University of Houston, Downtown

What University of Houston, Downtown does

University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is a public four-year university and component institution of the University of Houston System, located in downtown Houston, Texas. Founded in 1983, UHD serves a diverse Houston metropolitan student body through four academic colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. The institution is differentiated by the lowest tuition of any public university in Houston, a strong transfer-student focus (65% of degree-seeking undergraduates began as transfer students), and a high concentration of non-traditional learners, including over 500 currently enrolled military-connected students.

UHD's operational technology stack is centered on Canvas LMS for course delivery, PeopleSoft as the Student Information System, and the EAB Navigate platform for coordinated student success (advising, early alerts, intervention analytics). Student engagement runs through CampusGroups, communication via Microsoft Office 365 / Gatormail and Zoom, and financial disbursements through BankMobile. The university also maintains multiple off-campus instructional sites (UHD at Northwest, 1801, LSC-CyFair, LSC-Kingwood) co-located with the Lone Star College System, and a 120-seat Testing Services center. Student-facing services include the Transfer Academy for Student Success (TASS), Gator Success Institute, Academic Support Center, LEGACI pipeline program, Veterans Services, Wellness & Success Center, and the Gator Resource Center for basic-needs support.

UHD's revenue model is a hybrid of per-credit-hour tuition (ranging from $245.75 for Texas-resident undergraduates to $807.25 for non-resident graduate students), mandatory fees (including a $45 international student service fee), state appropriations through the Texas legislature and UH System, federal grants (Department of Education, NTIA), private donations, and auxiliary services (bookstore, dining, fitness). Recent strategic moves include a 2025 MOU with TxDOT to acquire 11.93 acres for campus expansion, a new BBA in Business Intelligence launching Fall 2025, and expanded graduate programs in AI, strategic communication, nonprofit management, and security management aligned with workforce demand.

Name

University of Houston, Downtown

Legal name

University of Houston-Downtown

Website

https://uhd.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHADAL

Urban/Metropolitan Community Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Community & Junior Colleges

SECONDARYEDAHADAF

Transfer/University-Parallel Community Colleges

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Community & Junior Colleges

SECONDARYEDAAAEAA

University/College Continuing Education (Extension) Programs

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Continuing Education (Noncredit) & Lifelong Learning Programs

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Graduate business programs
• Online learning
• Transfer student support

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

University of Houston-Downtown is a public four-year university that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across four academic colleges, complemented by student support services such as the Transfer Academy for Student Success, Academic Support Center, Veterans Services, and the Gator Success Institute. Instruction is delivered on the downtown Houston main campus, multiple off-campus instructional sites, and through UHD Online, with courses managed on Canvas LMS and student success tracked via EAB Navigate.

Product overview

University of Houston-Downtown is a public university offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs across four colleges (Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology) along with extensive student support services. The institution's technology-enabled services include the Navigate student success platform, Gator Scholarship Center portal, myUHD student portal, CampusGroups engagement platform, and UHD Online learning programs. Key student services encompass the Transfer Academy for Student Success (TASS), Academic Support Center with tutoring, LEGACI student success program, Wellness & Success Center fitness facilities, Veterans Services, Gator Resource Center for basic needs, and Testing Services. UHD maintains multiple campus locations including the main One Main Street campus, UHD Northwest, UHD at LSC-CyFair, and UHD at LSC-Kingwood, with a new BBA in Business Intelligence program launching in Fall 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marilyn Davies College of Business
• UHD Online
• Transfer Academy for Student Success (TASS)
• Gator Scholarship Center
• Academic Support Center
• Veterans Services
• Gator Success Institute
• LEGACI Student Success Program
• Wellness & Success Center (WSC)
• Testing Services
• W. I. Dykes Library
• Gator Resource Center (Basic Needs Center)
• UHD at Northwest Campus
• UHD at LSC-CyFair
• UHD at LSC-Kingwood
• BBA in Business Intelligence

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of UHD's degree-seeking undergraduates are transfer students
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB)coreOthers · 7 February 2025THECB awarded UHD $150,000 through its Student Success Acceleration Program (SSAP) 2.0 Grant. The funding supports the Transfer Academy for Student Success (TASS), providing transfer students with additional academic support, success coaching, and peer mentoring through August 2026.
• Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)majorOthersMOU signed May 8, 2025 for acquisition of 11.93 acres of land adjacent to and under the existing I-10 highway as part of UHD's Campus Master Plan. Land will become part of campus following decommissioning of I-10 segment under North Houston Highway Improvement Project.
• EAB (Education Advisory Board)coreTechnology or IntegrationUHD utilizes EAB's Navigate student success platform for coordinated advising, early alerts, appointment scheduling, population health analytics, and intervention effectiveness tracking across Academic Affairs and Student Success.
• Canvas (Instructure)coreTechnology or IntegrationUHD uses Canvas learning management system for online and hybrid course delivery, student assignments, and grade management.
• Lone Star College SystemcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUHD has instructional sites at LSC-CyFair and LSC-Kingwood campuses, providing transfer pathways and access for students in these communities to complete four-year degrees.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Texas Southern University: Public four-year university in Houston serving a diverse, urban, largely commuter student population with strong transfer pathways — overlapping mission and target market with UHD.
• Houston Christian University: Private Houston-area university competing for undergraduate and graduate students in the same metropolitan market, particularly working adults and transfer students.
• University of Houston-Clear Lake: Another UH System component institution serving the Houston metro with a similar upper-division and graduate focus; directly comparable mission, governance, and student demographic overlap.
• University of Houston (Main Campus): Flagship institution of the University of Houston System and UHD's parent brand; competes for overlapping Houston-area students at the four-year level while sharing system governance and articulation agreements.

Broad incumbents

• Sam Houston State University: Public Texas four-year university with comparable tuition tier, online program expansion, and workforce-aligned offerings competing for non-traditional and transfer students statewide.
• University of North Texas: Large public Texas university with extensive online programs, affordable tuition tier, and workforce-aligned degrees competing for adult learners and transfer students.

Emerging players

• Western Governors University: Online, competency-based nonprofit university offering affordable workforce-aligned degrees to adult learners nationwide — increasingly competing with UHD Online for out-of-region students.
• Southern New Hampshire University: Large online nonprofit university competing in the affordable, workforce-aligned degree market for adult and transfer learners, with overlapping online program portfolio.

Regional players

• Houston Community College: Large urban community college system in Houston that serves as a major transfer source for UHD and competes for entry-level students seeking affordable credentials.
• Lone Star College System: Two-year community college system that is both a feeder (transfer pipeline) and an indirect competitor for adult and workforce learners; UHD operates instructional sites on LSC campuses.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UHDowntown
• YouTubeyoutube.com/uhdnetwork
• Facebookfacebook.com/120661217270
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-houston-downtown
• Instagraminstagram.com/uhdofficial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors3 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 Houston, Downtown