By Outrider Editorial Team · Updated August 20, 2026
Official definition
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in furnishing academic courses and granting degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels. The requirement for admission is at least a high school diploma or equivalent general academic training. Instruction may be provided in diverse settings, such as the establishment's or client's training facilities, educational institutions, the workplace, or the home, and through diverse means, such as correspondence, television, the Internet, or other electronic and distance-learning methods. The training provided by these establishments may include the use of simulators and simulation methods.
FY2025 obligations
$835.1M
Contract actions
3,086
IDVs
373
Top buying agencies
- Department of Defense$316.7M
- Department of Energy$250.0M
- Department of Veterans Affairs$229.1M
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration$19.3M
- Department of Homeland Security$4.9M
FY2025 federal contract obligations, USAspending.gov
NAICS 611310 obligated $835 million in FY2025 across 3,086 contract actions. This is contract spending with colleges and universities, separate from the far larger grant world. DoD leads at $317 million for research and education programs, DOE follows at $250 million tied to laboratory and university research arrangements, VA at $229 million reflecting its academic affiliations and health professions training, NASA at $19 million, DHS at $5 million.
What belongs here
Establishments furnishing academic courses and granting degrees at baccalaureate or graduate levels, with instruction delivered in varied settings including client training facilities and the workplace.
- Research and development in physical, engineering, and life sciences is 541715.
- Social science and humanities research is 541720.
- Non-instructional support to education systems is 611710.
Competing in this code
373 IDVs against 3,086 actions shows how much of this runs through standing agreements: university-affiliated research centers, education partnership agreements, and cooperative arrangements that get exercised repeatedly. The crosswalk PSCs are telling, weighted toward research and development rather than instruction, which means much of what is bought under this code is university research capacity procured as a contract instead of a grant. For a company, the practical implication is teaming: partnering with an institution that already holds one of those standing agreements is faster than pursuing the agency directly.
Frequently Asked
NAICS 611310 questions, answered.
What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 611310?
SBA sets it at $34.5 million in average annual receipts, averaged over your last five completed fiscal years. Come in at or under that and you are small on every NAICS 611310 solicitation, including the set-asides.
Which agencies contract with colleges and universities under NAICS 611310?
FY2025 obligations: DoD ($317 million), DOE ($250 million), VA ($229 million), NASA ($19 million), DHS ($5 million). DOE's laboratory and research relationships and VA's academic affiliations make this buyer mix look nothing like the rest of the education sector.
Is NAICS 611310 spending grants or contracts?
Contracts. The $835 million obligated in FY2025 is contract spending, separate from the much larger federal grant flow to higher education. The leading crosswalk product service codes are research-oriented, indicating that a large share is university research capacity procured contractually, not instruction.
How can a company participate in this code?
By teaming with an institution that already holds a standing arrangement. 373 IDVs support 3,086 actions, and much of the volume runs through university-affiliated research centers and education partnership agreements. Joining an existing vehicle through the institution is faster than approaching the agency independently.
Register Under NAICS 611310
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