EAB (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Consulting |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Area served | Global |
| Products | Technology, marketing, research, advisory services in enrollment management, student achievement, data analytics, advancement, institutional planning; talent-related solutions through Seramount division |
| Parent | Vista Equity Partners (since 2017), BC Partners (co-investor since 2021) |
EAB Global, Inc is a privately held consulting organization headquartered in Washington, DC, with principal offices located in Richmond, Virginia and Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company partners with more than 2,800 educational institutions globally, providing a range of technology, marketing, research, and advisory services that focus on enrollment management, student achievement, data analytics, advancement, and institutional planning.
Through its Seramount division, EAB supports upwards of 650 businesses, including numerous Fortune 500 firms, by offering talent-related solutions such as employee research, organizational assessments, learning and development programs, and talent acquisition services.
History
Established in 2007 as the Education Advisory Board under the umbrella of The Advisory Board Company, the organization rebranded to EAB in 2014. In the same year, The Advisory Board Company acquired Royall & Company, a Richmond-based specialist in enrollment management and alumni fundraising, for $850 million; these capabilities were subsequently incorporated into EAB’s offerings.
In 2015, EAB broadened its scope by purchasing GradesFirst, a Birmingham, Alabama-based provider of student success technologies, which laid the groundwork for the Navigate360 platform.
On November 17, 2017, EAB became an independent entity following its acquisition by Vista Equity Partners for an estimated $1.5 billion. Later in May 2021, BC Partners joined Vista as a co-investor.
EAB continued to grow its service portfolio by acquiring Starfish from Hobsons in February 2021 and Seramount—a prominent diversity, equity, and inclusion firm—from Bonnier Corp in August 2021. Most recently, in April 2024, EAB announced it had acquired Forage, a provider of virtual job simulation tools designed to facilitate smoother college-to-career pathways.