EF Education First
Lucerne-based private education group founded in 1965 by Bertil Hult, wholly owned by the Hult family, employing 52,000 across 100-plus countries.
Company Type
private
Founded
1965
Headquarters
Lucerne, Switzerland
Revenue
Approximately $11 billion (FY2025, estimated)
Employees
Approximately 52,000
Primary Market
Global
About EF Education First
Who owns EF Education First?
The Hult family, wholly. Founder Bertil Hult's sons Philip and Edward serve as chairman and CEO.
Is EF publicly traded?
No. It is fully private and publishes no audited accounts.
Where is EF headquartered?
Lucerne, Switzerland, with hubs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, and Zurich.
How big is EF?
About 52,000 employees in 100-plus countries and an estimated $11 billion in annual revenue.
What does EF stand for?
Education First.
What companies does EF own?
EF International Language Campuses, EF Educational Tours, EF English Live, EF Academy, Cultural Care Au Pair, EF SET, and the affiliated Hult International Business School.
History of EF Education First
Bertil Hult founded EF in Lund, Sweden, in 1965. Struggling with dyslexia, he had found immersion taught him English faster than classrooms, so he began organizing language trips for Swedish students to England.
Growth through the 1970s and 1980s made EF the world's largest language travel organizer, expanding into language schools, US operations, and cultural exchange through Cultural Care Au Pair.
The company added academic depth with EF Academy boarding schools and the affiliated Hult International Business School, and digital reach with EF English Live (originally Englishtown), one of the earliest online English schools, plus the free EF SET assessment.
EF served as official language training supplier to multiple Olympic Games. The pandemic disrupted study-abroad volumes severely, but travel recovery restored scale, and the group marked its 60th anniversary in 2025 still under full family ownership.
Brands Owned by EF Education First
EF Education First owns 1 brand in our database. Explore the ownership tree below — click categories to expand and see individual brands.
EF Education First
private · Founded 1965 · Lucerne, Switzerland
1
brands
EF Education First Ownership: Pros & Cons
Advantages
- +Generational family capital without exit or earnings pressure
- +Fully integrated schools, travel, and curriculum stack
- +60-year global brand with unmatched scale in its category
- +Diversified across education and travel segments
Considerations
- -No audited financial disclosure
- -Single-family succession and governance concentration
- -Mobility-dependent revenue proven fragile in pandemic
- -Digital competitors eroding entry-level language learning
Frequently Asked Questions About EF Education First
Who owns EF Education First?
The Hult family, wholly. Founder Bertil Hult's sons Philip and Edward serve as chairman and CEO.
Is EF publicly traded?
No. It is fully private and publishes no audited accounts.
Where is EF headquartered?
Lucerne, Switzerland, with hubs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, and Zurich.
How big is EF?
About 52,000 employees in 100-plus countries and an estimated $11 billion in annual revenue.
What does EF stand for?
Education First.
What companies does EF own?
EF International Language Campuses, EF Educational Tours, EF English Live, EF Academy, Cultural Care Au Pair, EF SET, and the affiliated Hult International Business School.
Sources & Further Reading
Jobs at EF Education First
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