Rize Education

Rize Education is a higher education technology platform that helps small colleges, particularly liberal arts institutions, launch new career-focused academic programs quickly and affordably. Founded in 2019 by Kevin Harrington and Connor McCarthy, Rize partners with a consortium of over 90 colleges to offer online courses and degree programs in high-demand fields like computer science, cybersecurity, digital marketing, and supply chain management. The company's course-sharing model allows member institutions to access majors, minors, and certificates developed in collaboration with industry experts and taught by faculty at other consortium colleges. This enables small schools to expand their program offerings without the significant time and costs typically associated with developing new majors internally.

Rize's platform handles the logistics of cross-institutional enrollment, allowing students at one college to take online classes taught by professors at other member schools while remaining enrolled at their home institution. The company markets its solution as a way for colleges to boost enrollment, generate new tuition revenue, and provide students with career-relevant skills, all while preserving the traditional residential liberal arts experience. Rize also aims to help make higher education more affordable, with a stated goal of reducing tuition costs by over 30% in the coming years.

Key customers and partnerships

Rize Education's primary customers are small private colleges that are members of the Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges Consortium (LCMC). As of March 2022, over 125 institutions were part of this consortium. The company also collaborates with industry experts and corporations to develop its curricula and ensure programs teach in-demand skills.