University of British Columbia Press
UBC Press is the scholarly publishing house of the University of British Columbia, producing peer-reviewed books on Canadian law, Indigenous studies, political science, and social policy for academic, legal, library, and general readers across global distribution channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What University of British Columbia Press does
University of British Columbia Press (UBC Press) is the scholarly publishing house of the University of British Columbia, founded in 1971 and headquartered at 2029 West Mall, Vancouver, Canada. It produces peer-reviewed academic books concentrated in Canadian law and constitutional history, Indigenous law and rights, Canadian political science, environmental and natural-resource studies, social policy, sexuality studies, and education. The press operates through multiple imprints (UBC Press, On Point Press, Purich Books, On Campus, and Pacific Educational Press) and serves a fragmented audience of academic scholars, legal professionals, university libraries and instructors, and general readers interested in Canadian and Indigenous topics.
UBC Press distributes titles through a four-region wholesale network — UTP Distribution (Canada), Chicago Distribution Center (US), Combined Academic Publishers (UK/Europe/Middle East/Africa), and East West Export Books / University of Hawai'i Press (Asia-Pacific) — supplemented by direct encrypted online ordering through its shopping cart and local bookstore channels. Digital distribution is delivered via the Glassboxx app in EPUB and PDF formats, with accessibility features meeting WCAG 2.0 AA standards. The press also acts as the Canadian distribution agent for over 20 international university and academic presses, including Athabasca University Press, Rutgers University Press, University of Alabama Press, University of Arizona Press, University of Hawai'i Press, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and others.
UBC Press generates revenue primarily through one-time print and ebook sales (paperbacks typically priced CA$32.95–CA$39.95) plus licensing/royalty income from international rights representation and distribution agency services. As a non-profit academic unit of UBC, its commercial operations are paired with public-purpose programming, including the Learning with Syeyutsus virtual speaker series delivered with Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools and Vancouver Island Regional Library in support of Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #57. The press operates with 11–50 employees, has no disclosed external funding rounds or M&A, and has no AI/ML product capabilities disclosed in the input.
University of British Columbia Press firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of British Columbia Press
- Legal name
- University of British Columbia Press
- Website
- https://ubcpress.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- UBC Press is the scholarly publishing house of the University of British Columbia, producing peer-reviewed books on Canadian law, Indigenous studies, political science, and social policy for academic, legal, library, and general readers across global distribution channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
University of British Columbia Press industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Scholarly Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAH), Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Political Science) (EDAGABAD), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)
Keywords
Where University of British Columbia Press is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of British Columbia Press business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales (Print): Sale of physical paperback and hardcover books through direct online orders, bookstores, and distribution partners. Books shipped upon publication with prices subject to change without notice.
- Ebook Sales: Digital ebook sales in EPUB and PDF formats through Glassboxx app. Billing occurs upon shipment for published titles.
- International Rights and Distribution: UBC Press acts as Canadian agent for international publishers, representing over 20 academic and university presses for distribution in Canada.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Paperback books typically priced CA$32.95-C$39.95 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
University of British Columbia Press product offering
Product offeringCore offering
UBC Press publishes peer-reviewed scholarly books in Canadian law, Indigenous studies, political science, environmental studies, and humanities under several imprints including UBC Press, On Point Press, Purich Books, On Campus, and Pacific Educational Press. The press sells print and accessible EPUB ebooks directly via its own website and through a global network of academic distributors. It also acts as the Canadian distribution agent for more than 20 international academic and university presses.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- On Point Press: An imprint of UBC Press focusing on specialized academic publishing.
- Purich Books
- On Campus
- Pacific Educational Press
Products and services
- UBC Press Main Imprint The primary scholarly publishing imprint of UBC Press, producing peer-reviewed books in Canadian law, Indigenous studies, Canadian history, political science, environmental studies, and humanities for academic and library markets.
- On Point Press An imprint of UBC Press focused on publishing works that examine the intersection of law, social justice, and community engagement.
- Purich Books An imprint of UBC Press acquired into the press, specializing in Indigenous law, Aboriginal rights, and social justice topics.
- On Campus An imprint of UBC Press publishing works on higher education, campus culture, and academic topics.
- Pacific Educational Press An imprint of UBC Press focused on educational materials, with titles now available through UBC Press's website and distribution channels.
- Accessible Ebook Catalog (EPUB/PDF via Glassboxx) Digital ebook catalog delivered in EPUB and PDF formats through the Glassboxx app, with accessibility features meeting WCAG 2.0 AA standards including index navigation, single logical reading order, short alternative textual descriptions, print-equivalent page numbering, language tagging, high contrast text/background, and next/previous structural navigation.
- Publishers Represented Distribution Services Agency service under which UBC Press acts as the Canadian distribution agent for over 20 international academic and university presses, including Athabasca University Press, Canadian Forest Service, Concordia University Press, Laval University Press, Oregon State University Press, Rutgers University Press, University of Alabama Press, University of Arizona Press, University of Hawai'i Press, University of Massachusetts Press, and University of Texas Press, plus associated sub-imprints such as Bucknell University Press, University of Delaware Press, Templeton Press, Handspring Publishing, and Singing Dragon.
Quantifiable outcome
- Publishing output in both established and new academic fields with growing focus on Indigenous scholarship
Companies that use University of British Columbia Press
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
University of British Columbia Press technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
University of British Columbia Press partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools (NLPS)corePartnership for Learning with Syeyutsus, a free virtual speaker series supporting Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Call to Action #57. UBC Press provides authors and books as part of this educational initiative exploring Indigenous knowledge, cultural revitalization, and colonial histories.
- Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL)coreCo-presenter of Learning with Syeyutsus speaker series alongside NLPS and UBC Press, providing community outreach and virtual event platform for Indigenous education initiatives.
- UTP DistributioncorePrimary Canadian distributor for UBC Press books. Handles wholesale orders within Canada via phone (1 800 565 9523) and email ([email protected]).
- Chicago Distribution CentercoreUS distribution partner for UBC Press books. Located at 11030 South Langley Avenue, Chicago IL 60628.
- Combined Academic PublisherscoreUK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa distributor for UBC Press books. Located in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK.
- East West Export Books / University of Hawaii PressminorAsia and Pacific region distributor for UBC Press books.
- Athabasca University PressminorOne of the international publishers represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution.
- Jessica Kingsley PublishersminorInternational publisher represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution, including sub-imprints Handspring Publishing and Singing Dragon.
- Rutgers University PressminorUS university press represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution, including sub-imprints Bucknell University Press, University of Delaware Press, and Templeton Press.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
University of British Columbia Press competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Cambridge University Press: Global academic publisher with strong scholarly monograph and journal output in social sciences, law, and Indigenous studies; competes for the same institutional library and course-adoption budgets as UBC Press but at significantly greater scale.
- Oxford University Press: Global academic publisher with a large university press division publishing across law, humanities, and social sciences; comparable in subject overlap (especially in legal scholarship) but vastly broader in scale, geography, and format offerings.
- University of Chicago Press: Operates the Chicago Distribution Center that handles UBC Press's U.S. distribution; as one of the largest North American university presses, it is a broad incumbent in the same scholarly publishing space with much greater scale and broader subject coverage.
Direct peers
- McGill-Queen's University Press: Canadian university press publishing scholarly books across Canadian history, politics, law, and Indigenous studies — directly comparable subject focus, distribution model, and institutional customer base to UBC Press.
- University of Toronto Press: Canada's largest university press publishing scholarly books across humanities and social sciences; operates UTP Distribution, which is also UBC Press's Canadian wholesale distributor, making it both a peer and a channel partner.
- Laval University Press (Les Presses de l'Université Laval): Major francophone Canadian university press publishing scholarly books across social sciences, law, and humanities; represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution and directly comparable in mission and academic-customer focus.
- Jessica Kingsley Publishers: Independent academic publisher specializing in social justice, disability studies, and Indigenous topics — including sub-imprints Handspring Publishing and Singing Dragon; represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution and directly comparable in social-justice subject focus.
- Oregon State University Press: U.S. university press publishing scholarly books in Indigenous studies, environmental studies, and Pacific Northwest regional topics; represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution and directly comparable in mission and subject-area overlap.
- Concordia University Press: Canadian university press publishing scholarly works in humanities and social sciences; also represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution, making it a directly comparable peer in academic monograph publishing.
- Athabasca University Press: Open-access-focused Canadian university press publishing scholarly books; represented by UBC Press for Canadian distribution, making it a direct peer in scholarly monograph publishing with overlapping subject areas.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
University of British Columbia Press social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of British Columbia Press financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
University of British Columbia Press leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
University of British Columbia Press subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
University of British Columbia Press funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of British Columbia Press M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about University of British Columbia Press
What does University of British Columbia Press do?
UBC Press publishes peer-reviewed scholarly books in Canadian law, Indigenous studies, political science, environmental studies, and humanities under several imprints including UBC Press, On Point Press, Purich Books, On Campus, and Pacific Educational Press. The press sells print and accessible EPUB ebooks directly via its own website and through a global network of academic distributors. It also acts as the Canadian distribution agent for more than 20 international academic and university presses.
Is University of British Columbia Press a public or private company?
University of British Columbia Press is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was University of British Columbia Press founded?
University of British Columbia Press was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is University of British Columbia Press based?
University of British Columbia Press is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does University of British Columbia Press make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Book Sales (Print) is the primary driver. The others are ebook Sales and international Rights and Distribution.
Who are University of British Columbia Press's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and University of Chicago Press. Direct peers are McGill-Queen's University Press, University of Toronto Press, Laval University Press (Les Presses de l'Université Laval), Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Oregon State University Press, Concordia University Press and Athabasca University Press.
Does University of British Columbia Press have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of British Columbia Press.
What industry is University of British Columbia Press in?
University of British Columbia Press's product category is Scholarly Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJABAJ, Research Monographs & University Press Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAH, Education Research & Pedagogy Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.