Morgan State University

What Morgan State University does

Morgan State University is a public, historically Black research university (HBCU) founded in 1867 and located in Baltimore, Maryland. Designated Maryland's Preeminent Urban Public Research University, it offers more than 150 academic degree programs across undergraduate, graduate, and online channels, serving a record 11,559 students in 2025-26. The institution holds R2 Carnegie Classification and is actively pursuing R1 status, supported by 49 cumulative USPTO utility patents — making it the only HBCU in the Top 100 US Universities Granted Utility Patents and the leading HBCU in patents granted in 2023.

Research capabilities span AI and machine learning (under a $9M Department of Defense Office of Naval Research grant), nuclear energy and radiovoltaics (the DARPA 'Rads to Watts' SYMPHONEE project with Northrop Grumman and PNNL), fire safety (NSF-funded), lidar-based wearable safety systems (with the City of Baltimore and Maryland DOT), and biopharma (Pfizer Fellowship in Vaccines Medical Development). The university is the first HBCU to lead a DARPA project and is a founding member of the Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI) and the only HBCU member of the Association of University Research Parks (AURP).

The business model is a hybrid of state appropriations (Maryland public funding), tuition and fees, federal research grants (DARPA, DoD, NSF, NASA, NTIA), and philanthropic donations, including a historic $63 million MacKenzie Scott gift in 2025 that brought her cumulative contributions to over $103 million. Ancillary revenue streams include student health services (Harriet A. Woolford University Health Center, with tiered SHIP pricing through UnitedHealthcare and unit-priced clinical services). The operating model is sales-led via traditional admissions, with top-of-funnel marketing through the university website, news/media relations, campus events, and social media.

Name

Morgan State University

Legal name

Morgan State University

Website

https://morgan.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1867

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Morgan State University is a Maryland public, historically Black research university serving over 11,559 students across 150+ degree programs, with R2 Carnegie Classification pursuing R1 status. It leads HBCUs in patents and federal research funding (DARPA, DoD, NASA, NSF), supplemented by tuition, state appropriations, and major philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences) (EDAHABAB)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate degree programs
• Federal research grants
• Online education

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Morgan State receives significant federal funding through research grants from agencies including DARPA, NSF, DoD Office of Naval Research, NASA, and NTIA for various STEM and research initiatives.
2. Philanthropic Donations: Major donations from philanthropists including MacKenzie Scott ($63M, $40M prior gift totaling $103M), supporting endowment, research, and student initiatives.
3. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate student tuition and fees for academic programs across more than 150 degree programs.
4. Government Appropriations: State of Maryland public funding for the university's educational mission as a public urban research university.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Morgan State University is a public historically Black research university that delivers more than 150 academic degree programs across undergraduate, graduate, and online modalities, combined with federally funded research in engineering, AI/ML, nuclear energy, and life sciences. The university also operates auxiliary student services such as the Harriet A. Woolford University Health Center and the Student Health Insurance Plan.

Product overview

Morgan State University is a public historically Black university offering academic degree programs across multiple disciplines. The institution does not operate commercial technology products; its offerings consist of educational programs, research initiatives, and student services including health services, campus safety, and administrative systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Morgan State Bears: Athletics program of Morgan State University
• HAX Lab

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs
• Graduate and Doctoral Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Record enrollment of 11,559 students for 2025-26 academic year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northrop GrummancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partner in the SYMPHONEE project developing nuclear-powered energy systems converting radioactive decay into electricity for space, defense, and remote infrastructure applications.
• DARPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2026Morgan State received its first DARPA award, a $2.4-million grant to lead the 'Rads to Watts' research project exploring radiovoltaics technology. Total potential funding exceeds $3.3 million over 30 months if all options are exercised. Morgan State is the first HBCU to lead such a DARPA project.
• WidetronixcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner in DARPA Rads to Watts project alongside Morgan State, Northrop Grumman, Omega Project, PNNL, and Applied Research Associates.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal research laboratory partner in DARPA Rads to Watts project developing long-duration nuclear-based power systems.
• Project Omega (Omega Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in SYMPHONEE project for nuclear-powered energy systems development.
• Applied Research AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner in DARPA Rads to Watts project alongside Morgan State and other partners.
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCF expanded its national asset investment program (Project ACCLAIM) to Morgan State. Students gain access to manage $4 million in real investment capital backed by $10 million from Adage Capital Management.
• City of BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Morgan State and Maryland Department of Transportation to develop and test wearable lidar-based safety technology for highway work crews.
• Maryland Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Morgan State and Baltimore City on wearable lidar-based safety technology pilot study.
• PfizercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark partnership where Morgan State hosts the Pfizer Fellowship in Vaccines Medical Development, the first program of its kind at an HBCU, preparing public health professionals for biopharmaceutical industry leadership.
• 1st Street PartnershipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman-first AI training firm partners with Morgan State to offer AI education workshops and implementation services aimed at preventing racial economic disparities.
• Association of University Research Parks (AURP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorgan State joined AURP, becoming the only HBCU in the organization's international membership, providing access to research and innovation network as part of R1 classification pursuit.
• Association of HBCU Research Institutions (AHRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorgan State is a founding member of this national coalition of 15 HBCUs launched to accelerate research excellence and increase HBCUs achieving R1 classification. Supported by $1 million grant from Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery Initiative.
• TEDCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaryland Technology Development Corporation supports Makerspace projects across Maryland including Morgan State partnerships through up to $100,000 grants for entrepreneurship and workforce training.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Howard University: Howard University is a private, federally chartered HBCU research university in Washington, DC. It is the most directly comparable HBCU peer, with overlapping R2 Carnegie classification, similar federal research funding posture, and overlapping disciplines (engineering, life sciences, AI).
• North Carolina A&T State University: NC A&T is the nation's largest HBCU and an R2 public research university with strong STEM, engineering, and agriculture programs. It is a comparable peer in scale (large enrollment), Carnegie classification, research focus, and pursuit of R1 status.
• Florida A&M University (FAMU): FAMU is a public HBCU in Tallahassee with R2 classification and significant federal research funding. Comparable to Morgan State in mission, research portfolio (engineering, pharmacy, public health), and state-university funding model.
• Hampton University: Hampton is a private HBCU with a research-active profile in STEM, atmospheric science, and cancer research. Comparable peer given its HBCU status, doctoral programs, and emphasis on STEM research partnerships.
• Tuskegee University: Tuskegee is a private HBCU with engineering, veterinary medicine, and significant federal research programs (USDA, NASA, NSF). Comparable peer given HBCU research focus and similar scale of federal funding programs.
• Bowie State University: Bowie State is Maryland's oldest HBCU and a public university in the same state system as Morgan State. Comparable as a peer HBCU in the Maryland system with overlapping program offerings and student demographics.
• Coppin State University: Coppin State is another Baltimore-based Maryland HBCU with nursing, business, and education programs. Comparable as a regional HBCU peer in the same city and state system.
• Morehouse College: Morehouse is a private, all-male HBCU with strong STEM and research programs and significant MacKenzie Scott-era philanthropic support. Comparable HBCU peer with similar brand positioning and donor-driven endowment growth.
• Spelman College: Spelman is a private, all-female HBCU with strong STEM and health-sciences programs and major MacKenzie Scott funding. Comparable HBCU peer at similar institutional scale and research trajectory.

Regional players

• University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC): UMBC is a Maryland-based public research university with R1 classification and a strong record in federal research funding. Comparable as a regional peer and aspirational benchmark for Morgan State's R1 trajectory in the same state system.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MorganStateU
• Facebookfacebook.com/140717161810

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors7 records

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Morgan State University