940:
134:
47:
918:
278:
services to help them market to these users, including placing advertising and promotional material on the site. Niche also offers access to its data for a cost to other parties such as real estate companies, which has raised concerns that this linkage might reinforce neighborhood disparities based on ethnicity and income.
238:
In 2013, College
Prowler changed its name to Niche and started to cover K-12 school districts using federal data, state data, and user-generated reviews. Within months of launching the K-12 product, Niche had collected 500,000 user reviews on half of all high schools in the US. After transitioning to
277:
as well as neighborhoods under their "places to live" category. In addition to its comprehensive profiles, Niche also lists scholarships from the company and third parties. Niche functions as a two-sided platform with free access for prospective students and over 15,000 school clients who pay for
290:
for the purpose of promoting
College Prowler. Such groups would normally be created by actual students or colleges themselves. According to the CEO, "The original purpose was to use these groups as a way to inform students that they can access a free guide about their new college on our site."
636:
261:, both joining the board of directors. At the time of funding, Niche offered over 130,000 in-depth profiles on schools and colleges with over 140 million reviews and ratings from students, parents and alumni.
980:
476:
358:
412:
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577:
227:
for being one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in the nation. Originally, the company produced print guidebooks, but by 2007 their content was made available online for a
628:
967:
1510:
744:
774:
445:
322:
524:
468:
253:
In 2020, Niche raised a $ 35 million Series C round of funding led by Radian
Capital, with Radian Capital partner and co-founder Weston Gaddy, and
1254:
805:
273:, report cards (with attributed grades) and reviews of colleges in the US. During its rebranding process, Niche expanded its coverage to include
498:
1500:
348:
832:
960:
717:
802:"XpertTip No. 89: Facebookgate: Summary of a scandal – TargetX | CRM for Higher Education TargetX | CRM for Higher Education"
1476:
669:
890:
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1189:
239:
the new business model, the bulk of revenue then came from partners who helped schools market and advertised to potential students.
1440:
1410:
953:
856:
752:
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1104:
291:
College
Prowler later removed all administrative access from the 125 groups, admitting, "It was clearly over the line."
385:
228:
691:
778:
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201:
601:
550:
314:
1420:
1194:
1084:
472:
353:
205:
1505:
1374:
1169:
1005:
200:
Niche, Inc. was founded as
College Prowler in August 2002 by Luke Skurman and Joey Rahimi. Then students at
1079:
632:
441:
416:
224:
945:
602:"Niche Announces $ 35M Series C Funding To Reimagine And Simplify The School And College Search Experience"
551:"Niche Announces $ 35M Series C Funding To Reimagine And Simplify The School And College Search Experience"
1450:
1219:
1149:
1119:
1074:
1020:
31:
254:
1214:
1114:
1390:
801:
286:
In a 2008 scandal known as "Facebookgate", hundreds of spurious "Class of 2013" groups were created on
242:
In 2018, Niche raised a $ 6.6 million (equivalent to about $ 8M in 2023) Series B funding round led by
177:
1109:
1354:
1164:
1035:
247:
1239:
1229:
243:
1415:
1405:
1359:
828:
1455:
1301:
1089:
1010:
923:
659:
209:
883:"Company Created Official-Looking 'Class of 2013' Facebook Groups for Hundreds of Colleges"
1425:
1159:
390:
65:
939:
133:
1285:
1249:
1025:
882:
775:"Episode 14: Facebookgate & Three Years of Facebook Forgery | Higher ed Live"
1489:
1259:
1154:
1139:
1129:
1124:
189:
170:
1306:
1234:
154:
88:
1445:
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1144:
1058:
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17:
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1134:
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150:
84:
1430:
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1395:
1053:
258:
1369:
274:
1460:
1435:
1326:
1280:
1209:
1184:
1179:
1030:
287:
499:"College Prowler becomes Niche and wants to help you make big decisions"
349:"College Prowler becomes Niche and wants to help you make big decisions"
1316:
1311:
1204:
1094:
722:
318:
250:, General Partner of Grit Capital Partners, to its board of directors.
181:
173:
158:
46:
223:, who became the chairman. In 2005, College Prowler was recognized by
1264:
664:
857:"Facebookgate: Companies "Colonize" Facebook for Marketing Exploits"
1244:
1099:
1000:
718:"Niche Raises $ 35 Million to Rival School Directory Review Sites"
185:
30:
This article is about the
Internet company. For other uses, see
949:
578:"Niche got $ 35 million to change how Gen Z applies to college"
1349:
525:"College Prowler soars after making switch to business model"
469:"College Prowler soars after making switch to business model"
231:, and then by 2009 the subscription was removed making all
933:
413:"Review, rankings site College Prowler joins Niche group"
176:, but is now an online resource providing information on
124:
386:"Case Study: Finding the Right Price for a Hot Product"
165:. The company was founded by Luke Skurman in 2002 as a
629:"Review, Rankings Site College Prowler Becomes Niche"
215:
In 2004, the small company obtained an investment of
1383:
1340:
1294:
1273:
1067:
1044:
987:
119:
109:
99:
79:
71:
61:
53:
745:"Campus Overload - Facebookgate, the 2010 edition"
246:and Grit Capital Partners. The company also added
208:, they spun the company out of a project in their
660:"Best cities and neighborhoods for millennials"
961:
791:Facebookgate: Three Years of Facebook Forgery
8:
257:, executive vice chairman and co-founder of
219: (equivalent to $ 806,554 in 2023) from
39:
315:"A website for rating 'big life decisions'"
968:
954:
946:
938:
342:
340:
308:
306:
304:
192:, and companies across the United States.
149:, is an American company headquartered in
132:
45:
38:
1511:Internet properties established in 2002
1255:University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
716:Millward, Wade Tyler (April 29, 2020),
448:from the original on September 29, 2014
300:
893:from the original on January 10, 2018
692:"How To Read Your Student Aid Report"
379:
377:
375:
7:
269:Niche, as College Prowler, provided
835:from the original on April 29, 2014
808:from the original on April 29, 2014
672:from the original on April 22, 2014
639:from the original on April 26, 2014
576:Vellucci, Justin (April 30, 2020),
347:Spencer, Malia (October 11, 2013),
325:from the original on April 26, 2014
27:American ranking and review website
1477:List of corporations in Pittsburgh
855:Windish, Joe (December 21, 2008).
845:Facebookgate - Higher Ed Marketing
818:Facebookgate: Summary of a Scandal
523:Spencer, Malia (August 12, 2011).
467:Spencer, Malia (August 12, 2011).
25:
1274:Companies with split headquarters
1190:Industrial Scientific Corporation
690:Tretina, Kat (December 2, 2020).
627:Todd, Deborah (October 4, 2013).
479:from the original on May 16, 2014
411:Todd, Deborah (October 4, 2014).
361:from the original on May 16, 2014
313:Epstein, Eli (October 10, 2013).
916:
658:Dill, Kathryn (April 14, 2014),
1295:Subsidiary company headquarters
384:Fenn, Donna (October 1, 2009),
1068:Other corporation headquarters
1:
1501:Companies based in Pittsburgh
1332:Westinghouse Electric Company
105:Luke Skurman, Founder and CEO
1343:strong Pittsburgh relations
1527:
202:Carnegie Mellon University
29:
1474:
1195:Iron City Brewing Company
1085:American Eagle Outfitters
473:Pittsburgh Business Times
354:Pittsburgh Business Times
206:Tepper School of Business
44:
1496:American review websites
1375:Thermo Fisher Scientific
1105:Armstrong Communications
979:corporations within the
529:Pittsburgh Business News
1045:Forbes largest private
633:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
531:. The Business Journals
417:Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
169:of print guidebooks on
1341:Outside companies with
1220:Mine Safety Appliances
1075:Allegheny Technologies
1047:companies headquarters
1021:PNC Financial Services
1006:Dick's Sporting Goods
981:Pittsburgh metro area
889:. December 19, 2008.
831:. December 19, 2008.
438:"2005 Fast 50 Winner"
57:College Prowler, Inc.
1215:Millcraft Industries
145:, formerly known as
1355:Dreyfus Corporation
1165:Federated Investors
1120:Bruster's Ice Cream
1036:WESCO International
582:NEXTPittsburgh News
503:www.bizjournals.com
244:Allen & Company
111:Number of employees
41:
1391:Fisher's Big Wheel
1240:Renda Broadcasting
1230:Oxford Development
861:The Moderate Voice
749:washingtonpost.com
1483:
1482:
1416:Fisher Scientific
1360:Eaton Corporation
1110:Augustine's Pizza
781:on April 29, 2014
755:on April 26, 2014
444:. March 1, 2005.
255:Francisco D’Souza
140:
139:
16:(Redirected from
1518:
1302:Allegheny Energy
1170:Fiesta Tableware
1090:Ampco Pittsburgh
1011:Howmet Aerospace
970:
963:
956:
947:
942:
937:
936:
934:Official website
926:
924:Companies portal
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844:
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815:
813:
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792:
790:
788:
786:
777:. Archived from
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764:
762:
760:
751:. Archived from
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735:
734:
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713:
707:
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608:. April 29, 2020
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557:. April 29, 2020
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229:subscription fee
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210:entrepreneurship
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126:
49:
42:
21:
1526:
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1521:
1520:
1519:
1517:
1516:
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1506:Consumer guides
1486:
1485:
1484:
1479:
1470:
1426:Mesta Machinery
1379:
1342:
1336:
1290:
1269:
1160:EQT Corporation
1080:American Bridge
1063:
1046:
1040:
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863:. Joe Gandelman
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147:College Prowler
123:
112:
102:
95:
91:
35:
28:
23:
22:
18:College Prowler
15:
12:
11:
5:
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1286:Nova Chemicals
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1250:Sarris Candies
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1202:
1197:
1192:
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1150:Duquesne Light
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1026:PPG Industries
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910:External links
908:
905:
904:
874:
847:
829:"Facebookgate"
820:
793:
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696:Forbes Advisor
682:
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568:
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490:
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429:
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371:
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157:, that runs a
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75:August 9, 2002
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1441:J&L Steel
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1260:Vocelli Pizza
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1141:
1140:Consol Energy
1138:
1136:
1133:
1131:
1130:CNX Resources
1128:
1126:
1125:Calgon Carbon
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887:Chronicle.com
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393:
392:
391:Inc. Magazine
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350:
343:
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324:
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309:
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294:
292:
289:
282:Controversies
281:
279:
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272:
264:
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256:
251:
249:
248:Paul Palmieri
245:
240:
236:
234:
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213:
211:
207:
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195:
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190:neighborhoods
187:
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135:
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94:United States
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
67:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
43:
37:
33:
19:
1466:Westinghouse
1421:Integra Bank
1307:FedEx Ground
1235:PTC Alliance
1224:
994:headquarters
989:
895:. Retrieved
886:
877:
865:. Retrieved
860:
850:
837:. Retrieved
823:
810:. Retrieved
796:
783:. Retrieved
779:the original
769:
757:. Retrieved
753:the original
748:
739:
728:, retrieved
721:
711:
699:. Retrieved
695:
685:
674:, retrieved
663:
653:
641:. Retrieved
622:
610:. Retrieved
605:
596:
585:, retrieved
581:
571:
559:. Retrieved
554:
545:
533:. Retrieved
528:
518:
506:. Retrieved
502:
493:
481:. Retrieved
462:
450:. Retrieved
442:Fast Company
432:
420:. Retrieved
406:
395:, retrieved
389:
363:, retrieved
352:
327:. Retrieved
285:
275:K-12 schools
268:
252:
241:
237:
225:Fast Company
214:
199:
178:K–12 schools
155:Pennsylvania
146:
142:
141:
89:Pennsylvania
80:Headquarters
62:Company type
36:
1365:Spreadshirt
1322:Respironics
1145:Dollar Bank
1059:Giant Eagle
1016:Kraft Heinz
730:November 5,
587:November 5,
422:October 17,
233:web content
221:Glen Meakem
217:US$ 500,000
163:review site
1490:Categories
1200:Kennametal
1155:Eat'n Park
1135:Compunetix
977:Pittsburgh
295:References
151:Pittsburgh
101:Key people
85:Pittsburgh
1431:GC Murphy
1401:Clark Bar
1396:BodyMedia
1225:Niche.com
1115:Black Box
1054:84 Lumber
839:April 29,
812:April 29,
785:April 29,
676:April 22,
643:April 22,
483:April 22,
452:April 22,
397:April 22,
365:April 22,
329:April 22,
259:Cognizant
167:publisher
143:Niche.com
1461:Telerama
1451:Rockwell
1436:Gulf Oil
1384:Historic
1327:Vivisimo
1281:ModCloth
1210:MARC USA
1185:Highmark
1180:Guru.com
1031:US Steel
891:Archived
867:July 30,
833:Archived
806:Archived
701:July 15,
670:archived
637:Archived
612:June 14,
561:June 14,
535:June 14,
508:June 14,
477:Archived
446:Archived
359:archived
323:Archived
288:Facebook
271:rankings
182:colleges
174:colleges
54:Formerly
1456:Sunbeam
1446:Ketchum
1317:Lanxess
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1095:Arconic
990:Fortune
723:EdSurge
606:AP NEWS
555:AP NEWS
265:Product
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196:History
159:ranking
120:Website
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1370:Macy's
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235:free.
186:cities
127:.niche
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1245:rue21
1100:ANSYS
1001:Alcoa
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899:2018
869:2020
841:2014
814:2014
787:2014
761:2018
732:2022
725:News
703:2021
678:2014
645:2014
614:2021
589:2022
563:2021
537:2021
510:2021
485:2014
454:2014
424:2018
399:2014
367:2014
331:2014
161:and
129:.com
1350:BNY
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1175:GNC
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319:CNN
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