University of Cincinnati

Higher Educationuc.edu

The University of Cincinnati is a Carnegie R1 public research university founded in 1819, serving undergraduate, graduate, and international students through degree programs integrated with its pioneering cooperative education model. It operates $346M in annual sponsored research and partners with 1,700+ employers.

Company typePrivate
Founded1819
HeadquartersCincinnati, United States
Headcount5,001–10,000
GTM typeB2B and B2C
OfferingServices

What University of Cincinnati does

The University of Cincinnati is a public Carnegie R1 research university founded in 1819 in Cincinnati, Ohio, operating as a state-supported institution governed by its Board of Trustees with 10,000+ employees. It serves undergraduate, graduate, international, and continuing education students through degree programs delivered across a main campus and four regional campuses (UC Blue Ash, UC Clermont, Reading, Victory Parkway), plus UC Online for global reach. In FY2025, the university generated $346 million in sponsored research awards and conferred 7,637 degrees, with 48% in STEMM fields.

The university's defining strategic asset is cooperative education, which UC invented in 1906 and which remains the global template for work-integrated learning. UC places 8,300+ students annually across 1,700+ employer partners in its co-op program, generating $94M in student earnings and ranking #4 nationally for co-ops and internships. Industry partnerships span healthcare (UC Health, Cincinnati Children's, GE HealthCare), automotive (Honda, Mercedes-Benz), defense and aerospace (Thales Avionics, U.S. Department of Defense), retail (Kroger), and technology (TCS, Salesforce), supporting both career outcomes (98% post-graduation employment/continuing-education rate) and research commercialization.

Revenue is diversified across tuition and fees, state appropriations from Ohio, sponsored research grants and contracts, Big 12 athletics, and co-op wages paid by employer partners. Major facilities include the 1819 Innovation Hub, Digital Futures complex (housing the Thales AI partnership), the Imaging Research & Development Center with GE HealthCare, the Ohio Cyber Range operating through 19 regional centers, the AI Ethics Center, and the 1819 Ground Floor Makerspace. The Venture Lab accelerator channels commercialization funding into healthtech startups, and the institution carries a Moody's Aa3 bond rating with stable outlook.

University of Cincinnati firmographics

Firmographics

Name: University of Cincinnati
Legal name: University of Cincinnati
Website: https://uc.edu
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1819
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 5,001–10,000 employees
Short description: The University of Cincinnati is a Carnegie R1 public research university founded in 1819, serving undergraduate, graduate, and international students through degree programs integrated with its pioneering cooperative education model. It operates $346M in annual sponsored research and partners with 1,700+ employers.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

University of Cincinnati industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Junior Colleges (611210)
akta.pro primary industry: Urban/Metropolitan Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAH)
akta.pro secondary industries: Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus (EDAHAEAK), Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA), Comprehensive Community Colleges (Transfer + Workforce) (EDAHADAE)

Keywords

Higher education
Cooperative education
Research university
Academic medical center
Professional training

Where University of Cincinnati is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Cincinnati
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

University of Cincinnati business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B and B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Tuition and fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate student tuition, fees, and related educational services
State funding: State appropriations and funding from Ohio including Ohio Controlling Board grants
Research grants and contracts: Federally-sponsored and industry-sponsored research awards, including $346M in sponsored research awards in FY2025
Athletics revenue: Revenue from Big 12 conference athletics programs including football and basketball
Co-op student earnings: Students earn approximately $94M annually through co-op positions

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Ohio Resident Undergraduate Tuition
Subscription	Annual	Out-of-State Surcharge
Subscription	Annual	Graduate and Professional Programs
Other	Pay-as-you-go	Co-op Program

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

University of Cincinnati product offering

Product offering

Core offering

The University of Cincinnati provides undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs integrated with paid cooperative education (co-op) work placements across 1,700+ employer partners. It operates as a Carnegie R1 research university conducting $346M in annual sponsored research, and runs innovation and commercialization infrastructure including the 1819 Innovation Hub, AI Ethics Center, Ohio Cyber Range, and a GE HealthCare-partnered medical imaging center.

Product overview

The University of Cincinnati offers a portfolio of educational programs and innovation services centered around its co-op education model and technology innovation ecosystem. The core offerings include the nationally-ranked cooperative education program (Co-op 2.0 initiative) and the 1819 Innovation Hub, which serves as the centerpiece of UC's innovation agenda. Supporting infrastructure includes the Ohio Cyber Range for cybersecurity training, the Imaging Research & Development Center for medical imaging research with GE HealthCare partnership, and the AI Ethics Center. UC also provides BearcatGPT as its AI platform for students. These offerings work together to provide students with real-world experience while fostering research commercialization and startup development through the Venture Lab accelerator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

1819 Innovation Hub: Innovation hub supporting startups, research, and industry partnerships
Bearcat Guardian
BearcatGPT

Quantifiable outcome

98% of students employed or continuing education upon graduation
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use University of Cincinnati

Customer profile

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

University of Cincinnati technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

University of Cincinnati partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

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

GE HealthCarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2026Partnership for the Imaging Research & Development Center on UC's medical campus, housing an advanced 3T wide-bore MRI scanner among only a handful of such centers worldwide. Center brings together researchers, clinicians, and scientists for imaging innovation.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 April 2026My First AI Job program partnership with Salesforce providing final-year students three-month paid AI training with industry mentorship and global certifications, with pathway to full-time employment.
Thales AvionicscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Global defense and aeronautics company partnered for AI research with dedicated workspace at Digital Futures facility. Focuses on trustworthy AI for mission-critical applications including advanced air mobility and autonomous platforms.
Flywheel Social Enterprise HubminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 September 2024Partnership for SustainableCincy cohort, an eight-week accelerator program for sustainability-focused startups. First cohort ran September-November 2024 with five environmentally focused startups.
UC HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic medical center partnership supporting clinical trials, research collaboration, and healthcare education. UC Health is the affiliated health system for the College of Medicine.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor research partnership for pediatric healthcare research and medical imaging innovation, collaborating on the Imaging Research & Development Center.
Honda Motor Co.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative road maintenance detection project using vehicle sensors to identify potholes and infrastructure damage. Honda pilot achieved 89-99% accuracy across 3,000 miles of Ohio roads, potentially saving ODOT over $4.5 million annually.
Ohio Cyber Range Institute (OCRI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUC manages the Ohio Cyber Range with 19 regional programming centers across the state. OCRI received $227,000 from Ohio Controlling Board to expand cybersecurity training programs, supporting K-12 education through summer programs and competitions.
JobsOhiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState economic development organization partnering on the Imaging Research & Development Center and broader Cincinnati Innovation District development.
KrogermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor co-op employer for UC students; donated surplus hearing devices to Audiology program for community health fair distribution and international outreach.
SalesforcemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in My First AI Job program alongside TCS, providing AI certification and training resources. TCS inaugurated Salesforce Center of Excellence in Milford, Ohio.
Ohio State UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration on integrated care model for adults with developmental disabilities published in Disability and Health Journal. UC and OSU researchers analyzed healthcare utilization patterns of 6,706 adults.
MITmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on soft magnetic hydrogels that can be 3D printed into microscopic structures with independently moving parts controlled by external magnets.
EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration on soft magnetic hydrogel 3D printing technology for medical applications.
Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership using Honda vehicle sensors to detect road maintenance needs, demonstrating potential savings of over $4.5 million annually through reduced manual inspections.
Meteora3DminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthtech startup receiving $200,000 in Ohio state funding through UC's Venture Lab for automated 3D-printed anatomical models.
Qualz.aiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthtech startup receiving $200,000 in Ohio state funding through UC's Venture Lab for AI-powered qualitative research automation.
Qure IndustriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthtech startup receiving $200,000 in Ohio state funding through UC's Venture Lab for QureXR AI-powered augmented reality copilot.
EmpathEQminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthtech startup receiving $40,000 in Ohio state funding through UC's Venture Lab for video-based healthcare communication training.
eGateway CapitalmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosted the Future of Commerce: AI + Robotics Summit 2026 with over 300 CEOs, AI leaders, and robotics innovators for live demonstrations.
KrogermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief digital and technology officer participated in AI+Robotics Summit discussing ecommerce automation challenges and solutions for grocery fulfillment.
Fulfil (Company)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Mir Aamir presented in-store automation solution using mobile robots for grocery order fulfillment at AI+Robotics Summit.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

University of Cincinnati competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Purdue University: Public R1 research university with strong co-op/internship programs, innovation focus, and similar scale (~50K enrollment, multi-billion budget). Closest direct peer given overlapping R1 + co-op + innovation hub positioning.
Northeastern University: Cooperative education pioneer and current leader, with one of the largest co-op programs globally. Direct co-op methodology competitor and a benchmark for UC's #4 co-op ranking.
Drexel University: Co-op education pioneer with century-long program history, urban Philadelphia R1-adjacent institution. Comparable in co-op methodology leadership and urban research university positioning.
Georgia Institute of Technology: Public R1 with mandatory co-op/work-integrated learning program and strong industry partnerships. Comparable in engineering focus, industry co-op scale, and R1 research output.
Carnegie Mellon University: Urban R1 with strong AI/computing focus, similar in Carnegie R1 classification and urban innovation district positioning. Comparable research scale and tech-forward academic identity.
University of Michigan: Large public R1 with urban campus, strong industry partnerships, and substantial research output. Comparable in scale, R1 classification, and urban research university positioning.
Penn State University: Large public R1 with multiple campuses, industry partnerships, and substantial research portfolio. Comparable in multi-campus structure, R1 research output, and public university scale.

Regional players

Ohio State University: Larger Ohio-based R1 flagship with extensive research portfolio and regional brand dominance. Comparable in Ohio-based R1 positioning, research funding, and regional workforce development role.
Case Western Reserve University: Ohio-based R1 university with strong medical/healthcare research and Cleveland Clinic partnership. Comparable in Ohio-based R1 positioning and medical research strength.

Emerging players

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: Tech-focused R1 with co-op program and innovation ecosystem. Comparable in tech-forward identity and co-op/work-integrated learning emphasis, though smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

University of Cincinnati financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

University of Cincinnati leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

University of Cincinnati subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries3 records

University of Cincinnati funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors2 records

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

University of Cincinnati M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Cincinnati

What does University of Cincinnati do?

Is University of Cincinnati a public or private company?

University of Cincinnati is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was University of Cincinnati founded?

University of Cincinnati was founded in 1819. It employs 5,001 to 10,000 people.

Where is University of Cincinnati based?

University of Cincinnati is headquartered in Cincinnati, United States, in the North America region.

How does University of Cincinnati make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Tuition and fees are the primary driver. The others are state funding, research grants and contracts, athletics revenue and co-op student earnings.

Who are University of Cincinnati's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Purdue University, Northeastern University, Drexel University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Michigan and Penn State University. Regional players are Ohio State University and Case Western Reserve University. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is listed as an emerging player.

Does University of Cincinnati have an API?

No public API is recorded for University of Cincinnati.

What industry is University of Cincinnati in?

University of Cincinnati's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAAAH, Urban/Metropolitan Public Research Universities, with a secondary code of EDAHAEAK, Technical Universities with Computing, Data & AI Focus. Its NAICS code is 6113.