University of Nevada Las Vegas

What University of Nevada Las Vegas does

University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public R1 research university founded in 1957 and headquartered on a 335-acre main campus at 4505 S. Maryland Pkwy., Las Vegas, Nevada, operating under the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). It serves a student body of 30,000+ across 78 undergraduate majors, 84 minors, and more than 197 graduate degree and certificate programs, including its own schools of law, medicine, and dental medicine. The institution leverages its Las Vegas location to anchor specialized research and applied-innovation assets, including the International Gaming Institute (which houses the Center for Gaming Innovation, International Center for Gaming Regulation, and a Gaming Institute AI Research Hub in collaboration with KPMG), the Cannabis Policy Institute, the Tourist Safety Institute, the National Supercomputing Institute, and the Black Fire Innovation research center operated in partnership with Caesars Entertainment since 2020. UNLV also operates Public Radio KUNV 91.5, a network of UNLV Health clinics, the 31,000 sq ft Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas, the Nevada Conservatory Theatre (18,000 annual attendees / 2,000+ subscribers), and the MGM Resorts International Public Policy Institute at its Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.

The business model is a multi-stream public higher-education revenue structure: tuition and fees (in-state, out-of-state, and professional), State of Nevada appropriations through NSHE, federal research grants (e.g., NSF funding for the ACIES semiconductor pipeline program), industry-sponsored research (Caesars, MGM, KPMG, Southwest Gas), and revenue-generating clinical and media operations. Pricing for in-state tuition is tiered by residency, veteran/military status (with in-state tuition available to honorably discharged veterans within 5 years of separation and to military family members using VA Education Benefits within 3 years), and program level. Customer segments span prospective undergraduate and graduate students, military veterans and active duty (a top-10 military-friendly institution serving ~2,300 veterans), the Las Vegas gaming/hospitality/tourism industry, K-12 STEM pipeline students, and Southern Nevada healthcare patients.

The underlying technology stack is built on enterprise SaaS platforms — ServiceNow and Salesforce for IT service management, HR, security, and student lifecycle management; Workday for human resources and financial management; Google Workspace, Zoom, Webex, Slack, Okta (SSO), TeamDynamix, LastPass, DocuSign, Qualtrics, Panopto, and LinkedIn Learning for communication, identity, content, and learning operations. Go-to-market is sales-led recruitment: prospective students are reached through campus visits, online applications via WebCampus/UNLV Online, recruitment events (Rebel Ready Week, orientations), and industry/community partnerships. UNLV's own marketing surfaces 2.07M average monthly website pageviews and an active social presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube).

Name

University of Nevada Las Vegas

Legal name

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Website

https://unlv.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

UNLV is a public R1 research university in Las Vegas serving 30,000+ students with 78+ majors, 84 minors, and 197+ graduate programs, including law, medicine, and dental schools. It operates gaming, cannabis-policy, and tourist-safety research institutes alongside enterprise academic and clinical operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Computer Training (61142), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Divisions of Traditional Universities (Hybrid/Extension) (EDAHALAB)

Keywords

• Higher education
• Public university
• Gaming research
• Cybersecurity degree
• Clinical healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate student tuition, including in-state and out-of-state fees, plus various campus fees
2. State Funding: Appropriations from the State of Nevada for public higher education operations
3. Research Grants: National Science Foundation and other federal research funding for academic research programs
4. Cannabis Policy Institute: Research institute studying economic impact of cannabis-gaming industry separation, generating approximately $80 million in lost annual tax revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UNLV is a public research university delivering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 78+ majors, 84 minors, and 197+ graduate/certificate programs, including law, medicine, and dental schools. The university also operates specialized research institutes, public radio, performing arts, healthcare clinics, and online degree programs serving students, veterans, and the broader Las Vegas community.

Product overview

UNLV is a major public research university offering over 78 undergraduate majors, 84 minors, and more than 197 graduate degree and certificate programs across multiple colleges. The university operates a portfolio of specialized research institutes, academic support services, and media/entertainment facilities. Key products include: the International Gaming Institute (with AI Research Hub, Gaming Innovation Center, and Gaming Regulation Center) focused on gaming industry research; the Cannabis Policy Institute for policy research; the National Supercomputing Institute for high-performance computing; Public Radio KUNV 91.5 (including the #1 rated Jazz and More station); the Tourist Safety Institute for tourism safety research; UNLV Health network of medical clinics; and the Writing Center offering OWL consultations and appointment-based writing support. UNLV also uses enterprise platforms (ServiceNow, Salesforce, Workday) to manage its operations and student services. The university launched Nevada's first standalone online bachelor's degree in cybersecurity and maintains partnerships with industry for semiconductor and microelectronics training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Gaming Institute: Research institute focused on gaming industry innovation and regulation.
• Black Fire Innovation
• Gaming Institute AI Research Hub
• Cannabis Policy Institute
• Tourist Safety Institute
• KUNV 91.5 Jazz and More
• 91.5 The Beat HD2

Products and services

• Online Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity The first standalone online bachelor's degree in cybersecurity offered by UNLV, designed to address workforce shortages by integrating engineering and business disciplines. Targeted at students seeking flexible remote cybersecurity education.
• UNLV Health Clinics A network of medical clinics operated by UNLV providing cardiology, endocrinology, ENT, family medicine, gastroenterology, surgery, gynecology, internal medicine, neurology, oncology, pediatrics, plastic surgery, rheumatology, sports medicine, and mental health counseling services for the community.
• Nevada Conservatory Theatre A performing arts organization at UNLV offering theatrical productions with more than 2,000 season subscribers and 18,000 attendees annually, among the most notable and best-attended performing arts organizations in Las Vegas.
• Public Radio KUNV 91.5 A non-profit public radio station within UNLV's Hank Greenspun School of Journalism and Media Studies offering contemporary jazz, Top 40, hip-hop, EDM, and national/Nevada news programming with online streaming availability.
• 91.5 Jazz and More KUNV's main radio channel featuring contemporary jazz mixed with adult contemporary music, ranked #1 Jazz Radio Station of the Year by BEATS Magazine in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
• OWL Consultations An asynchronous writing feedback service offered by the UNLV Writing Center where consultants review submitted essays and provide written comments on global issues such as clarity, argument, supporting evidence, and organization using Google Docs.
• Writing Center Appointments One-to-one and group writing consultations offered in multiple modalities (in-person, virtual, phone) to help UNLV students, faculty, and staff develop writing skills, scheduled through MyUNLV Rebel Success Hub.
• ACIES Program A four-year National Science Foundation-funded program engaging high school students in training workshops on semiconductor and microelectronics fields, with I/ONX High Performance Compute as an industry partner and paid internship opportunities.
• Clinical Simulation Center of Las Vegas A 31,000 square foot facility at UNLV's Shadow Lane Campus supporting learning for Schools of Nursing, Medicine, and additional stakeholders through clinical simulation training.
• Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship A fellowship program launched with Haskell Indian Nations University and the Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy, with faculty from Harvard, MIT, and UNLV, focused on empowering Tribal leaders with technical and governance training for clean energy projects incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• 61% increase in admission applications reported by universities using similar enterprise software platforms
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Boring Co.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026The Boring Co. will construct and operate a Vegas Loop station on UNLV campus at no cost to the university. UNLV will own the station upon completion, expected 12 months after construction begins. Project reversed an earlier decision where UNLV declined The Boring Co.'s proposal.
• Caesars Entertainment CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Black Fire Innovation opened in 2020 as centerpiece of applied research and innovation for UNLV in hospitality, gaming, and entertainment industries. Combines big tech power with UNLV research resources.
• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNLV Gaming Institute AI Research Hub collaborated with KPMG to release inaugural State of AI in Gaming Report, establishing benchmarks for AI use and policy in the gaming industry.
• I/ONX High Performance ComputeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerI/ONX partnered with UNLV College of Engineering as industry partner in ACIES program (NSF-funded), engaging 96 high school students in semiconductor and microelectronics training with paid internships.
• Southwest GasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Southwest Gas to develop robotic pipeline inspection tools, test hydrogen-blended natural gas, and expand renewable natural gas programs.
• Carnegie Mellon UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating with Carnegie Mellon University, NYSEARCH, GTI Energy, and UNLV on robotics pipeline inspection tools and hydrogen-blended natural gas testing.
• Harvard UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard faculty involved in Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship program empowering tribal leaders with technical and governance training for clean energy projects.
• MITcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT faculty participating in Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship with focus on Indigenous Knowledge Systems for sustainable energy solutions.
• Haskell Indian Nations UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship in collaboration with Alliance for Tribal Clean Energy and faculty from Harvard, MIT, and UNLV.
• Alliance for Tribal Clean EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched Tribal Energy Leaders Fellowship program aimed at empowering tribal leaders with technical and governance training for clean energy projects.
• CDWminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCDW provides managed services support to help universities including UNLV expand ServiceNow and Salesforce platform implementations across new use cases.
• City of Las VegascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Resilience Initiative partnership with City of Las Vegas for urban management and policy decisions, focusing on health, economy, infrastructure, and leadership.
• Clark County School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Clark County School District on Sphere XO Student Design Challenge involving over 100,000 students with nearly a quarter million public votes.
• Sphere Entertainment Co.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecond Annual Sphere XO Student Design Challenge where eight Las Vegas-based student artists' Earth Day-themed artwork displayed on Exosphere.
• MGM Resorts InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGM Resorts Public Policy Institute at UNLV pursues case-based research on future of work, with founding co-chairs Harry Reid and John Boehner.
• GTI EnergyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with GTI Energy alongside Carnegie Mellon and Southwest Gas for hydrogen-blended natural gas testing and RNG programs.
• NYSEARCHminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NYSEARCH alongside Carnegie Mellon and Southwest Gas for robotic pipeline inspection tool development.
• Nevada Board of Higher EducationcoreOthersRegulatory body that approved the Vegas Loop station on UNLV campus, reversing an earlier decision.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• University of Nevada, Reno: The other flagship public research university in the Nevada System of Higher Education; directly comparable to UNLV in governance structure, R1 research mission, student population, and Nevada-state funding model.
• University of Houston: Another large urban public research university serving a major U.S. metropolitan economy (energy in Houston parallels hospitality/gaming in Las Vegas); comparable size, R1 status, and industry-anchored program portfolio.
• Florida International University: A large, diverse public research university in a major metropolitan market (Miami) with strong hospitality/tourism programs and significant federal research funding; structurally comparable to UNLV.
• University of Central Florida: One of the largest U.S. public universities by enrollment, comparable to UNLV in scale (~30,000+ student tier), R1 research mission, and metropolitan-market positioning.
• Western Governors University: A leading nonprofit online university focused on workforce-aligned credentials (notably cybersecurity and IT); the most direct competitor to UNLV's online cybersecurity bachelor's launch.
• Southern New Hampshire University: A large, established online-focused nonprofit university with mature enrollment infrastructure and cybersecurity/business programs; a primary competitor for UNLV Online's growth ambitions.

Broad incumbents

• Arizona State University: A large public research university with a leading online division (ASU Online) and significant scale in engineering/technology programs; comparable to UNLV in public R1 status and aggressive online-program expansion strategy.
• New York University: A major private research university with one of the broadest hospitality, gaming, and entertainment management portfolios globally (Tisch Center, etc.); comparable to UNLV as a research authority in hospitality/gaming studies but with very different funding model and scale.
• Cornell University (Nolan School of Hotel Administration): Cornell's Nolan School is the most globally recognized hospitality-management program and a peer benchmark for UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hospitality; both compete for top hospitality students and faculty, and for industry-sponsored research.

Others

• UNLV Online: The online extension arm of UNLV itself, relevant as a direct channel-level comparable to other university online divisions when evaluating the cybersecurity degree launch and similar programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UNLV
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCnIYX-wq9s81qBmv7kTiOzQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNLV
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/officialunlv
• Instagraminstagram.com/unlv

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Nevada Las Vegas