Studyportals
Studyportals is a Netherlands-based online platform that helps students compare international higher-education programs and helps institutions reach prospective students.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Studyportals is a private Netherlands-based education technology and student-recruitment company operating an online choice platform for international higher education. Its services bring together information about undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, distance-learning, short-course, and preparation programs, allowing prospective students to search and compare study options across countries and institutions. The company also operates Scholarshipportal, a related service that aggregates scholarship opportunities from universities and other organizations. The business originated with Mastersportal, which began at the end of 2007 as a spin-off from ESTIEM, an international student organization. The initial concept responded to a practical information problem: students, particularly those seeking English-taught master's degrees in Europe, had difficulty discovering and comparing programs across national education systems. That problem became more significant as the Bologna Process encouraged greater compatibility and mobility within European higher education. Mastersportal subsequently developed into the broader Studyportals group, and Studyportals B.V. was formally established in 2009. In that same year, the company received the Dutch New Venture award and secured venture-capital funding. The platform expanded beyond master's programs through services including Bachelorsportal, Mastersportal, PhDportal, Distancelearningportal, and Shortcoursesportal. This portfolio gives the company a multi-stage coverage of the international student journey, from undergraduate exploration through postgraduate, doctoral, professional, and flexible-learning choices. The sites primarily function as discovery and lead-generation channels rather than as universities or degree providers themselves. Their value proposition is based on aggregating program information, improving search and comparison, and connecting institutions with students considering cross-border study. Studyportals changed its university advertising model in 2011 toward a results-based approach. This move aligned the company’s commercial model more closely with measurable student interest and recruitment outcomes than with conventional display advertising. In 2013, the company defined its mission and core values as part of a broader professionalization effort, supporting the development of its internal organization and brand. The company has also built activities beyond program listings. In 2015 it established the Analytics & Consulting Team, a data-oriented consultancy function providing universities with market analysis, training, and insight into international student recruitment and higher-education trends. Studyportals has participated in European Union-funded higher-education projects and regularly publishes research and reports concerning international education and the European higher-education market. Its student-facing initiatives include The Global Study Awards, launched in 2015 with the ISIC Association and the British Council, and the League of Students, created in 2016 as an ambassador community for students at leading European universities. The Global Study Awards supported students intending to study abroad, while the League of Students used student-created content, campus representation, peer assistance, and social-media activity to promote international study. By 2017, Studyportals had developed an international operating footprint with offices reported in Bucharest, Boston, Melbourne, Manchester, and Monterrey, in addition to its Eindhoven headquarters. The company states that its platforms receive more than 36 million visitors annually, although this figure is company-reported and its date is not specified in the available reference material.
History
Studyportals developed from Mastersportal, an initiative started at the end of 2007 by members of ESTIEM, an international student organization. The founders identified a shortage of accessible information for students searching for English-taught master’s programs in Europe. Although European higher education was becoming more integrated through the Bologna Process, information about programs remained dispersed among national systems, institutions, and individual university websites. Mastersportal was intended to make that market easier to navigate. Studyportals B.V. was formally established in 2009. The company won the Dutch New Venture award during that period and secured start-up venture capital, marking a transition from a student-organization project to a professional commercial operation. It subsequently expanded from its original master’s focus into a portfolio of specialized portals covering bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, distance-learning, and short-course programs. Scholarshipportal added a dedicated way for students to search for funding opportunities from universities and other organizations. The company’s business model evolved during the early 2010s. In 2011, Studyportals revised its university advertising model toward a results-based system. This positioned the platform as a measurable student-recruitment and lead-generation channel rather than solely as an advertising directory. In 2013, it defined its mission and core values, an organizational step associated with the hiring and branding processes required for continued growth. Studyportals also broadened its role in the international-education ecosystem. In 2015, it created the Analytics & Consulting Team, which offered universities data-driven market research, training, and insight into international student demand and recruitment. The company participated in European Union-funded higher-education projects and became a publisher of reports about European and international higher-education developments. Its public-facing initiatives combined student support with brand development. The Global Study Awards began in 2015 through a partnership with the ISIC Association and the British Council. The program selected recipients through several stages and provided an award intended to contribute toward tuition at a higher-education institution. In 2016, Studyportals launched the League of Students, a community of student ambassadors from highly ranked European universities. Ambassadors produced blogs and videos, offered peer assistance, promoted study-abroad opportunities, and represented the platform on their campuses. A first League of Students road trip took place in 2017, when four ambassadors visited five European cities as a reward for their participation. By October 2017, the company had more than 180 employees and offices reported in Bucharest, Boston, Melbourne, Manchester, and Monterrey, alongside its Eindhoven headquarters. Studyportals describes its platforms as receiving more than 36 million visitors annually. The available reference material does not establish a current employee count, ownership structure, financial performance, or detailed leadership roster. Its continuing business scope is the operation of international study-choice portals, scholarship information, student-recruitment services, and higher-education analytics and consulting.
- 2017
First League of Students road trip
[1]Four student ambassadors travel through five European cities as a reward for their ambassador activities.
- 2016
League of Students created
[1]Studyportals establishes an international student ambassador community.
- 2015
Global Study Awards and ACT launched
[1]The company launches The Global Study Awards with the ISIC Association and British Council and forms its Analytics & Consulting Team.
- 2014
Growth awards received
[1]Studyportals receives an FD Gazellen award for international growth and places seventh in the Deloitte Fast50 Benelux ranking.
- 2013
Mission and core values defined
[1]The company formalizes its mission and values as part of organizational professionalization and growth.
- 2011
Results-based advertising model introduced
[1]Studyportals changes its university advertising model toward a results-based approach.
- 2009
Studyportals B.V. is established
[1]The company is formally founded, wins the Dutch New Venture award, and secures start-up venture capital.
- 2007
Mastersportal is launched
[1]Mastersportal begins as an ESTIEM spin-off focused on helping students find English-taught master's programs in Europe.
Products and positioning
A global education-choice and international student-recruitment platform positioned between prospective students and higher-education institutions. Studyportals emphasizes breadth of program discovery, cross-border comparison, English-taught study options, scholarship information, and data-driven recruitment insight.
Postgraduate program discovery · 2007
Mastersportal
Studyportals’ original portal, focused on helping prospective students discover and compare master's degree programs, particularly English-taught options across Europe and other international markets.
Undergraduate program discovery
Bachelorsportal
A specialized portal for undergraduate study choices, presenting bachelor’s programs and related information for students considering domestic or international university study.
Doctoral program discovery
PhDportal
A doctoral-study discovery service that helps users search for PhD and other research-degree opportunities across institutions and countries.
Distance-learning program discovery
Distancelearningportal
A portal covering distance-learning and flexible-study opportunities, extending Studyportals’ program search model beyond conventional campus-based degrees.
Short-course discovery
Shortcoursesportal
A search platform for shorter academic and professional learning options, intended for users seeking study experiences that are not necessarily full degree programs.
Scholarship search
Scholarshipportal
A scholarship listing portal that enables students to search for funding opportunities offered by higher-education institutions and other organizations.
Higher-education consulting · 2015
Analytics & Consulting Team
A data-driven consulting function created to support universities with international student-recruitment research, market analysis, training, and interpretation of higher-education demand.
Marketing campaigns
- 2016League of Students
Europe
Studyportals established a community of international student ambassadors enrolled at one of the top 500 universities in Europe. Participants created blogs and videos, provided peer assistance, conducted campus-related activities, and promoted international study through social media.
Outcome. Ambassadors earned points for activities and could receive symbolic rewards, gifts, and eligibility for a Studyportals road trip.
- 2015The Global Study Awards
Global · United Kingdom · Europe
Studyportals, the ISIC Association, and the British Council created an award program for students seeking to study abroad. Applicants passed through multiple selection rounds, with two recipients selected in the final stage. The program assessed candidates partly on their potential social contribution, career commitment, and interest in intercultural understanding.
Outcome. Selected recipients could receive an award of up to £10,000 toward tuition, paid directly to the relevant higher-education institution.
Brand decisions
2015
Analytics & Consulting Team introducedProduct launchBackground
Universities were seeking better data about international student demand and recruitment markets.
Action taken
Studyportals created an internal analytics and consulting function offering research, market analysis, training, and higher-education insight.
Aftermath
The initiative expanded Studyportals’ activities from student discovery and advertising into data-supported institutional consulting.
2011
Shift to results-based university advertisingStrategyBackground
Studyportals was developing from a program-information website into a broader platform connecting universities with prospective international students.
Action taken
The company changed its university advertising model to place greater emphasis on measurable results.
Aftermath
The change strengthened the platform’s positioning as a performance-oriented student-recruitment channel. No financial results from the change are provided in the available sources.
Recent events
- 2016
Studyportals creates the League of Students[1]
Campaign
The company established a student ambassador community involving students from leading European universities.
- 2015
Studyportals launches The Global Study Awards[1]
Campaign · Other
Studyportals partnered with the ISIC Association and the British Council to create an award supporting students seeking international study opportunities.
- 2015
Analytics & Consulting Team is formed[1]
Product launch
Studyportals created an internal data-driven consultancy team to provide universities with international recruitment analysis, training, and market insight.
- 2011
Studyportals adopts a results-based university advertising model[1]
Other
The company changed its university advertising approach toward a model based more heavily on measurable results.
- 2009
Studyportals B.V. is formally established[1]
Other
The company was formally incorporated as Studyportals B.V., won the Dutch New Venture award, and obtained start-up venture capital.
- 2007
Mastersportal begins as an ESTIEM spin-off[1]
Other
The initiative that later became Studyportals began as Mastersportal, created to help students find English-taught master's programs in Europe.
Sources2 sources
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