University of Florida

What University of Florida does

The University of Florida is a public research university founded in 1853 and headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, with 10,000+ employees across 16 academic colleges offering 300+ degree programs from associate through doctoral levels. Its core academic product is degree-granting education delivered on-campus and through online/distance channels, serving prospective undergraduate, graduate, and international students. Underlying the academic mission is a substantial technology stack anchored by the $85 million HiPerGator AI supercomputer (completed 2021 with NVIDIA support) and a NaviGator AI platform spanning Chat, Assistant, Toolkit, Tutor, and Analytics, integrated with UF GPT powered by Microsoft Copilot. The university has scaled AI to 230+ designated courses, 300+ participating faculty, and 14,000 annual student enrollments.

UF's revenue model is multi-stream and hybrid: tuition and fees, state appropriations, federal and private research grants (including $4.2M+ across Florida Alzheimer's programs and a $70M NVIDIA partnership), clinical revenue through the UF Health network (Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando), agricultural extension services via UF/IFAS in all 67 Florida counties, and a substantial athletics operation (Florida Gators) on a $235.7M FY2026-27 budget with football alone projected at $140.5M. Distribution is primarily direct: campus-based academic delivery, the UF Health hospital network, UF/IFAS extension offices, athletics events at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, and online learning platforms. Customer segments span students, healthcare patients, the research community, athletics fans/alumni, and Florida's agricultural stakeholders. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees under the Florida Board of Governors, and recent activity includes a $1.45 billion stadium renovation plan (the largest in college football history), first-in-nation Wi-Fi 7 collegiate stadium deployment with Extreme Networks, and a contested interim presidential appointment following the 2024 resignation of Ben Sasse.

Name

University of Florida

Legal name

University of Florida

Website

https://ufl.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1853

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Public research university in Gainesville, Florida, serving students across 16 colleges and 300+ degree programs, with integrated UF Health clinical operations, HiPerGator AI supercomputer-powered research and curriculum, top-tier SEC athletics, and statewide UF/IFAS agricultural extension across all 67 Florida counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education and Research University

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• Academic degree programs
• Healthcare services
• Research university
• Agricultural extension

Headquarters

HQ city

Gainesville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Athletics Revenue: UF athletics generates substantial revenue primarily through football ($140.5 million projected for 2026-27, 60% of total revenues), SEC and NCAA distributions ($15 million increase driven by new CFP TV contract), and ticket sales. The athletics budget for 2026-27 is $235.7 million.
2. Academic Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, with over 300 degree options across 16 academic colleges serving prospective and current students.
3. Research Grants and Funding: UF receives significant research funding from federal agencies ($4.2M+ in Alzheimer's research grants), state programs, and private foundations. Fiscal year 2024 research spending was $1.26B for UF Health network.
4. UF Health Clinical Services: UF Health network generates revenue through patient care services across facilities in Jacksonville, Orlando, and throughout Florida.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The University of Florida is a public research university that delivers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 16 academic colleges with more than 300 program options. It also operates an integrated healthcare delivery network (UF Health) across Florida, a statewide agricultural extension service (UF/IFAS) covering all 67 counties, and a top-tier intercollegiate athletics program (Florida Gators). Complementary offerings include continuing/online education, professional development through the AI Learning Academy, and sponsored research services supported by the HiPerGator AI supercomputer infrastructure.

Product overview

University of Florida operates a comprehensive AI ecosystem centered on the NaviGator AI platform—a unified system offering integrated tools including Chat, Assistant, Toolkit, Tutor, and Analytics for teaching, learning, and research. This platform is powered by the $85 million HiPerGator AI supercomputer infrastructure completed in 2021. UF GPT powered by Microsoft Copilot serves as an official conversational AI assistant for university business. The ecosystem is supported by the AI² Center (research hub) and AI Learning Academy (professional development), with over 230 AI-designated courses across all 16 colleges. Specialized AI tools include Tassel for commencement name pronunciations, Retinal AI for Alzheimer's prediction, and BlueME for underwater communications. The institution has expanded to more than 14,000 annual AI course enrollments as part of its university-wide AI transformation initiative.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Degree Programs (300+ across 16 colleges) Undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs across 16 academic colleges for prospective and current students at the Gainesville campus and online.
• UF Health Clinical Services Integrated hospital and outpatient clinical care services delivered through UF Health facilities in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando, and across Florida, including specialty and tertiary care, clinical trials, and medical education.
• UF/IFAS Extension Services Statewide agricultural extension and outreach delivered through research and education centers and offices in each of Florida's 67 counties, serving growers, producers, and community stakeholders with research-based guidance, diagnostics, and best practices.
• Florida Gators Athletics Program Intercollegiate athletics competition and event programming in football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and additional sports, anchored by Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp), including ticketed events and merchandise for fans and alumni.
• Online and Distance Learning Programs Remote and online-delivered academic degree and continuing education programs accessible globally through UF e-learning platforms.
• NaviGator AI Platform UF's comprehensive AI platform integrating Chat, Assistant, Toolkit, Tutor, and Analytics tools for teaching, learning, and research support across the university community.
• HiPerGator AI Supercomputing Services Research-grade AI supercomputing infrastructure and compute services available to UF faculty, students, and sponsored research partners, supporting high-performance AI research and education workloads.
• AI Learning Academy Professional Development Professional development courses and workshops for educators on AI ethics, AI applications in teaching and research, and related topics, delivered by UF faculty.
• UF GPT (Microsoft Copilot) Conversational AI Conversational AI assistant powered by Microsoft Copilot, provided as an official UF AI tool for university business and instructional use.
• Tassel Name Pronunciation Platform AI-assisted platform that generates name pronunciations for approximately 9,000 graduating students at UF commencement ceremonies, with student review and confirmation prior to recording.
• Retinal AI Diagnostic System Deep learning research tool that analyzes retinal photographs to predict Alzheimer's disease risk factors by detecting subtle morphological changes in retinal blood vessels and the optic nerve.
• BlueME Compact Magnetoelectric Antenna (Underwater Communication) Compact magnetoelectric antenna technology enabling underwater robot-to-robot communication at distances exceeding 700 meters while consuming approximately 10 watts, with a provisional patent filed.
• AI Drone-Based Crop Disease Detection Drone-mounted multispectral imaging combined with machine learning models that detect early blight disease in celery crops before visible symptoms appear.
• Laser Forming Technology for Space Manufacturing DARPA-funded laser forming technology enabling astronauts to manufacture tools and structures on the moon using local materials such as lunar regolith transformed into glass.
• Space-Based Nuclear Detection Sensors Next-generation space-based remote sensing technologies designed to detect nuclear proliferation signals from orbit, including radiation detection systems and optical/X-ray sensing techniques.
• PaCE (Pathway to Campus Enrollment) Program Optional campus experience package for students including amenities such as gym access, football tickets, and other on-campus services.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 consecutive years of top-10 national all-sports finishes
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Conservancy of Southwest FloridacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Collaboration on marine robotics research and invasive Burmese python removal studies. UF's RoboPI Laboratory works with the Conservancy on underwater navigation and subsea infrastructure protection research.
• MetacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on AI research using retinal photographs to predict Alzheimer's disease risk factors. Meta provided support for the study analyzing over 40,000 UK Biobank patient retinal images.
• Journal of Alzheimer's DiseaseminorOthersAcademic collaboration on published research analyzing retinal photographs for Alzheimer's risk prediction using AI.
• Florida Board of GovernorscoreOthersState-level governing body that oversees the State University System including UF. Involved in presidential confirmation, governance policy reviews, and H-1B visa policy decisions.
• Telangana GovernmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration proposal for precision farming, AI, remote sensing, and drone technology to enhance sustainable agriculture and farmers' incomes in Telangana, India.
• Jacksonville JaguarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership opens doors for aspiring sports journalists through UF College of Journalism and Communications.
• Andhra UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration agreement signed as part of Andhra University's centenary celebrations for academic partnership.
• Argentina's RECSOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on predictive models for soybean production through Argentina's National Soybean Cultivar Evaluation Network expanding to regional RRECSO-Americas.
• Oxmiq Labs IncminorStrategic or Co-development Partner$400 crore partnership to establish AU Centre of Excellence in AI Systems at Andhra University.
• Mayo Clinic JacksonvillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceived $1.5 million allocation as part of $4.2 million Ed and Ethel Moore Alzheimer's grant distributed across eight Florida research institutions.
• TenCate Track SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstallation of Mondo Super X 720 track surface at UF's Percy Beard Track, with multi-year commitment to support Tom Jones Memorial Invitational through 2029.
• Manhattan Construction GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected as construction manager partner for $1.45 billion Ben Hill Griffin Stadium renovation project along with Hunt Construction Group.
• Hunt Construction GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSelected as construction manager partner for $1.45 billion Ben Hill Griffin Stadium renovation project.
• Extreme NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationDeployed first Wi-Fi 7 network in a collegiate stadium at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (The Swamp) using Network as a Service (NaaS) model. Designed to support 90,000 fans with faster connectivity.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Florida State University: Florida's other flagship public research university, offering similar comprehensive degree programs, NCAA Division I athletics (ACC vs UF's SEC), and statewide public university mission. The most direct head-to-head competitor for in-state students, research funding, and donor support.
• Texas A&M University: Land-grant public research university with extensive agricultural extension network, SEC athletics, and large engineering and biomedical programs. Closest peer to UF's land-grant-style IFAS extension mission and applied research orientation.
• University of Texas at Austin: Large AAU public research university with flagship status, major athletics program (Big 12/SEC), $1B+ research expenditures, and significant capital projects. Operates in a parallel competitive set for top public university rankings and faculty recruiting.
• University of Michigan: AAU public research university with elite athletics brand, large healthcare system (Michigan Medicine), and substantial research expenditures. Competes with UF for top public university rankings, federal research dollars, and graduate student talent.
• University of Georgia: SEC peer public research university with comparable size, multi-college structure, AAU membership, and strong athletics brand. Direct competitor for SEC research funding, faculty recruitment, and national rankings positioning.
• University of Alabama: SEC peer and direct athletics competitor (especially in football), with strong donor-funded capital projects and recently elevated R1 status under Dr. Stuart Bell. Particularly relevant given Bell's appointment as UF interim president.
• The Ohio State University: One of the largest US public research universities with massive research budget, Big Ten athletics, multi-campus health system, and statewide extension network. Direct comparison point for scale, athletics economics, and research output.

Broad incumbents

• Penn State University: Large land-grant public research university with Big Ten athletics, statewide campus network, and major research portfolio. Comparable in operational complexity, multi-campus model, and integration of extension services with academic and athletic programs.
• University of Southern California: Major private research university with large research budget, elite athletics brand, and significant AI and biomedical research footprint. Provides a comparable benchmark for AI investment scale, research intensity, and athletics economics outside the public-university context.

Regional players

• University of Miami: Major private research university in Florida with strong medical school, ACC athletics, and significant federal research funding. Competes with UF for Florida students, faculty recruits, and biotech/healthcare partnerships in the same state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UF
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/universityofflorida
• Facebookfacebook.com/uflorida
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school
• Instagraminstagram.com/uflorida

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds9 records

Investors6 records

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

M&A

Investments3 records

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

Frequently asked questions about University of Florida