University of Denver - Daniels College of Business

What University of Denver - Daniels College of Business does

Daniels College of Business is the AACSB-accredited business school of the University of Denver, a private nonprofit institution located in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1908, the college has held AACSB International accreditation since 1923, placing it among the top 1.25% of undergraduate business programs globally. Daniels offers a comprehensive portfolio including a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, five specialized master's degrees, four MBA formats (full-time, part-time, online, and executive), an Executive PhD, graduate certificates, and executive education. The college is ranked #1 for Full-time MBA in Colorado by Bloomberg Businessweek and #5 for Online MBA in North America by CEO Magazine. It has 40,000+ alumni and operates within a broader University of Denver ecosystem of 120,000+ alumni.

The college differentiates through eight specialized schools and centers that create vertical depth: the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management, the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management, the Center for Analytics and Innovation in Data (CAID), the Center for International Business and Commerce (CiBiC), the Liniger Center on Franchising, the Sales Leadership Center, the Bailey Program for Family Enterprise, and Entrepreneurship@DU. These centers enable focused curriculum in hospitality, real estate, franchising, family business, sales leadership, analytics, international business, and entrepreneurship. The college engages 400+ alumni volunteers contributing 800+ hours annually and maintains corporate partnerships with firms including Aramark, Bona, Arrow Electronics, and Morgan Stanley at Work.

The business model centers on tuition revenue from degree-seeking students across undergraduate and graduate programs, executive education fees, and corporate partnership/sponsorship funding. Customer segments include traditional undergraduate students, working professionals pursuing MBAs and certificates, doctoral candidates, and corporate clients engaging in custom executive education. Recent strategic activity includes the launch of the DU Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing (2025-2026, jointly funded by the Simpson Family, Grand Peaks, and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority), continued enrollment growth (Fritz Knoebel School doubled enrollment in 10 years), and a 2026 Positive Impact Rating recognition. No AI/ML capabilities are explicitly disclosed in the available data.

Name

University of Denver - Daniels College of Business

Legal name

University of Denver - Daniels College of Business

Website

https://daniels.du.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Daniels College of Business is the AACSB-accredited business school of the University of Denver, offering undergraduate, MBA, specialized master's, doctoral, and executive education programs through eight specialized centers, serving students, working professionals, and corporate partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAHAB

MBA & Executive MBA Programs

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes

Keywords

• Business education
• MBA programs
• Executive education
• Graduate business degrees
• Undergraduate business programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including full-time MBA, Executive MBA, Professional MBA, Online MBA, specialized master's programs, graduate certificates, and Executive PhD programs.
2. Corporate Partnerships: Revenue and support from corporate partners including Aramark and Bona through sponsorships of corporate/global challenge projects and student recruitment.
3. Donations and Investment: Support from alumni donors, corporate partners, and foundations including Simpson Family, Grand Peaks, and Colorado Housing and Finance Authority for specific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Daniels College of Business delivers business education through undergraduate BSBA degrees, four MBA formats (full-time Denver MBA, Executive MBA, Professional MBA, and Online MBA), five specialized master's degrees, graduate certificates, an Executive PhD, and executive education. Programs emphasize experiential learning, corporate challenge projects, and applied business skills with strong ties to Denver's business community.

Product overview

Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver operates as a comprehensive business school offering a portfolio of degree programs and executive education. The core product portfolio includes four distinct MBA formats (Full-time Denver MBA, Executive MBA, Professional MBA, and Online MBA) serving different professional demographics, complemented by five specialized Master's degrees (Accounting, Business Information and Analytics, Finance, Marketing, Real Estate and the Built Environment), undergraduate Bachelor's degrees across 8 business majors, an Executive PhD, and Graduate Certificates. Two specialized schools exist within the college: the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management and the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. Additional offerings include research centers (CAID, CiBiC), the Entrepreneurship@DU program with incubator and accelerator components, and Executive Education for working professionals. The college is accredited by AACSB and maintains a focus on experiential learning and public good.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Daniels Effect: Brand identity representing the college's commitment to business for the public good, emphasizing tangible success and intangible values stemming from Daniels education.
• The Daniels Effect: The Business of Better Business

Products and services

• Denver MBA (2-year full-time) A two-year full-time MBA program ranked #1 in Colorado by Bloomberg Businessweek, featuring a challenge-based curriculum with real-world business experiences and corporate partner engagement.
• Executive MBA (Part-time) A part-time Executive MBA program designed for experienced professionals, featuring industry engagement and global challenge experiences.
• Professional MBA (Part-time) A part-time Professional MBA program for working professionals seeking to advance their business careers while studying evenings.
• Online MBA A fully online MBA program ranked #5 in North America by CEO Magazine, designed for flexibility with customizable curriculum.
• Executive PhD A part-time, mostly remote doctoral program allowing highly skilled professionals to earn their doctorate while bridging academia and industry.
• Master's in Accounting A specialized master's degree preparing students for careers in accounting, audit, and financial reporting.
• Master's in Business Information and Analytics A specialized master's focusing on data analytics, business intelligence, and information systems.
• Master's in Finance A specialized master's degree in finance, covering investment analysis, corporate finance, and financial markets.
• Master's in Marketing A specialized master's degree in marketing strategy, consumer behavior, and digital marketing.
• Master's in Real Estate and the Built Environment A specialized master's degree from the Franklin L. Burns School covering real estate development, construction management, and property analysis.
• Graduate Certificates Shorter credential programs requiring four or six courses for specialized skills in areas such as corporate social responsibility, global business, and other business disciplines.
• Bachelor's Degrees in Business Undergraduate programs offering BSBA degrees in Accounting, Business Information and Analytics, Finance, Hospitality Management, International Business, Management, Marketing, and Real Estate with 8 majors and 13 minors.
• Executive Education Flexible education for working professionals offering webinars, workshops, short courses, and customized programs including the DU Executive Certificate in Affordable Housing.
• Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management A specialized school within Daniels offering a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with hospitality management major, ranked among top hospitality programs globally.
• Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management A specialized school within Daniels offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in real estate and construction management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 1.25% ranking among U.S. undergraduate business programs
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AramarkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based food and facilities management company. Aramark has been a major corporate partner of Daniels for several years, sponsoring corporate and global challenge projects for MBA students. Company executives, including COO Carl Mittleman (EMBA 2009), are actively involved. Aramark has hired Daniels students after completing challenge projects.
• BonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFloor care company headquartered in Englewood, Colorado (U.S.) with Swedish parent company Malmö. Bona sponsors global challenge projects for Daniels MBA students. Senior VP Kirk Roberts (EMBA 2007) is an adjunct professor at Daniels and leads corporate engagement.
• Arrow ElectronicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner where alumni like Darby Steinberger (MBA 2022) work. Arrow Electronics partnered with DU to bring volunteer events on campus, connecting students with employees for networking and educational activities like assembling solar lights for underserved communities.
• Morgan Stanley at WorkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJessica Gu (MBA 2012), executive director for Morgan Stanley at Work, has helped launch the Daniels Professional Development Program and mentors students.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Arizona State University - W. P. Carey School of Business: Largest U.S. business school by enrollment with leading online MBA and customized corporate programs. Comparable on digital scale and corporate engagement; stronger national brand but more volume-oriented.
• Indiana University - Kelley School of Business: Top-ranked public business school consistently among the top 5-10 online MBA programs. Directly competitive with Daniels' #5 Online MBA in North America and a benchmark for online program scale and reputation.
• USC - Marshall School of Business: Top-ranked private business school with a highly ranked Online MBA and strong corporate partnership model in Southern California. Competes for online MBA students nationally and serves as an aspirational peer.
• Babson College: Niche private business college consistently #1 for entrepreneurship. Comparable focus on experiential learning and entrepreneurship (parallel to Daniels' Entrepreneurship@DU) with similar size and tuition profile.

Others

• University of Denver (parent) - Sturm College of Law and others: Parent institution offering other graduate programs (Law, Engineering, International Studies). Comparable as the broader university brand Daniels operates under; not a competitor but the umbrella entity providing shared services, alumni network (120,000+ alumni), and joint programs like the Affordable Housing Certificate.

Direct peers

• Colorado State University - College of Business: In-state AACSB-accredited peer offering undergraduate business, MBA, and specialized master's. Competes for Colorado-resident applicants and regional employer relationships; similar tuition profile and program mix.
• University of Colorado Boulder - Leeds School of Business: Flagship Colorado public university business school offering BSBA, MBA, and specialized master's. Directly competes with Daniels for in-state students, faculty, and corporate partnerships in the Denver/Boulder corridor; similar tier and AACSB accreditation.
• University of Colorado Denver - Business School: Downtown Denver AACSB business school with MBA and undergraduate programs. Direct local competitor in the same metro, sharing employer relationships and overlapping applicant pools.

Emerging players

• Thunderbird School of Global Management: Specialized global management school (now part of ASU) focused on international business and executive education. Comparable to Daniels' specialized masters and Executive Education offerings; overlaps in executive/corporate engagement model.

Regional players

• University of Washington - Michael G. Foster School of Business: Top-tier regional AACSB business school in the Pacific Northwest with similar ranking profile to Daniels and a comparable mix of undergraduate, MBA, and specialized master's programs. Not a direct geographic competitor but a benchmark for similar-tier private/public business school positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/danielsatDU
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DanielsatDU
• Facebookfacebook.com/danielsatdu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/5715
• Instagraminstagram.com/danielsatdu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Denver - Daniels College of Business