Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public Kentucky university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, with notable space-science research (NASA Artemis II tracking), statewide healthcare workforce training, and NCAA athletics in the Ohio Valley Conference.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1922
- HeadquartersMorehead, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Morehead State University does
Morehead State University (MSU) is a public, state-funded university founded in 1922 and headquartered in Morehead, Kentucky, operating with 501–1,000 employees and serving a primarily regional student base in Kentucky and West Virginia. It offers academic programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels across traditional disciplines, and runs an active NCAA athletic program in the Ohio Valley Conference — including a 2025–26 shared OVC regular-season championship and a home stadium named after NFL Super Bowl MVP alumnus Phil Simms. The university delivers workforce and continuing education through regional centers in Louisville, Hazard, Bowling Green, and Owensboro via the Community Learning Network consortium with the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education and the Department for Community-Based Services, training more than 5,000 human services professionals across 120 Kentucky counties.
MSU's core technology and research assets are concentrated in its Space Science Center, which is one of the select institutions NASA has tapped to track the Artemis II crewed lunar mission and which is expanding payload operations capabilities for government and commercial space stations. Research activity includes a published LSTM neural network collaboration for mining process prediction. The university has secured substantial federal and state grant funding — $7.54M in Community Project Funding, prior $10M federal support, ~$4M from the Appalachian Regional Commission, and $3.98M through the ARISE program — to expand the SpaceTrek and SpacePrep aerospace workforce development initiatives targeting approximately 3,000 girls across Kentucky and West Virginia, with partnerships including TMC Technologies, West Virginia University, West Virginia Wesleyan College, and the WV Public Education Collaborative. Additional applied-learning partnerships include a Veterinary Technology Program collaboration with Saving the Animals of Rowan (STAR) for clinical training.
MSU's revenue mechanics combine tuition and state appropriations (not publicly disclosed) with a layered grant-based model that funds research, workforce development, and program expansion. GTM is community-led and event-driven: service-learning programs like EngageEagles and the Kentucky Hunger Dialogue Junior Fellows generate engagement, while intercollegiate athletic events (e.g., a $100,000 appearance fee from Louisville men's basketball) provide visibility and modest revenue. Customer segments span traditional undergraduates, female Appalachia-focused STEM cohorts, veterinary technology students, and the broader human-services workforce. As a public state university, MSU has no external equity ownership, is governed by the Kentucky CPE, and is funded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky alongside federal earmarks and private alumni endowments.
Morehead State University firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Morehead State University
- Legal name
- Morehead State University
- Website
- https://moreheadstate.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1922
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Morehead State University is a public Kentucky university offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, with notable space-science research (NASA Artemis II tracking), statewide healthcare workforce training, and NCAA athletics in the Ohio Valley Conference.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Morehead State University industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- STEM-Focused Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAE), Veterinary Medicine Universities (EDAHAGAG)
Keywords
Where Morehead State University is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Morehead
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Morehead State University business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Federal and State Grants: The university receives significant federal funding including $7.54 million in Community Project Funding for the Space Science Center and $10 million secured for space program development, as well as state grants for healthcare workforce training.
- Service Learning Grants: Morehead State receives grants exceeding $36,000 to expand student service learning programs supporting community projects, faculty development, and student engagement initiatives.
- Athletic Appearance Fees: The university earns appearance fees of $100,000 for basketball games against visiting programs like Louisville, generating revenue from intercollegiate athletics.
- Endowment and Scholarship Funding: Alumni donations create scholarship endowments supporting students from specific regions and high schools, providing financial support through private contributions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Athletic appearance fees for visiting basketball programs |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Morehead State University product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Morehead State University is a public state university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across academic disciplines, complemented by specialized workforce development programs such as the SpaceTrek aerospace initiative, the Veterinary Technology Program, NCAA intercollegiate athletics, and grant-funded research and workforce training partnerships.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Undergraduate Degree Programs
Quantifiable outcome
- 20 wins, Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship shared
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Morehead State University
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Morehead State University technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Morehead State University partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Saving the Animals of Rowan (STAR)coreMSU's Veterinary Technology Program partnered with STAR to provide students with hands-on clinical experience while caring for rescued animals. Students assist with patient care from admission through discharge, including wellness care, diagnostic procedures, and medically necessary surgeries under licensed veterinarian supervision.
- TMC TechnologiescoreTMC Technologies collaborates with MSU and West Virginia Public Education Collaborative on the SpaceTrek residential summer program in space systems engineering. TMC manages programmatic operations and provides engineering expertise for the $3.98 million ARISE-funded initiative.
- West Virginia Public Education CollaborativecoreWV Public Education Collaborative partners with MSU and TMC Technologies on SpaceTrek, a residential summer program in space systems engineering expanding to West Virginia Wesleyan College for 2026.
- West Virginia Wesleyan CollegeminorSpaceTrek residential summer program in space systems engineering expanding to West Virginia Wesleyan College for its 2026 session (July 12-25), accommodating 24 students. Part of $3.98 million ARISE-funded program.
- NASAcoreNASA selected MSU to track the historic Artemis II mission, the first human lunar mission in 50 years. The Space Science Center will expand payload operations capabilities for government and commercial space stations using $7.54 million in federal funding.
- EngageKYminorStatewide initiative led in partnership with EngageKY brings together students, campus leaders, and community organizations to develop solutions to food insecurity. MSU's Hunter McGlone selected for Kentucky Hunger Dialogue Junior Fellows cohort.
- West Virginia UniversitycoreWVU's Small Satellite Center is part of MSU's SpaceTrek expansion, implementing SpaceTrek and SpacePrep programs for approximately 3,000 girls in Kentucky and West Virginia, significantly boosting female enrollment in aerospace education.
- Kentucky Council on Postsecondary EducationcoreCPE partnered with MSU as one of three universities in the Community Learning Network consortium to modernize workforce training for over 5,000 human services professionals across 120 Kentucky counties.
- Kentucky Department for Community-Based ServicescoreDCBS partnered with CPE and consortium universities including MSU to launch Community Learning Network, transitioning workforce training from single vendor at Eastern Kentucky University to regional centers including Morehead.
- Brescia UniversityminorBrescia University joined MSU and Northern Kentucky University in the Community Learning Network consortium for healthcare workforce training across Kentucky.
- Northern Kentucky UniversityminorNorthern Kentucky University joined MSU and Brescia University in the Community Learning Network consortium for healthcare workforce training across Kentucky.
Scale indicators14 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Morehead State University competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- University of North Dakota: Public university with established aerospace education programs including UAS operations and space studies. Comparable as a regional public institution building aerospace workforce differentiation, particularly in unmanned aircraft and space operations.
Direct peers
- Kentucky State University: Kentucky public university serving similar student demographics and competing for the same state appropriations pool. Comparable as a smaller-scale public institution with workforce development emphasis.
- Eastern Kentucky University: Regional public university in Kentucky offering similar undergraduate, graduate, and workforce training programs. Directly comparable as a Kentucky regional state institution competing for the same Appalachian student population and state appropriations.
- Murray State University: Kentucky regional public university and fellow Ohio Valley Conference member. Directly comparable in size, mission, athletics conference membership, and rural Kentucky service area.
- Northern Kentucky University: Kentucky regional public university and partner in the Community Learning Network consortium alongside MSU. Comparable as a state-funded institution delivering workforce training and undergraduate programs across Kentucky.
- Western Kentucky University: Kentucky regional public university with comparable undergraduate, graduate, and applied research programs. Competitor for state appropriations and out-of-state students within the Kentucky higher education ecosystem.
- Brescia University: Partner in the Community Learning Network consortium alongside MSU. Comparable as a Kentucky institution delivering workforce training under the CPE/DCBS partnership, though smaller and private rather than public.
Broad incumbents
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Larger specialized aerospace and aviation university with established NASA relationships. Comparable in aerospace education and space science focus but operates as a private specialized institution at substantially larger scale.
- University of Kentucky: Kentucky's flagship research university with substantially larger engineering and aerospace programs. Comparable as a Kentucky higher education institution but operates at a much larger scale with broader research portfolio.
- West Virginia University: Larger flagship research university partnering with MSU on SpaceTrek through its Small Satellite Center. Comparable as an aerospace/STEM education provider with overlapping workforce development programs but substantially larger scale and research portfolio.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Morehead State University social profiles
Digital presenceMorehead State University financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Morehead State University leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Morehead State University funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Morehead State University M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Morehead State University
What does Morehead State University do?
Morehead State University is a public state university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degree programs across academic disciplines, complemented by specialized workforce development programs such as the SpaceTrek aerospace initiative, the Veterinary Technology Program, NCAA intercollegiate athletics, and grant-funded research and workforce training partnerships.
Is Morehead State University a public or private company?
Morehead State University is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Morehead State University founded?
Morehead State University was founded in 1922. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Morehead State University based?
Morehead State University is headquartered in Morehead, United States, in the North America region.
How does Morehead State University make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Federal and State Grants are the primary driver. The others are service Learning Grants, athletic Appearance Fees and endowment and Scholarship Funding.
Who are Morehead State University's main competitors?
University of North Dakota is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Kentucky State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University, Northern Kentucky University, Western Kentucky University and Brescia University. Broad incumbents are Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, University of Kentucky and West Virginia University.
Does Morehead State University have an API?
No public API is recorded for Morehead State University.
What industry is Morehead State University in?
Morehead State University's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAI, Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems, with a secondary code of EDAHAAAE, STEM-Focused Public Research Universities. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.