EAB Acquires Cappex, a Leading College Research and Decision Platform

Education firm EAB has acquired Cappex, a market leader in helping students search for schools and scholarships. The addition of the Cappex platform to EAB’s Enrollment Services suite will enhance EAB’s ability to help colleges and universities find and engage prospective students despite major shifts in the college search process.

“Current events have catalyzed the trend toward self-directed student search and forced schools to rethink how they find right-fit students and meet important enrollment targets,” said EAB Chief Executive Officer David Felsenthal. “Connecting our partners with Cappex’s growing student audience can help institutions thrive amid continued market turbulence.”

EAB survey data indicates that college search sites are a growing source of information for students; the percentage of high schoolers who say they rely on “websites other than those of specific schools” to research information about colleges increased 24 percentage points between 2017 and 2019 (from 31 percent to 55 percent).

There also have been significant shifts in test-taking behavior across the past several years. Fewer students have opted to allow test providers to share their information with schools. More colleges and universities have adopted test-optional admission policies to reduce barriers to higher education, especially during COVID-19.

“The integration of EAB and Cappex will enable EAB partners to identify and engage prospective students who do not interact with schools through the traditional channels, such as campus visits or standardized tests,” said Chris Marett, President of EAB Enrollment Services. “By expanding schools’ inquiry pools, we can help institutions grow and diversify their student populations.”

“Together we bring an exciting set of benefits to Cappex’s more than 600 college and university partners, as well as the nearly 1.5 million high school students who use Cappex each year to guide their search for colleges and scholarships,” said Cappex Chief Executive Officer Alex Stepien. “Leveraging EAB’s enrollment data and analytics expertise and experiential marketing services, such as YouVisit virtual tours, we can deliver more personalized and impactful student experiences that fortify Cappex as a top destination for students’ college searches.”

“In addition to powerful synergies, EAB and Cappex share a passion for improving students’ college access and outcomes,” Felsenthal continued. “This commitment comes to life in initiatives such as EAB’s “Equity in Education” resource center and Moon Shot for Equity and Cappex’s College Greenlight, which offers targeted college search guidance to populations that traditionally have been underserved by higher education. Together, Cappex and EAB can have an even bigger impact on students and families.”

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We harness the collective power of more than 1,700 schools, colleges, and universities to uncover and apply proven practices and transformative insights. And since complex problems require multifaceted solutions, we work with each school differently to apply these insights through a customized blend of research, technology, and services. From kindergarten to college and beyond, EAB partners with education leaders, practitioners, and staffs to accelerate progress and drive results across three key areas: enrollment management, student success, and institutional operations and strategy.

About Cappex

Cappex is a top web destination for students as they actively discover and research colleges online. The platform provides free tools for students to determine their best-fit colleges and scholarships, including more than 3,000 college profiles. Cappex also works closely with admissions officers at hundreds of colleges and universities to help them reach their enrollment goals by going beyond student search to generate qualified inquiries online.