University of Kansas School of Business

What University of Kansas School of Business does

The University of Kansas School of Business is a public academic unit within the University of Kansas, a state university governed by the Kansas Board of Regents, headquartered in Capitol Federal Hall (1654 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, KS). The school traces its founding to 1915 (its centennial was marked around 2015–2016) and enrolled 4,633 students for fall 2025. Its mission is undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral business education supported by a layered experiential-learning architecture, with 83% of 2024–25 BSB graduates employed within six months of graduation.

The school's core academic products are the Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) across eight majors, the Full-Time, Hybrid, and Online MBA programs, specialized master's degrees (Accounting, Business Analytics, Organizational Leadership, Supply Chain Management), and a doctoral program. Differentiated experiential programs include Applied Portfolio Management (APM), which operates a real investment portfolio using Bloomberg Terminal access in the McCarthy APM Finance Lab; The Catalyst, a three-stage student venture incubator; Jayhawk Consulting, a student consultancy serving Kansas small businesses; RedTire, a business-succession matching program; and the annual King's Hawaiian Sales Competition. Underlying technology is standard academic IT (Canvas, Handshake for recruiting/experiential submissions, Suitable for SOAR badge tracking, Parker Dewey and Taproot for micro-internships) rather than proprietary AI infrastructure; an Entrepreneurship Hub funded by over $60 million in donor commitments is under construction with a fall 2027 opening target.

The school's revenue model is non-commercial: operating funding comes from state appropriations through the Kansas Board of Regents, tuition and program fees (in-state and out-of-state schedules set by KU), sponsored research and grants (including participation in the Gen-4 Engineering Research Center EARTH), and private philanthropy — notably a $50 million lead gift plus a $10 million commitment and a $2.5 million Stava pledge directed at the Entrepreneurship Hub, plus a $7.2 million Davis gift funding the Davis Center for Figure Sense. Customer segments are primarily individual prospective undergraduates, working professionals pursuing graduate credentials, employer recruiting partners, and student entrepreneurs; GTM is direct-to-consumer via traditional academic admissions, university website, campus visits, and employer partnerships rather than enterprise sales.

Name

University of Kansas School of Business

Legal name

University of Kansas School of Business

Website

https://business.ku.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The University of Kansas School of Business is a public business school in Lawrence, Kansas, offering undergraduate (BSB), MBA (full-time, hybrid, online), specialized master's, and doctoral programs to roughly 4,633 students, with experiential learning anchored by Applied Portfolio Management, The Catalyst incubator, Jayhawk Consulting, and the King's Hawaiian Sales Competition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate and graduate tuition, including in-state and out-of-state rates, as well as program-specific fees for specialized programs
2. Private Philanthropy and Gifts: Major donor gifts including $10 million anonymous donation for entrepreneurship hub, $2.5 million from Mathew and Kelly Stava, and various scholarship endowments
3. Sponsored Research and Grants: Federal and state funding for research initiatives, including participation in Gen-4 Engineering Research Center (EARTH)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Kansas School of Business delivers higher education programs in business disciplines at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels, including BSB majors, MBA formats (full-time, hybrid, online), and specialized master's degrees. It supplements classroom instruction with experiential programs such as Applied Portfolio Management (with Bloomberg Terminal access in the McCarthy APM Finance Lab), Jayhawk Consulting, The Catalyst entrepreneurship incubator, RedTire business succession matching, and the King's Hawaiian Professional Selling Competition. The school also operates the KU Small Business Development Center, providing consulting and training services to Kansas small businesses.

Product overview

The University of Kansas School of Business offers a comprehensive portfolio of business education programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The core offerings include traditional and online MBA programs, specialized master's degrees (Business Analytics, Accounting, Organizational Leadership, Supply Chain Management), and doctoral research programs. Supporting the academic curriculum are experiential learning programs including The Catalyst (entrepreneurship), Jayhawk Consulting, RedTire (business succession), Applied Portfolio Management (investment management with Bloomberg Terminal), and the King's Hawaiian Sales Competition. The school also provides student support services through Handshake and Suitable platforms for career development and badge tracking, all housed in Capitol Federal Hall.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full-Time MBA A full-time Master of Business Administration program for prospective graduate students, ranked #25 among public programs by U.S. News & World Report 2026.
• Hybrid MBA A hybrid MBA program combining in-person and online learning formats for working professionals.
• Online MBA A fully online Master of Business Administration program for working professionals nationally, ranked among top 10 by U.S. News & World Report.
• Master's in Business Analytics (MSBA) A master's program in business analytics, offered on campus and online starting fall 2026.
• Master of Accounting A specialized master's program in accounting, with the undergraduate accounting program ranked in the top 10 for CPA exam success.
• Master's in Organizational Leadership A graduate program focusing on organizational leadership for professionals seeking career advancement.
• Master's in Supply Chain Management A graduate program in supply chain management and logistics.
• Doctoral Program (PhD) A doctoral program allowing students to pursue research with extensive faculty interaction.
• The Catalyst Entrepreneurship Program A three-stage entrepreneurship program that helps students develop ventures while receiving mentorship, industry resources, and the ability to qualify for experiential learning credit.
• Jayhawk Consulting A student consultancy team that provides advisory services to local businesses and regional community organizations under faculty oversight.
• RedTire Business Succession Program A program that connects retiring business owners with aspiring entrepreneurs, matching sellers and buyers in transactions to preserve community economic well-being.
• Applied Portfolio Management (APM) Program A program where students manage a real investment portfolio, analyzing publicly traded companies and making buy, sell, or hold decisions using Bloomberg Terminal in the McCarthy APM Finance Lab.
• KU Professional Selling Program / King's Hawaiian Sales Competition An annual sales competition sponsored by King's Hawaiian featuring two-minute speed-selling rounds and three-round team case competitions, with cash prizes and travel stipends; participants include 14+ universities nationwide.
• Certificate in Accounting for Strategic Decision-Making An undergraduate certificate in accounting focused on strategic decision-making, available to students beginning fall 2025.
• True Blue® Certificate in Banking An undergraduate certificate in banking that equips students for roles providing essential financial services valuable across a wide array of markets.
• KU Small Business Development Center (SBDC) A center providing consulting, training, and economic development support to Kansas small businesses, part of the national SBDC network.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• NXTUS, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Partnership with Kansas Department of Commerce and KU Innovation Park for Gamechangers & Champions 2026: Bracket Bash startup pitch competition. NXTUS coordinates follow-on investment opportunities for participants alongside Accelerate Venture Partners and OREAD Angel Group.
• KU Innovation ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Partnership with Kansas Department of Commerce and NXTUS for Gamechangers & Champions 2026 event at University of Kansas Conference Center in Lawrence, Kansas.
• King's Hawaiian (Irresistible Foods Group)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 April 2021Exclusive title sponsor and judge of the annual KU Professional Selling Program/King's Hawaiian Sales Competition. Nearly 70 IFG employees judge the two-minute speed-selling competition and three-round team case competition. Prize money and $1,000 travel stipend per university provided. Competition has grown to include 14+ universities nationwide. Partnership has continued annually since 2021.
• Davis Center for Figure SensecoreOthersNamed center within the school funded by Roger and Julie Davis gift commitment of $7.2 million, focused on teaching students complex figure sense skills.
• KU Small Business Development CentercoreOthersPart of national SBDC network providing consulting, training, and economic development support to Kansas small businesses from office at 718 New Hampshire Street, Lawrence.
• OneValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization where Sabah Baxamoosa serves as Director of Business Development; she was recognized for leadership in business development and launching online programs at Coursera.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Higher-ranked public business school recognized as a benchmark in online MBA (consistently #1 or top-3). KU's Online MBA competes in the same ranking category, making Kelley a direct aspirational and competitive reference point.
• University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management: Larger Big Ten public business school with broader national brand and higher ranking tier. Comparable program portfolio (FT MBA, online MBA, specialized masters) but at a different scale and prestige level.
• University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business: Elite-tier public business school that sets the upper bound for Big 12 public business education. Comparable program mix and online MBA offerings but at materially higher ranking tier and enrollment scale.

Direct peers

• University of Missouri Trulaske College of Business: In-state regional peer public business school with comparable BSB/BSBA undergraduate programs, MBA, and online graduate offerings. Closely comparable by geography, mission, scale, and AACSB accreditation.
• Iowa State University Ivy College of Business: Big 12 peer public business school with similarly ranked undergraduate and MBA programs and comparable mid-tier national positioning. Directly comparable on program portfolio and public-university economics.
• Kansas State University College of Business Administration: The other major public business school within the state of Kansas. Similar scale, public-university funding model, and Midwest applicant pool, competing directly for the same regional talent and employer relationships.
• University of Oklahoma Price College of Business: Big 12 peer public business school offering BBA, MBA, and specialized master's degrees with similar enrollment scale and ranking tier. Comparable by conference affiliation and mission.
• University of Arkansas Sam M. Walton College of Business: SEC/Big 12 peer public business school, frequently cited alongside KU in regional rankings with strong supply chain and retail-focused programs. Comparable scale and undergraduate/masters portfolio.
• University of Colorado Boulder Leeds School of Business: Regional public business school with strong undergraduate and MBA programs, comparable rankings tier, and overlapping applicant pool from the broader Midwest/Plains region.
• University of Nebraska College of Business: Big Ten-adjacent public business school serving a similar Midwestern applicant pool with comparable program mix including online MBA and specialized master's degrees.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/KUBusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/KUbschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/the-ku-school-of-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/kubschool
• Xx.com/kubschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Kansas School of Business