UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences

What UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences does

UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) is a public academic unit within the University of California system, established in 1968 as one of UCI's founding schools. ICS operates three departments — Computer Science, Informatics, and Statistics — delivering undergraduate, graduate research, and graduate professional programs. The school's portfolio includes an honors track, the ICS Summer Academy for K-12 outreach, and the Capstone Projects Program connecting students with industry partners on real-world computing problems.

ICS operates seven specialized research centers: the AI in Science Institute, Connected Learning Lab, Future Health, HPI Machine Learning & Data Science Research Center, Institute for Software Research, the Center for Responsible, Ethical and Accessible Technology (CREATE), and the Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems (CML). The school's 100+ tenure-track faculty include 1 NAE Member, 14 ACM Fellows, 12 IEEE Fellows, and 14 AAAS Fellows. Research capabilities span generative AI, NLP, computer vision, autonomous agents, predictive analytics, anomaly detection, and multimodal learning.

ICS does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through UC Irvine's institutional budget, state appropriations, tuition and student fees, research grants from federal agencies (NSF, NIH) and industry partners, philanthropic donations (including the Hasso Plattner Endowed Chair in AI), and corporate engagement programs. Notable translational outputs include the BrightLife Kids and Soluna digital mental health platforms, deployed under California's $4 billion CYBHI initiative, which have served more than 500,000 youth across all California counties. The school reaches students, alumni, and industry partners through digital channels, the annual ICS Project Expo, the Hall of Fame, Industry Showcase, and a recurring seminar and distinguished lecture series.

Name

UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences

Legal name

UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences

Website

https://ics.uci.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Short description

UC Irvine's Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences is a public academic unit delivering undergraduate and graduate programs in Computer Science, Informatics, and Statistics, supported by 100+ tenure-track faculty and seven specialized AI/ML research centers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irvine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Student Fees: Public university school generating revenue through undergraduate and graduate tuition, as well as various student fees for programs and services.
2. Research Grants and Funding: External research funding from government agencies (NSF, NIH), industry partners, and foundations supporting faculty research programs.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Revenue from corporate partnerships including capstone projects, industry collaborations, and sponsored research.
4. Alumni Giving and Donations: Philanthropic contributions from alumni and supporters through the Make a Gift program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) is an academic unit that delivers undergraduate, graduate research, and graduate professional degree programs in Computer Science, Informatics, and Statistics. It also operates multiple specialized research institutes and centers (including AI in Science, Connected Learning, Future Health, HPI Machine Learning & Data Science, Institute for Software Research, CREATE, and CML) that conduct funded research and partner with industry on capstone projects.

Product overview

The UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences (ICS) is a leading academic institution offering educational programs across three departments (Computer Science, Informatics, and Statistics) with a strong emphasis on AI and machine learning research. The school operates six specialized research institutes and centers (AI in Science Institute, Connected Learning Lab, Future Health, HPI Machine Learning & Data Science, Institute for Software Research, and CREATE for responsible technology) plus the Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems (CML). The academic portfolio includes undergraduate and graduate programs, honors tracks, and professional development through seminars, distinguished lectures, and the annual Project Expo where students showcase capstone projects with industry partners. The school positions itself as a pioneer in computing research spanning AI/ML, data science, and ethical technology development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Center for Machine Learning and Intelligent Systems (CML): A research center focused on machine learning and intelligent systems at UC Irvine.
• Connected Learning Lab
• HPI Research Center in Machine Learning and Data Science
• Center for Responsible, Ethical, and Accessible Technology (CREATE)
• AI in Science Institute
• Future Health
• Institute for Software Research

Quantifiable outcome

• 2026 ICS Project Expo broke records with 1,000 attendees and 125 student teams
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability16 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Industry Partners (Corporate Engagement Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICS maintains corporate partnerships through programs including capstone projects where student teams work with industry on real-world problems, research partnerships, and student recruitment initiatives. The school has an Industry Advisory Board and offers various levels of corporate engagement.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MIT EECS / CSAIL: MIT's CS research ecosystem (CSAIL, EECS) is a leading global peer in AI/ML theory and systems. It competes with ICS for top-tier faculty, PhD candidates, and federal research funding in foundational AI.
• UC Berkeley Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (EECS): Berkeley EECS is the closest peer: a top-tier public UC-system CS school with comparable AI/ML research depth, large faculty bench, and overlapping industry-recruiting pipelines. UCI ICS competes head-to-head with Berkeley for in-state applicants, faculty hires, and grants.
• Stanford Computer Science: Stanford CS is the highest-prestige US CS program and a direct competitive benchmark for ICS on AI research output, faculty hiring, and industry placement, though it operates with a vastly larger endowment.
• Georgia Tech College of Computing: Georgia Tech CoC is a top public CS school with comparable scale and AI/ML research breadth. It is a natural benchmark for ICS on rankings, online master's reach, and industry engagement.
• UC San Diego Computer Science and Engineering (CSE): UC San Diego CSE is a sister UC-system CS school with comparable scale, strong AI/ML and systems research, and a similar applicant-recruiting dynamic. Both schools compete for the same Southern California talent pool and federal funding.
• Carnegie Mellon School of Computer Science: CMU SCS is the leading US CS school by many rankings. It is a direct aspirational and competitive peer for ICS in AI, systems, and theory, and competes globally for top PhD applicants and faculty.
• UCLA Computer Science: UCLA CS is another in-system UC public peer with similar scale, research breadth, and applicant overlap, and is a natural head-to-head benchmark for ICS on rankings, faculty productivity, and industry placement.
• University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering: UW Allen School is a leading public CS school with comparable AI/ML research strength and a top public-university positioning. ICS competes with UW for talent, grants, and industry partnerships across the West Coast.
• Caltech Computing and Mathematical Sciences: Caltech CMS is a smaller, elite Southern California peer with deep theoretical and ML research strength. ICS competes with Caltech for regional industry partnerships and faculty in AI/ML and theory.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Computer Science: UIUC CS is a leading public CS school with a long-established systems and AI research base. It competes with ICS for top applicants, faculty hires, and federal research funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/UCIbrenICS
• YouTubeyoutube.com/UCIBrenICS
• Facebookfacebook.com/UCIBrenICS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uc-irvine-information-and-computer-sciences
• Instagraminstagram.com/ucibrenics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UC Irvine Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences