abroad's mid-size competitor set and credit-transfer model.
• SAI Programs: SAI Programs is a smaller but direct competitor focused on study abroad programs primarily in Europe, with university-credit partnerships and faculty-led offerings in a similar service model to EF Study Abroad.
• IES Abroad: IES Abroad is a nonprofit consortium of US colleges and universities offering credit-bearing study abroad programs in 30+ cities, directly overlapping with EF Study Abroad's semester and faculty-led offerings to the same higher-ed student base.
• CAPA - The Global Education Network: CAPA delivers credit-bearing study abroad and internship programs in cities across Europe and Asia, with comparable program structure, learning outcomes focus, and university-channel distribution to EF Study Abroad.
• USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium): USAC is a nonprofit study abroad provider affiliated with the University of Nevada, Reno, offering semester and short-term programs in multiple countries with credit portability — a direct institutional peer to EF Study Abroad.
• Arcadia Abroad: Arcadia Abroad is the College of Global Studies at Arcadia University, offering credit-bearing study abroad programs primarily for US undergraduates in multiple destinations, directly comparable to EF Study Abroad's portfolio and institutional GTM.

Broad incumbents

• WorldStrides: WorldStrides is a larger diversified educational travel and experiential learning provider serving K-12, university, and sports markets. While broader in audience than EF Study Abroad's college focus, it overlaps significantly on faculty-led and group educational travel mechanics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EFstudyabroad
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EFCollegeStudyTours
• Facebookfacebook.com/EFStudyAbroad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ef-study-abroad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 EF Study Abroad