American College Personnel Association

What American College Personnel Association does

ACPA—College Student Educators International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional membership association for student affairs and higher education professionals, founded in 1924 and headquartered at One Dupont Circle NW in Washington, D.C. The organization serves individual professionals, faculty, graduate and undergraduate students, colleges and universities, and corporate partners through Individual, Institutional, Corporate, All-Campus, Community College, and free Master's & Undergraduate membership tiers. Core offerings include an annual convention (ACPA26 in Baltimore, ACPA27 in Toronto), the Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute, ACPA2GO virtual learning, Program Design School, the Member365 member portal, ACPA Careers job board, and a publications portfolio anchored by the Journal of College Student Development and About Campus.

Revenue is generated through membership dues (recurring), convention registration and sponsorships, virtual and in-person professional development programs, publications, and foundation fundraising via the affiliated ACPA Foundation and the NINLHE sub-brand. The organization is governed by a 33-voting-position Leadership Council supported by a small International Office staff (1–10 employees, six named professionals including an Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director). ACPA operates as a member-led, event- and community-driven association with no proprietary technology product beyond standard association-management tooling, and positions itself around a Strategic Imperative for Racial Justice and Decolonization adopted in 2016.

Name

American College Personnel Association

Legal name

American College Personnel Association

Website

https://myacpa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACPA—College Student Educators International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership association founded in 1924 that delivers professional development, research, advocacy, and an annual convention for student affairs and higher education professionals across the U.S. and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regional/Institutional Accreditors (Universities & Colleges) (EDADACAA), Credentialing, Academic Credit, Assessment & Transcript Services (EDAIAFAO)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Higher education membership
• Student affairs development
• Scholarly publications
• Professional development programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Individual, institutional, corporate, and free master's/undergraduate memberships generate recurring revenue. Individual membership built for full-time professional faculty or staff; Institutional membership offers unique benefits for senior institutional leaders; Corporate membership available for organizations.
2. Events and Conventions: Annual convention revenue including registration, exhibitor fees, and sponsorship. Additional revenue from professional development institutes, workshops, and ACPA2Go virtual learning programs.
3. Publications: Revenue from publications including the Journal of College Student Development (scholarly journal) and About Campus (practitioner magazine), plus merchandise and store products.
4. Foundation Fundraising: ACPA Foundation generates revenue through fundraising, scholarships, grants, and initiatives that empower students and professionals. Diamond Honoree Campaign and various fundraising efforts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ACPA—College Student Educators International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit professional association that sells tiered memberships (Individual, Institutional, Corporate, and free Master's & Undergraduate), an annual convention, virtual learning (ACPA2GO), leadership institutes, scholarly publications, a job board, and a graduate program directory to student affairs professionals, faculty, and graduate students in higher education. Its work is anchored in research dissemination, professional development, advocacy for equity and racial justice, and recognition through awards programs.

Product overview

ACPA—College Student Educators International is a values-centered professional association (501(c)(3) nonprofit) for student affairs professionals that has been transforming higher education since 1924. The organization operates as a membership-based association offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services organized around professional development, recognition, scholarship, and community building. Core offerings include the annual ACPA Convention, virtual learning through ACPA2GO, the Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute, Program Design School, and an extensive Association Awards Program featuring Lifetime Achievement, Contribution to Knowledge, and other prestigious honors. The membership structure includes Individual, Institutional, Corporate, and free Master's & Undergraduate tiers, with access to the Member Portal (Member365), ACPA Careers job board, Grad Program Directory, and various Entity Groups (Commissions, Coalitions, Networks, Chapters, Communities of Practice). The organization also supports scholarship through the Senior Scholars Program and Emerging Scholars Program, maintains the ACPA Foundation for philanthropy, and publishes the Journal of College Student Development and Developments magazine. ACPA has approximately 5,500+ members and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education (NINLHE): Works to enhance professional development of Native and non-Native higher education professionals to improve Native student recruitment, retention and graduation rates.
• ACPA Foundation

Products and services

• Individual Membership Annual membership tier providing student affairs professionals, faculty, and students access to publications, professional development, networking, entity groups, awards programs, and convention registration benefits. Built for full-time professional faculty or staff in student affairs roles.
• Institutional Membership Campus-wide membership enabling institutions (including All-Campus and Community College options) to provide ACPA benefits and professional development to their employees, with unique options for senior institutional leaders and access to CAS Standards.
• Corporate Membership Membership tier for corporations and organizations seeking to engage with the student affairs professional community, providing access to recruitment opportunities, brand visibility, and networking with higher education professionals.
• Master's & Undergraduate Memberships Free annual membership tier for graduate and undergraduate students entering the student affairs field, providing early-career access to member resources, professional development, conventions, publications, and community involvement opportunities.
• ACPA Convention Premier annual in-person convention for student affairs professionals featuring educational sessions, networking opportunities, recognition ceremonies, awards, and exhibition opportunities. Historical attendance ranges from 3,400 to over 4,600 attendees.
• ACPA2GO Virtual Learning Virtual professional development program offering webinars and online learning modules covering equity-minded supervision, fundraising essentials, workplace wellbeing, and other student affairs topics, accessible to members for continuing education.
• Phyllis L. Mable Emerging Leaders Institute Comprehensive institute supporting development of emerging leaders in student affairs with mentoring opportunities, one-on-one interactions with senior leaders, and residency components. Previously known as the New Professionals Institute.
• Program Design School Professional development training teaching participants how to write participant and facilitator guides, identify 40 learning methods, and create consistently engaging educational materials for student affairs programming.
• ACPA Publications Scholarly and practitioner publications including the Journal of College Student Development (premier scholarly journal of the student affairs profession published since 1959) and About Campus (practitioner magazine launched in 1996), plus Developments magazine and other research resources.
• ACPA Careers Job board and career resources platform specifically for student affairs and higher education professionals, providing job postings and career development resources.
• Member Insurance Program Insurance offerings available exclusively to ACPA members, provided as a member benefit to support personal and professional risk management needs.
• Grad Program Directory Online directory of graduate programs related to student affairs and higher education administration, helping prospective students and advisors identify relevant academic programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 30% of ACPA members identify as entry-level professionals with 1-3 years of experience, demonstrating strong early-career engagement.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1979ACPA was a founding member of CAS in 1979. CAS is a consortium of over 40 professional associations concerned with creating and promoting professional standards for student learning, programs, and services. ACPA provides complimentary access to CAS Standards through the ACPA Member Portal.
• Council of Higher Education Management Associations (CHEMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACPA is a member organization of CHEMA, an informal voluntary assembly of management-oriented higher education associations in the US and Canada. CHEMA enables sharing of information and collective projects among member associations.
• Washington Higher Education Secretariat (WHES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHES was formed in 1962 and ACPA is a member. It serves as a forum for chief executives of approximately 50+ national higher education associations to consider strategic issues and develop responses to higher education challenges.
• Well-being in Higher EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMore than 20 higher education associations have come together around well-being in higher education. ACPA participates in creating a shared definition and foundation for well-being on campuses worldwide.
• National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACPA has partnered with NACAS and SCUP to imagine and implement association-led solutions for systemic transformation in higher education through interdisciplinary educational experiences.
• Society for College and University Planning (SCUP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerACPA partners with SCUP and NACAS to address silos on campus and create solutions for systemic transformation through collaborative educational experiences.
• Student Affairs in Higher Education Consortium (SAHEC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAHEC is a CHEMA subgroup that promotes understanding of learning and development as intertwined elements of the college student experience. The Learning Reconsidered resources are SAHEC efforts.
• National Institute for Native Leadership in Higher Education (NINLHE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNINLHE works to enhance professional development of Native and non-Native higher education professionals to improve Native student recruitment, retention and graduation rates. Listed as a valued partnership on ACPA's partnerships page. NINLHE was founded in 1993 and established as a 501(c)(3) corporation.
• Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for joint conventions and collaboration. CACUSS partnership was crucial for ACPA's first international convention in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2016.
• NASPA - National Association of Student Personnel AdministratorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with joint conventions (1987, 1997, 2007) and collaborative initiatives including Learning Reconsidered publications. In 2011, ACPA and NASPA conducted a historic vote for possible consolidation (did not pass).
• NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate RecreationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located annual convention in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2013 with NIRSA, demonstrating partnership for efficient convention planning and expanded programming.
• National Resource Center for the First-Year Experience and Students in TransitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership supporting first-year experience initiatives and resources for student transition programs.
• Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values (AFLV)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership for fraternity and leadership programming.
• Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation partnership for collaboration on fraternity and sorority advisor professional development and standards.
• Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership providing research and resources on collegiate mental health issues.
• National Campus Leadership CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership supporting student leadership development on campuses.
• Stylus PublishingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partnership for publishing and knowledge dissemination in higher education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation: NIRSA is the professional association for collegiate recreation professionals and a direct peer within the broader student affairs umbrella. ACPA and NIRSA have co-located annual conventions (e.g., Las Vegas 2013), reflecting significant overlap in membership and programming.
• Association of Fraternity/Sorority Advisors (AFA): AFA serves professionals advising fraternity and sorority life, a specialized area within student affairs. AFA is a listed ACPA partner for fraternity and sorority advisor professional development and competes for the same specialized membership niche.
• Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE): ASHE is the leading academic association for higher education scholars and researchers, overlapping with ACPA in the scholarship and research dimension of student affairs. Both organizations serve faculty in higher education preparation programs and publish research on college student development.
• NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education: NASPA is the largest professional association for student affairs administrators in higher education and ACPA's most direct competitor. Both serve the same student affairs professional population with overlapping publications, conventions, advocacy, and competency frameworks; the two associations even came within striking distance of merging in 2011.
• Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS): CACUSS is the primary Canadian association for student services professionals and ACPA's strategic partner for joint conventions. CACUSS served as ACPA's partner for the first international convention in Montreal (2016) and the upcoming ACPA27 in Toronto, making it the closest comparable organization in scope and mission.
• NASFAA - National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators: NASFAA serves student financial aid administrators, a specialized segment within student affairs. While more narrowly focused than ACPA, it competes for the same institutional membership dollars and attention from campus student affairs leaders.

Emerging players

• Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA): HECUA represents a smaller, emerging segment of higher education associations focused on experiential and urban-affairs education. It overlaps with ACPA's learning-and-development remit but at a smaller scale and with a more focused programmatic mission.

Broad incumbents

• AASCU - American Association of State Colleges and Universities: AASCU represents public regional comprehensive universities, which are significant employers of ACPA's institutional members. AASCU offers its own professional development programs that partially overlap with ACPA's offerings to institutional members.
• American Council on Education (ACE): ACE is the major umbrella association for U.S. colleges and university presidents and senior leaders. While much broader in scope than ACPA, ACE competes for institutional membership budgets and policy influence in Washington, overlapping with ACPA's WHES advocacy work.

Others

• Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS): CAS is the standards-setting consortium that ACPA co-founded in 1979. While not a direct competitor, CAS is deeply intertwined with ACPA's value proposition through standards access and represents an adjacent standards-and-frameworks organization in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/myacpa
• Instagraminstagram.com/myacpa
• Xx.com/ACPA
• Facebookfacebook.com/myACPA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American College Personnel Association