company . for other uses see niche disambiguation . niche.com inc. formerly called college prowler inc. type private founded august 9 2002 in pittsburgh headquarters pittsburgh pa united states key people luke skurman founder and ceo number of employees 25 website niche.com niche.com inc. formerly known as college prowler 1 2 is an american company headquartered in pittsburgh pennsylvania that runs a ranking and review site . 2 the company was founded by luke skurman in 2002 as a publisher of print guidebooks on us colleges but now runs a website with information on k 12 schools colleges cities and neighborhoods . 1 3 contents 1 history 2 product 3 criticism 4 references 5 external links history edit niche was founded as college prowler in august 2002 by luke skurman . 3 then a student at carnegie mellon university s tepper school of business skurman spun the company out of a project in his entrepreneurship class . 3 in 2005 college prowler was recognized by fast company magazine for being one of the 50 fastest growing companies in the nation . 4 originally the company produced print guidebooks but by 2007 their content was made available online for a subscription fee and then by 2009 the subscription was removed making all web content free . 3 5 product edit niche as college prowler provided rankings report cards with attributed grades and reviews of colleges in the us . 6 during their rebranding process niche added coverage of k 12 schools cities and neighborhoods . 1 7 criticism edit in a 2008 scandal known as facebookgate 8 9 hundreds of spurious class of 2013 groups were created on facebook for the purpose of promoting college prowler . 10 11 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 . he also added no employee or anyone else associated with college prowler has used these groups to send out messages or wall posts . 12 college prowler later removed all administrative access from the 125 groups admitting it was clearly over the line . references edit a b c epstein eli october 10 2013 a website for rating big life decisions cnn retrieved april 22 2014 a b spencer malia october 11 2013 college prowler becomes niche and wants to help you make big decisions pittsburgh business times retrieved april 22 2014 a b c d fenn donna october 1 2009 case study finding the right price for a hot product inc. magazine retrieved april 22 2014 2005 fast 50 winner fast company march 1 2005 retrieved april 22 2014 spencer malia august 12 2011 college prowler soars after making switch to business model pittsburgh business times retrieved april 22 2014 todd deborah october 4 2013 review rankings site college prowler becomes niche pittsburgh post gazette retrieved april 22 2014 dill kathryn april 14 2014 best cities and neighborhoods for millenials forbes retrieved april 22 2014 facebookgate the 2010 editionthe washington post http higheredlive.com episode 14 facebookgate three years of facebook forgery facebookgate three years of facebook forgery http targetx.com xperttip no 89 facebookgate summary of a scandal facebookgate summary of a scandal http andrewcareaga.wordpress.com 2008 12 19 facebookgate facebookgate higher ed marketing company created official looking class of 2013 facebook groups for hundreds of colleges chronicle of higher education pittsburgh portal companies portal external links edit official website v t e pittsburgh history timeline culture dialect media neighborhoods notable people skyscrapers government airport conventions city hall courthouse mayor council events intergov police d.a. sheriff fire libraries transit education port regional economy allegheny conference duquesne club chamber of commerce economic club hyp club stock exchange fortune 500 headquarters us steel pnc ppg heinz mylan wesco consol dick s allegheny technologies forbes largest 84 lumber giant eagle other headquarters american bridge american eagle ampco ansys armstrong black box calgon carbon chemadvisor compunetix dollar bank dqe eat n park education management corporation eqt federated gnc guru.com highmark igate iron city kennametal koppers laughlin marc usa millcraft msa niche.com oxford ptc renda rue21 upmc vocelli wabtec shared headquarters alcoa modcloth nova chemicals subsidiary headquarters allegheny energy bayer corporation fedex ground glaxosmithkline usa lanxess respironics vivisimo westinghouse regional operations aa bny mellon formerly mellon financial dreyfus eaton spreadshirt macy s historic big wheel clark dravo fisher integra mesta murphy gulf oil j & l ketchum rockwell sunbeam westinghouse sports dapper dan grand prix great race head of the ohio lore marathon mylan classic regatta wphl baseball pirates wild things panthers dukes chronicle telegraph cup allegheny burghers champions crawfords grays hardhats keystones stogies rebels basketball yellow jackets panthers m panthers w dukes m dukes w colonials m colonials w roundball classic condors ironmen loendi monticello phantoms pipers piranhas pirates rens xplosion football steelers panthers steeler nation heritage colts force passion renegades allegheny americans a s duquesne gladiators homestead lyceum maulers power odds olympics quakers jp stars early pro football circuit hockey penguins colonials m colonials w three rivers classic a s bankers cougars duquesne ft. pitt hornets keystones lyceum panthers phantoms pirates pirates wphl pros shamrocks victorias winter garden yellow jackets soccer riverhounds beadling cannons hurricanes phantoms spirit other sledgehammers bulls harlequins pcc triangles wallabies studio wrestling venues ppg paints arena heinz field pnc park 84 lumber arena fitzgerald field house highmark stadium palumbo center petersen events center petersen sports complex rooney field sewall center trees hall central park civic arena duquesne gardens exposition park forbes field josh gibson field greenlee field motor square garden pitt stadium recreation park schenley gardens three rivers winter garden parks allegheny arsenal allegheny commons allegheny riverfront artgardens buhl community chatham university arboretum frank curto frick emerald view highland market square mellon mellon green mellon square north shore riverfront phillips point of view point state ppg place riverview roberto clemente memorial rodef shalom biblical botanical garden schenley schenley plaza south shore riverfront south side three rivers west end overlook westinghouse transportation inclines steps v t e port authority of allegheny county light rail list of stations blue line library blue line south hills village red line inclines historical list duquesne incline monongahela incline buses and busways list of routes martin luther king jr. east busway south busway west busway former lines 47 drake brown line patrain skybus other north shore connector port authority 4000 series pcc wabash tunnel v t e public transportation in greater pittsburgh bus services port authority of allegheny county list of bus routes beaver butler fayette indigo mid mon valley mountain line new castle town & country university of pittsburgh washington westmoreland bus rapid transit mlk jr. east busway south busway west busway light rail red line blue line library south hills village inclines duquesne monongahela amtrak capitol limited pennsylvanian airports pittsburgh international arnold palmer allegheny county beaver butler eddie dew greensburg jeannette herron jefferson jimmy stewart joe hardy lakehill monroeville new castle rock rostraver washington wheeling zelienople discontinued broadway limited brown line list of streetcar routes in pittsburgh parkway limited patrain skybus v t e tunnels and bridges in pittsburgh tunnels allegheny river tunnel armstrong tunnel cork run tunnel corliss tunnel fort pitt tunnel j & l tunnel liberty tunnel mount washington transit tunnel pittsburgh and castle shannon tunnel pittsburgh & steubenville extension railroad tunnel schenley tunnel squirrel hill tunnel wabash tunnel bridges 30th street bridge 31st street bridge 33rd street railroad bridge 40th street bridge bloomfield bridge birmingham bridge david mccullough bridge fort duquesne bridge fort pitt bridge fort wayne railroad bridge glenwood bridge glenwood b & o railroad bridge highland park bridge homestead grays bridge hot metal bridge liberty bridge mckees rocks bridge panhandle bridge panther hollow bridge schenley bridge senator robert d. fleming bridge smithfield street bridge south tenth street bridge three sisters roberto clemente bridge andy warhol bridge rachel carson bridge veterans bridge west end bridge attractions aviary baywood cathedral of learning chinatown conservatory dippy immaculate heart duquesne incline heinz chapel little italy mellon institute mon incline observatory pamela s penn station primanti s science center steps uss requin zoo kennywood luna park westinghouse sign landmarks national city national county state city phlf cultural museums art arts arts festival bible fort pitt & blockhouse clayton clemente children s frick glass center history jazz jewish mattress factory dental miller miss pittsburgh nationality rooms national map natural history soldiers & sailors warhol wilson wsg venues heinz hall benedum byham harris kelly strayhorn new hazlett o reilly foster playhouse trib hunt stage ae syria mosque nixon theater festivals anthrocon arts blues comicon fashion film folk handmade new works tekko whiskey & fine spirits wine shopping and entertainment casino gateway clipper fleet station square strip downtown oakland south side macy s market square southside works waterworks mount washington east liberty squirrel hill shadyside walnut street opera ballet symphony brass classical theatre dance ensemble caravan theatre folk light opera opera theater jewish theatre public theater playwrights musical theater stage right youth ballet youth symphony bricolage nnoc v t e shopping malls in pittsburgh enclosed beaver valley mall the block northway century iii mall the galleria of mt. lebanon the mall at robinson monroeville mall pittsburgh mills ross park mall south hills village station square uniontown mall warner centre washington crown center westmoreland mall lifestyle outdoor bakery square edgewood towne centre ellsworth avenue mccandless crossing northern lights robinson town centre settlers ridge southside works walnut street the waterfront waterworks mall outlet grove city premium outlets tanger outlets pittsburgh defunct allegheny center mall east hills shopping center eastgate commerce center eastland mall greengate mall parkway center mall village square mall washington mall colleges and universities pitt carnegie mellon duquesne robert morris chatham point park carlow art institute byzantine catholic seminary pittsburgh theological seminary st. paul seminary ccac culture of pittsburgh cookie table jewish history iron city brewing company jagoff joe magarac mister rogers neighborhood mr. yuk parking chairs pittsburgh left pittsburgh toilet robot hall of fame steeler nation book category portal v t e pittsburgh corporations within the pittsburgh metro area fortune 500 headquarters u.s. steel pnc financial services ppg industries kraft heinz mylan wesco international consol energy dick s sporting goods allegheny technologies forbes largest private companies headquarters 84 lumber giant eagle other corporation headquarters american bridge american eagle outfitters ampco pittsburgh ansys armstrong communications atlas america bruster s ice cream calgon carbon chemadvisor college prowler compunetix dollar bank dqe energy eat n park edmc eqt energy federated investors gnc guru.com highmark h. laughlin china igate ii vi incorporated iron city brewing company kennametal koppers marc usa millcraft industries mine safety appliances niche.com oxford development ptc alliance rue21 university of pittsburgh medical center vocelli pizza wabtec companies with split headquarters alcoa modcloth nova chemicals subsidiary company headquarters allegheny energy bayer usa fedex ground glaxosmithkline usa lanxess respironics vivisimo westinghouse electric company outside companies with strong pittsburgh relations bny mellon formerly mellon financial dreyfus corporation eaton corporation spreadshirt macy s list of corporations in pittsburgh retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title niche company & oldid 743626715 categories companies based in pittsburghamerican websitescommunity websitesreview websitesconsumer guidesinternet properties established in 2002 navigation menu personal tools not logged intalkcontributionscreate accountlog in namespaces article talk variants views read edit view history more search navigation main pagecontentsfeatured contentcurrent eventsrandom articledonate to 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