CollegeNET

History

The company was founded by Jim Wolfston in 1977 as Universal Algorithms, Inc. The company introduced an automated classroom scheduling program for higher education in 1979.

Universal Algorithms launched CollegeNET in 1995, a website allowing students to search for and apply to colleges online. In 1996, Fran Gardner of The Oregonian described the website as Universal Algorithms's "most visible service". By 1997, CollegeNET received 3 million hits per month according to CNET.

Universal Algorithms changed its name to CollegeNET in May 1999.

In 2014, CollegeNET filed an antitrust lawsuit against college application platform Common Application. The two companies reached an undisclosed settlement agreement in 2019.

In March 2025, CollegeNET was acquired by investment firm Rubicon Technology Partners. In November 2025, CollegeNET's founder sued the investment company, "alleging the private equity firm misled him before the sale and then fired him less than six months later when he objected to the way the new owner ran the company".

Universities using CollegeNET

Stanford University, Yale University, University of Michigan, Elon University, University of Pennsylvania, University of California, Berkeley, University of Washington, Oregon State University, and approximately 1,000 other colleges and universities use CollegeNET's services.

Social Mobility Index

CollegeNET produces the Social Mobility Index (SMI) which measures the degree to which individual colleges and universities contribute to social mobility. , the SMI "ranks nearly 1,400 four-year institutions on the degree to which they contribute to social mobility based on five variables: tuition, economic background, graduation rate, early career salary, and endowment".

References

References

1. Dawson, Christopher. (July 22, 2009). "CollegeNET ends the thick/thin letter game". [[ZDNet]].
2. Hoover, Eric. (June 3, 2018). "How Admissions Competition Brought New Rivalries, Strange Bedfellows, and 'An Us-Versus-Us Lawsuit'".
3. "Learn About CollegeNET". CollegeNET.
4. Marklein, Mary Beth. (September 25, 1997). "Applying to college electronically". [[Courier-Post]].
5. Gardner, Fran. (October 8, 1996). "Making a good match: Universal Algorithms' CollegeNet is now the most visible service of the Portland scheduling firm". [[The Oregonian]].
6. (July 29, 1997). "Web college service expanded". [[CNET]].
7. "CollegeNET, Inc.: Private Company Information". [[Bloomberg L.P.]].
8. Button, Keith. (May 12, 2014). "Suit accuses Common Application of antitrust violations".
9. Hoover, Eric. (February 8, 2019). "Admissions Confidential: Antitrust Lawsuit Ends in Secret Settlement".
10. Rogoway, Mike. (November 11, 2025). "Portland software entrepreneur sues for $350M, says private equity firm bought his company and then fired him". [[OregonLive]].
11. Mitra, Sramana. (February 2, 2009). "Deal Radar 2009: CollegeNET". Sramana Mitra.
12. "2025 Social Mobility Index".
13. (2021). "Social Class Supports: Programs and Practices to Serve and Sustain Poor and Working-Class Students Through Higher Education". [[Taylor & Francis]].