University of Utah

What University of Utah does

The University of Utah is a public, state-owned research university founded in 1850 (originally as the University of Deseret) and headquartered in Salt Lake City. It operates a Tier 1 research enterprise with 100+ undergraduate majors, 92 graduate degree programs, 34,000+ students, 10,000+ employees, and $700M+ in annual research awards, supported by a $1.9B endowment. Beyond academics, the university runs a fully integrated academic health system (U of U Health) providing patient care, a Division I athletics program under the Big 12, and an international footprint anchored by the Asia Campus in Incheon, South Korea.

The institution's core technology and research infrastructure spans AI/supercomputing (HPE and NVIDIA partnership, $33M Utah Health AI Vault, in-house AI supercomputer), nuclear research (TRIGA reactor producing electricity for GPU racks in partnership with Elemental Nuclear), critical minerals (DARPA SMART Testbed, DOE-funded Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals), and defense technology (XRDNA Mission Fabric R&D platform). It commercializes research through named spinouts including Prism AI Therapeutics (quantum AI for oncology), Geothermal Strategy Partners, and EnduraCure (degradable electronics), and operates institutes such as the Huntsman Cancer Institute, Huntsman Mental Health Institute, Energy & Geoscience Institute, Utah FORGE, Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, and the Olympic Research Center for Societal Impact.

The university earns revenue across four streams: tuition and educational services (in-state and out-of-state tiers plus graduate/professional programs), research grants and contracts (federal agencies including NIH, DOE, DOD, DARPA plus private foundations), healthcare services through U of U Health, and athletics (media rights, ticket sales, sponsorships). In December 2025, it launched Crimson Brand Partners with Otro Capital — a commercial vehicle expected to infuse up to $500M into Utah Athletics while the university's foundation retains majority ownership. Its GTM is sales-led across multiple channels: traditional academic recruitment, NCAA-compliant athletics recruiting, healthcare referral-based access, and online/Asia Campus delivery for international students.

Name

University of Utah

Legal name

The University of Utah

Website

https://utah.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1850

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The University of Utah is a public Tier 1 research university in Salt Lake City serving 34,000+ students and a regional healthcare population, operating $700M+ in annual research across AI, nuclear, critical minerals, and defense technology, with revenue from tuition, research grants, U of U Health, and athletics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education and Research University

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE), Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Academic degree programs
• Healthcare delivery services
• Research and development
• Continuing education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Services: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, fees, and educational programs. Includes continuing education and professional development programs.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: Federal and state funding for research activities, including grants from agencies such as DARPA and other research contracts with government and private entities.
3. Healthcare Services: Revenue from University of Utah Health system including hospital services, medical clinics, and healthcare provider services.
4. Athletics: Revenue from athletics programs including media rights, ticket sales, sponsorships, and partnerships with financial partners such as Otro Capital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Utah is a public Tier 1 research university offering more than 100 undergraduate majors, 92 graduate degree programs, and professional education (including Utah's first standalone bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence). It operates an integrated academic medical center (U of U Health), conducts $700M+ in annual research across AI/supercomputing, nuclear, defense, and critical minerals, and runs NCAA Division I athletics plus an international Asia Campus in South Korea.

Product overview

The University of Utah is a Tier 1 research university offering educational programs, healthcare services through U of U Health, and research infrastructure. The institution provides AI-powered tools for students (UBot virtual tutor, UGuide major exploration assistant), operates major research computing infrastructure (AI supercomputer, TRIGA nuclear reactor, Utah Health AI Vault), and has developed research spinout companies including Prism AI Therapeutics (quantum AI for cancer), Geothermal Strategy Partners (geothermal consulting), and EnduraCure (degradable electronics materials). The university offers academic degree programs including Utah's first standalone bachelor's degree in AI, maintains research institutes like the Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals and Olympic Research Center for Societal Impact, and partners with XRDNA on the Mission Fabric platform for aerospace and defense R&D. The institution operates state-of-the-art research infrastructure including DARPA-backed critical minerals testbed and supercomputing systems for statewide use.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• U of U Health: Health system comprising education, research, and patient care services
• Utah Athletics
• Runnin' Utes
• Red Rocks
• Office of Artificial Intelligence
• Utah Health AI Vault (UHAIV)
• Institute for Critical and Strategic Minerals
• Olympic Research Center for Societal Impact
• James LeVoy Sorenson Center for Medical Innovation
• College of Mines and Earth Sciences
• Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute
• Wilkes Center for Climate Science & Policy
• Energy & Geoscience Institute (EGI)
• Utah FORGE
• Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
• Huntsman Cancer Institute
• Huntsman Mental Health Institute
• Utah Asia Campus

Products and services

• Undergraduate Degree Programs More than 100 undergraduate majors delivered on the Salt Lake City campus and through online/hybrid modalities, with tiered in-state and out-of-state tuition.
• Graduate Degree Programs 92 graduate degree programs including medical school, law school, and other professional programs, with program-specific tuition rates.
• Bachelor's Degree in Artificial Intelligence A 109-credit standalone bachelor's degree program covering machine learning, data analysis, natural language processing, robotics, and responsible AI development.
• U of U Health (Academic Medical Center) Integrated healthcare delivery through hospitals, clinics, and medical providers, including the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
• TRIGA Research Reactor Services 50-year-old research reactor converting approximately 13 kW of thermal energy into 2-3 kW of electrical output for AI data center applications and proof-of-concept demonstration for nuclear microreactors.
• Utah Asia Campus Programs International branch campus in Incheon, South Korea offering academic programs delivered to students in the Asia market.
• Continuing Education and Professional Development Professional development and lifelong learning programs offered to working professionals and adult learners through self-serve and on-campus channels.
• Utah Athletics Events and Tickets NCAA Division I athletics including football, men's basketball (Runnin' Utes), and women's gymnastics (Red Rocks), with ticketed events and media rights managed through Crimson Brand Partners.
• Utah Health AI Vault (UHAIV) State-backed AI-assisted computing infrastructure enabling advanced AI analytics for health research while maintaining privacy and security standards, serving academic researchers and clinical investigators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 34,000+ students educated annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024AI infrastructure partner providing computing hardware and solutions for university research and supercomputing capabilities.
• NVIDIAcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024AI and GPU computing partner providing advanced processing capabilities for AI research and computational needs.
• XRDNAmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Defense technology research partnership focused on national security applications and advanced research.
• DARPAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024SMART program collaboration for critical minerals research and development, providing federal research funding.
• National Laboratory of the RockiesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Energy and critical minerals research collaboration with national laboratory partner.
• USPO ZTOminorOthers · 1 January 2024Patent and intellectual property support services for university research and innovations.
• Colorado School of MinesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Academic partnership for critical minerals research, combining expertise in mining engineering and materials science.
• Elemental NuclearmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Nuclear reactor research and development partnership for advanced nuclear technology.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ohio State University: Large flagship public research university with comparable scale (~60,000 students), Big Ten footprint, comprehensive graduate and professional schools, $1B+ research expenditures, and integrated health system — directly comparable along mission, scale, and athletics-commercial structure.
• University of Michigan: Public AAU research university with comparable enrollment, large research volume, Big Ten membership, integrated health system, and recently demonstrated football program value (the institution that hired away Utah's head coach).
• Pennsylvania State University: Large public research university with multi-campus footprint, comprehensive graduate and professional programs, major federal research funding, Big Ten athletics, and significant industry partnerships in defense and energy.
• University of Colorado Boulder: Public research university with strong aerospace, defense, and geoscience research portfolio, Big 12 conference membership, AAU status, and significant industry partnerships overlapping with Utah's critical minerals, energy, and defense work.
• University of Oregon: Big 12 peer public research university with comparable enrollment (~24,000), significant research output, integrated athletics brand, and Pacific Northwest positioning that overlaps with Utah's Big 12/AAU profile.
• Iowa State University: Big 12 public research university with strong engineering, materials, and critical minerals research, federal research funding pipeline, and similar STEM emphasis — closely comparable to Utah's College of Mines and Earth Sciences positioning.

Broad incumbents

• University of Washington: Large public AAU research university with $1B+ research expenditures, integrated health system (UW Medicine), and computer science leadership that overlaps Utah's AI/health-tech strategy.
• University of Minnesota: Big Ten public research university with comparable research volume, integrated health system, critical minerals and materials research, and Big Ten athletics peer to Utah's commercial athletics ambitions.
• Arizona State University: Large public research university known for rapid program launches, online scale, defense/industry partnerships, and innovation/commercialization focus — directly comparable to Utah's aggressive institute-launch and AI strategy.
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): AAU public research university with co-authorship ties to Utah on the ML/nickel-catalyst chemistry Nature paper and overlapping AI, materials science, and biomedical research portfolios.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UUtah
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/theuniversityofutah
• Facebookfacebook.com/universityofutah
• Instagraminstagram.com/universityofutah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-utah-19556

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds10 records

Investors8 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 Utah