UNITED STATES ACADEMIC DECATHLON ASSOCIATION

What UNITED STATES ACADEMIC DECATHLON ASSOCIATION does

The United States Academic Decathlon Association (USAD) is a non-profit organization incorporated in South Dakota in 1981 and headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota. USAD operates the premier team-based academic competition for US high school students, organizing teams of nine students classified into Honor (3.85+), Scholastic (3.50-3.8499), and Varsity (0.00-3.499) divisions across ten events: Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech. The program is administered through a network of state directors in all 50 states plus Washington DC, culminating in annual national finals in Bloomington, MN. Adjacent programs include the United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP) for middle school students (5th-8th grade) and the International Academic Decathlon (IAD) launched in 2025 in partnership with the World Youth Forum.

USAD generates revenue through four primary streams: (1) one-time curriculum and study material sales (Resource Guides, Student Exercise Books, Notebook Dividers) ordered through a new digital materials portal launched January 2026, (2) subscription-based access to the Online Training Center (usad.enlyght.com) featuring 7,000+ practice questions, (3) corporate sponsorships from a modest roster including GCI, Sourcewell, South Central Service Cooperative, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Norsoft, and Loeb & Loeb LLP, and (4) state fees collected by state directors for competition participation. The organization's technology stack centers on two proprietary platforms: the Online Training Center for test preparation and the new materials portal for curriculum distribution. A small full-time staff of 4 (Executive Director Amy Dosch, Testing Director Daniele Grigsby, Administrative Services/Pentathlon Director Tara Brown, Curriculum Director Terry McKiernan) plus approximately 5 additional employees manages operations, with curriculum developers and test writers contracted as needed.

Name

UNITED STATES ACADEMIC DECATHLON ASSOCIATION

Legal name

United States Academic Decathlon Association

Website

https://usad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Short description

United States Academic Decathlon Association (USAD) is a non-profit organization that operates team-based academic competitions for US high school students across ten subject areas, administered through state directors in all 50 states plus DC and supported by curriculum sales, online training subscriptions, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Competition Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Decathlon & Interdisciplinary Competitions (EDAMAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Collegiate & Scholastic Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAG), Academic Olympiads & Subject Competitions (Science, Math, Informatics) (EDAMAGAE)

Keywords

• Academic competitions
• Educational curriculum
• K-12 education
• Academic testing services
• Educational competition programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mankato

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Curriculum and Study Materials Sales: Primary revenue source. Schools purchase curriculum packages including Resource Guides, Student Exercise Books, Notebook Dividers, and practice test materials. Materials are available in digital format with some print components.
2. Online Training Center Subscriptions: Subscription-based access to online practice tests, flash cards, scrimmages, and test preparation tools. Multiple subscription tiers available.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Modest level of corporate support from sponsors at national and state levels. Current sponsors include GCI, South Central Service Cooperative, Association of Educational Service Agencies, Sourcewell, Norsoft, and Loeb & Loeb LLP.
4. State Fees: State directors collect fees for regional and state competition participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

United States Academic Decathlon Association operates the premier team-based academic competition program for US high school students, featuring ten competitive events (Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, Speech). The organization sells annual thematic curriculum materials, provides an online training and testing platform, and runs local, state, and national competitions culminating in an annual National Finals in Bloomington, MN.

Product overview

The United States Academic Decathlon Association operates three interconnected academic competition programs: the United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) for high school students featuring ten competitive events, the United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP) for middle school students with five events, and the International Academic Decathlon (IAD) for global participation. These core programs are supported by the Online Training Center providing over 7,000 practice questions for team preparation, official Curriculum Materials including Resource Guides and Study Guides across seven subjects, the Roberts/Caperton Inspiration Award recognizing student perseverance, and the Super Quiz live audience relay event. The association also offers an Individual Competition pathway for students without team access. Programs follow annual themes (currently 'Journeys of Transformation: An Exploration of Travel and Transportation' for 2026-2027) that integrate multidisciplinary curriculum across Art, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, and Social Science.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP): A five-event academic competition designed for middle school students (5th to 8th graders) that mirrors the Academic Decathlon format with themes and comprehensive learning experiences.
• International Academic Decathlon (IAD)

Products and services

• United States Academic Decathlon (USAD) Team-based academic competition for high school students featuring ten events across Art, Economics, Essay, Interview, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, Social Science, and Speech. Teams of nine students compete at local, state, and national levels in Honor, Scholastic, and Varsity divisions based on GPA.
• United States Academic Pentathlon (USAP) Five-event academic competition designed for middle school students in grades 5-8 covering Literature, Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and Fine Arts. Teams of 6-9 students compete regionally prior to nationals.
• International Academic Decathlon (IAD) International expansion of the Academic Decathlon program featuring essay writing, themed speech, research project, and objective tests across multiple academic subjects, designed for global student participation.
• Online Training Center Subscription-based online test preparation platform featuring over 7,000 questions across Art, Economics, Language and Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, and Social Science. Includes online practice tests, flash cards, scrimmages, head-to-head challenges, and puzzle maker tools.
• Curriculum Materials Official annual study materials including Resource Guides, Student Exercise Books, Notebook Dividers, and Study Guides covering seven subject areas: Art, Economics, Literature, Mathematics, Music, Science, and Social Science. Available in digital format with some print components.
• USAD Individual Competition Individual participation pathway that allows students in non-traditional school settings, schools without USAD programs, or students not on competing teams to experience the full Academic Decathlon individually.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tens of thousands of students have gone to college who might never have applied without USAD
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WYF-FLALS (Future Liberal Arts Leadership Summit)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2025Hosted the 2025 IAD Global Round in Macau, China with 50 top school teams from 8 countries and regions, including USAD & USAP national champions. Over 400 participants engaged in cross-cultural academic competition.
• World Youth Forum (WYF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUSAD partnered with WYF to launch the International Academic Decathlon (IAD) program, extending the academic competition to students globally. IAD aims to develop multidisciplinary learning skills and broad academic literacy among students worldwide.
• GCIminorOthersCorporate sponsor of USAD national program.
• South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC)minorOthersService cooperative sponsor providing support for Minnesota schools.
• Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA)minorOthersEducational service agency partner supporting USAD.
• SourcewellminorOthersGovernment agency sponsor providing support for academic programs.
• NorsoftminorOthersCorporate sponsor of USAD national program.
• Loeb & Loeb LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal sponsorship support.
• Mrs. Nelson's Book CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFamily-run bookseller since 1985 serving schools across the country. Provides the USAP Pentathlon novel at wholesale pricing to participating schools.
• Connected NationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFundraising opportunity partner for USAD coaches.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Science Olympiad: National non-profit running team-based STEM academic competitions for middle and high school students culminating in a national tournament. Most directly comparable peer to USAD in structure, target customer (schools/coaches), and team-based competition format.
• MATHCOUNTS: Non-profit running math competition programs for middle school students with local, state, and national competitions. Comparable in mission, non-profit structure, school-based delivery, and competition pyramid, though narrower in subject scope than USAD.
• National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT): Organization running academic quiz bowl tournaments for middle school, high school, and college students with national championships. Directly competes with USAD for school quiz/competition budgets and student participants.
• Scripps National Spelling Bee: Long-running, widely recognized academic competition for K-12 students culminating in a national championship. Comparable in competition pyramid, school-based participation model, and brand recognition, though narrower in subject matter.
• National History Bee and Bowl: Runs history-themed quiz competitions for middle and high school students with regional and national championships. Comparable in non-profit structure, school-based competition model, and target demographic.
• DECA: International student organization running business/marketing competitions and leadership programs for high school and college students. Comparable in non-profit educational competition model, school chapter network, and large-scale national finals event.
• Future Problem Solving Program International: Non-profit running academic skill competitions for K-12 students, including critical thinking and problem-solving competitions with national/international finals. Comparable in academic enrichment focus, non-profit structure, and competition pyramid targeting schools.
• Odyssey of the Mind: International educational creative problem-solving competition program for K-12 students with regional, state, and world finals. Comparable as a non-profit team-based academic competition targeting schools and competing for similar extracurricular slots.
• Destination Imagination: Non-profit running team-based creative problem-solving and STEM challenges for K-12 students with regional, state, and global finals. Comparable in non-profit structure, school team model, and competition pyramid similar to USAD.

Emerging players

• Model United Nations (various, e.g., NHSMUN, NAIMUN): Major Model UN conferences operate as academic enrichment programs for high school students, partially overlapping with USAD's speech, social science, and essay events. Comparable in target audience but differs in delivery (conferences vs. multi-event competition).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/RGzv1VCCMiQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/groups/USADAlumniAssoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-states-academic-decathlon-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 UNITED STATES ACADEMIC DECATHLON ASSOCIATION