What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 611310?

The SBA size standard for NAICS 611310 (Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools) is $34 million in average annual receipts, per 13 C.F.R. § 121.201.

Which federal agencies buy under NAICS 611310?

For FY2024 reporting, the leading federal customers under NAICS 611310 were Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA. Live obligation data is available on USAspending.gov.

What FAR or DFARS clauses commonly apply to NAICS 611310 contracts?

Frequent clause flowdowns include FAR 52.227-11 (Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor); FAR 52.227-14 (Rights in Data — General); FAR 31.205-18 (Independent Research and Development (IR&D)); DFARS 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information); FAR 52.215-2 (Audit and Records — Negotiation). Each contract instrument will incorporate clauses by reference under FAR 52.252-2; this list reflects the high-frequency set for this NAICS, not an exhaustive flowdown.

Educational Services

NAICS 611310 — Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools

Higher education institutions performing federal research, training, and educational services. Federal use spans NIH and NSF research grants, DoD university research, and military training contracts.

Quick facts

SBA size standard: $34 million; Average annual receipts · 13 C.F.R. § 121.201
FY2024 federal obligations: $5B–$10B; See live USAspending.gov data →

Top federal customers

Federal agencies that obligate the most spending under NAICS 611310 (FY2024 reporting period). Order tracks federal-obligation volume on USAspending.gov.

1.Department of Defense
2.National Institutes of Health
3.National Science Foundation
4.Department of Energy
5.NASA

Set-aside fit

Whether NAICS 611310 commonly carries set-aside designations on federal awards. Eligibility for any specific solicitation is set by the contracting officer; this table reflects the FY2024 award pattern, not a guarantee of set-aside status.

SDVOSB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business)
8(a) Business Development Program
HUBZone Small Business
WOSB / EDWOSB
VOSB (Veteran-Owned Small Business)

Set-asides rare at the university prime level. HBCUs and minority-serving institutions have separate program-specific set-asides under DoD HBCU/MI program.

Frequent prime contractors

Companies that most frequently appear as prime awardees under NAICS 611310 for FY2024. Drawn from USAspending.gov public award records — verify currency at the live link below.

Johns Hopkins University
MIT
Stanford University
University of California
University of Texas System
Penn State
Georgia Tech
Carnegie Mellon University
University of Michigan
Texas A&M

See live award data on USAspending.gov →

Common FAR / DFARS clauses

Frequently flowed-down clauses on contracts in this NAICS. The clause text on acquisition.gov is authoritative; this list captures the practical pattern, not an exhaustive flowdown.

FAR 52.227-11Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor
Bayh-Dole governs federally-funded university research inventions.
FAR 52.227-14Rights in Data — General
Default rights position for academic research deliverables.
FAR 31.205-18Independent Research and Development (IR&D)
2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) governs most university grants; FAR 31 applies to contracts.
DFARS 252.204-7012Safeguarding Covered Defense Information
NIST 800-171 applies to DoD university research touching CUI.
FAR 52.215-2Audit and Records — Negotiation
Cost-reimbursable university contracts trigger DCAA audit access.

Indirect rate considerations

Universities use 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) F&A rate negotiation rather than FAR Part 31 for grants. Federal contracts (not grants) follow FAR 31 with department-level overhead pools and a single G&A.

See FieldLedger's Indirect Rate Engine for pool definition and rate tracking, or read the FieldLedger methodology for the underlying FAR Part 31 framework.

How FieldLedger fits NAICS 611310

Limited core fit. Useful for university research contractors performing on federal contracts (vs grants) where FAR Part 31 applies.

DCAA compliance →Indirect Rate Engine →DCAA readiness check →

Frequently asked

What is the SBA size standard for NAICS 611310?: The SBA size standard for NAICS 611310 (Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools) is $34 million in average annual receipts, per 13 C.F.R. § 121.201.
Is NAICS 611310 eligible for SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, or WOSB set-asides?: Set-aside programs that commonly apply: SDVOSB, 8(a), HUBZone, WOSB, VOSB. Set-asides rare at the university prime level. HBCUs and minority-serving institutions have separate program-specific set-asides under DoD HBCU/MI program.
Which federal agencies buy under NAICS 611310?: For FY2024 reporting, the leading federal customers under NAICS 611310 were Department of Defense, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, NASA. Live obligation data is available on USAspending.gov.
What FAR or DFARS clauses commonly apply to NAICS 611310 contracts?: Frequent clause flowdowns include FAR 52.227-11 (Patent Rights — Ownership by the Contractor); FAR 52.227-14 (Rights in Data — General); FAR 31.205-18 (Independent Research and Development (IR&D)); DFARS 252.204-7012 (Safeguarding Covered Defense Information); FAR 52.215-2 (Audit and Records — Negotiation). Each contract instrument will incorporate clauses by reference under FAR 52.252-2; this list reflects the high-frequency set for this NAICS, not an exhaustive flowdown.
What indirect-rate structure works for a federal contractor in NAICS 611310?: Universities use 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) F&A rate negotiation rather than FAR Part 31 for grants. Federal contracts (not grants) follow FAR 31 with department-level overhead pools and a single G&A.
How does FieldLedger help small federal contractors in NAICS 611310?: Limited core fit. Useful for university research contractors performing on federal contracts (vs grants) where FAR Part 31 applies.

Sources

U.S. Census NAICS manual — census.gov/naics
SBA size-standards table — 13 C.F.R. § 121.201 (eCFR)
Federal obligations + prime awardees — USAspending.gov NAICS 611310
FAR / DFARS clause text — acquisition.gov

Snapshot date: 2026-05-08 (FY2024 reporting period). Federal-obligation bands and prime-contractor lists reflect the data as of the snapshot — refresh against USAspending.gov for current figures.