Top Higher Education Startups in 2027

BibliU is a digital learning platform that is changing the future of the multi-billion-dollar textbook industry. Our mission is to shake up higher education and make reading materials more accessible and learning more effective. We do this by making textbooks and monographs more affordable for students, so that in most cases, they are included in tuition costs. We have incorporated accessibility features to accommodate multiple learning styles and the different needs and preferences of each student.

As a leader in the education space, BNED’s suite of product offerings and solutions work together to meet the evolving needs of the education system and a new generation of students. The BNED family of brands includes Barnes & Noble College, MBS, Bartleby, and Student Brands.

Mantra Health is a digital mental health clinic on a mission to improve access to evidence-based mental healthcare for young adults. Through augmenting high quality clinical services with software and design, we're on a mission to improve the mental health of over 20 million university and college students through partnerships with higher education institutions and health insurance plans.

Nexford University provides a tech-enabled learning experience that is affordable and entirely focused on job skills.

Ambitio's platform is a one-stop solution to every single problem that an aspiring student face, starting from profile analysis, shortlisting target schools, crafting application, managing finances to obtaining a visa. We provide guidance to students on every step of the process using our product so they can get to their dream college. Our customers are students currently in the final and pre-final year of their undergrad and working professionals who are in the initial phase of their careers.

CodePath is a national non-profit that is reprogramming higher education to create the most diverse generation of software engineers, CTOs, and founders. We deliver industry-vetted courses and career support centered on the needs of Black, Latino/a, Indigenous, and low-income students. Our students train with senior engineers, intern at top companies, and rise together to become the tech leaders of tomorrow. Founded in 2017, CodePath has taught over 20,000 students and delivered courses across over 85 universities. We are supported by some of the largest and most well-respected organizations, including Andreessen Horowitz, Blue Meridian Partners, Cognizant Foundation, Comcast, Google, Meta, Salesforce, Walmart, and Workday, among others. We are currently targeted to serve 10,000+ students a year nationwide as of 2023, and are planning to scale up to ~100,000 students a year by 2030.

Based in the suburbs of Boston, MA, Campus Cafe was founded in 1986 to assist higher education institutions manage their student data, and has grown into a comprehensive software suite that manages the full student lifecycle for higher education schools. Most of our valued customers have been with us for many decades and that loyalty has been earned by our dedication to listening to customer feedback and solving their needs. Our student information system is an integrated SIS that manages Admissions, Student Services, Business Office, Financial Aid, Alumni Development and Career Tracking functions.

For almost twenty years, MarchingOrder has pioneered the graduation events industry, offering innovative tools and essential services to meet the growing needs of ceremony coordinators everywhere. Our talented and diverse team has valuable experience in everything from software development and management consulting to graphic design, ceremony planning and on-site execution. With an unmatched knowledge base and skillset, we work with our clients to enhance their in-person and virtual celebrations and make the experience easy and efficient. Our chief intention is to provide quality products and services, crafted with expertise and invention, to anyone looking to make the best ceremonies possible. As our slogan goes, “we make amazing graduations easy… for those who make them happen.”