Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering

What Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering does

The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering, founded in 1967 and named after Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. It delivers undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering (the latter ABET-accredited), a top-rated Ph.D. program, a part-time Professional Master's Program for working software professionals, a combined BS/MS program, and an interdisciplinary AI minor launching in Spring 2027. The school serves 2,900 undergraduate and graduate majors and operates the Industry Affiliates Program to connect companies with researchers, students, and alumni, alongside K-12 outreach initiatives and study-abroad exchanges with KTH, ETH Zurich, EPFL, and Saarland University.

The school's core technology base spans six research areas: Artificial Intelligence, Computing + Biology, Human-Centered Computing, Interaction with the Physical World, Software & Hardware Systems, and Theory & Models of Computation. FY2025 research activity totaled $52M, and the school is ranked #1 for Best Paper Awards in Computer Science nationally. The technology stack is research-oriented rather than product-oriented — outputs include publications, trained Ph.D.s, and curriculum rather than commercial software or services.

The business model is institutional rather than commercial: funding flows from university allocations, state appropriations, sponsored research grants ($52M in FY2025), endowed scholarships from 25+ donors (including Anderson Family, Google, Microsoft, RealNetworks), and industry affiliate contributions. Tuition is set by the University of Washington and varies by residency. There is no equity, no IPO pathway, and no M&A optionality — the entity is a cost center within a public state university rather than a revenue-generating firm.

Name

Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering

Legal name

Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington

Website

https://cs.washington.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering is an academic department within the University of Washington offering CS and Computer Engineering undergraduate degrees, a Ph.D. program, Professional Master's Program, and an AI minor launching in Spring 2027. It serves 2,900 majors, conducts $52M in annual research, and partners with Seattle-area tech companies through its Industry Affiliates Program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

AI & Machine Learning (Foundations & Applied) (EDAMACAG)

Keywords

• Computer science education
• Computer engineering programs
• Graduate research programs
• Artificial intelligence research
• Doctoral degree programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Funding: The school generates significant research activity funding through grants and sponsored research programs. FY2025 research activity totaled $52M.
2. Endowed Scholarships: Over 25 separate sources of scholarship funding from donors including Anderson Family, Google, Microsoft, RealNetworks, and others to support student tuition and educational costs.
3. Industry Affiliates Program: Companies connect with researchers, students and alumni through events, collaborations and recruiting activities, providing industry support and engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering that delivers undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Computer Engineering (ABET-accredited), a Ph.D. program, a part-time Professional Master's Program, and a BS/MS combined program. It also conducts $52M in FY2025 research activity across AI, computing + biology, human-centered computing, software/hardware systems, theory of computation, and interaction with the physical world, while engaging industry through an Affiliates Program and reaching younger students via K-12 outreach.

Product overview

The Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering offers a portfolio of undergraduate and graduate degree programs including Computer Science (B.S.), Computer Engineering (B.S. with ABET accreditation), Ph.D., Professional Master's Program (part-time), and BS/MS combined programs. An interdisciplinary AI minor is launching in Spring 2027. The school is consistently ranked among the top computer science programs nationally, with research spanning artificial intelligence, computing + biology, human-centered computing, interaction with physical world, software & hardware systems, and theory & models of computation. The institution is located at the University of Washington campus in Seattle.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Computer Science B.S. Degree Program
• Computer Engineering B.S. Degree Program
• Ph.D. Program
• Professional Master's Program (PMP)
• BS/MS Combined Program
• Interdisciplinary AI Minor
• Postdoctoral Scholars Program
• Industry Affiliates Program
• K-12 Outreach Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• $52M research activity in FY2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect exchange partnership enabling students to study abroad while fulfilling CSE degree requirements. Students can experience studying in Sweden while earning credits toward their UW degree.
• ETH Zurich (Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect exchange partnership for study abroad at one of Europe's leading technical universities, fulfilling CSE degree requirements.
• École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect exchange partnership enabling students to study at EPFL in Switzerland while earning credit toward UW CSE degree.
• Saarland University (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirect exchange partnership for study abroad in Germany, enabling students to fulfill CSE degree requirements at Saarland University.
• Industry Affiliates Program MemberscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCompanies connect with Allen School researchers, students, and alumni through events, collaborations, and recruiting activities. Provides industry engagement, student placement, and research collaboration opportunities.
• ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology)coreOthersComputer Engineering program is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET, under the commission's General Criteria and Program Criteria for Electrical, Computer, Communications, Telecommunication(s), and Similarly Named Engineering Programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanford University Computer Science Department: Stanford's CS department is the most direct peer: a top-5 US CS program with comparable research breadth (AI, theory, systems, HCI), a large PhD program, and a Silicon Valley industry affiliates network mirroring Allen School's Seattle ecosystem.
• MIT EECS (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science): MIT's EECS is one of the closest direct peers: an elite CS/engineering program with deep research output, strong industry ties, and a similarly broad curriculum spanning AI, systems, theory, and hardware.
• Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science: CMU SCS is the canonical direct peer for AI research and computer science education. Top-ranked globally for CS, with parallel research areas, an industry affiliates model, and a comparable PhD/undergraduate scale.
• UC Berkeley EECS: Berkeley EECS is a top-5 public-university CS/engineering program with similar research breadth, large graduate enrollment, and Bay Area industry ties analogous to Allen School's Seattle ecosystem.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Computer Science Department: UIUC CS is a top-5 US public CS program with a comparable scale (~2,000+ graduate students historically), strong AI/systems research, and ABET-accredited programs — a strong apples-to-apples public-university peer.
• Georgia Tech College of Computing: Georgia Tech CoC is a top-10 US public CS program with comparable enrollment scale, an industry affiliates program, and an online/OMSCS option that broadens reach in ways Allen School does not.
• Princeton University Computer Science Department: Princeton CS is a small, elite CS department that competes with Allen School for top undergraduate and PhD applicants, with overlapping research strengths in theory, systems, and AI.
• University of Michigan CSE: Michigan CSE is a top-10 public CS/engineering program with comparable enrollment (~3,000+ majors), strong industry partnerships, and a research portfolio spanning AI, systems, and theory.
• Caltech Computing and Mathematical Sciences: Caltech CMS is a smaller but elite CS peer that competes with Allen School for top-tier PhD applicants and faculty, particularly in theory, AI, and cross-disciplinary research.
• Cornell University Computer Science Department (Bowers CIS): Cornell CS is a top-10 CS program with comparable research breadth, large undergraduate enrollment, and an industry affiliates model — a direct competitor for both students and faculty.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering