UNLV Lee Business School

What UNLV Lee Business School does

The Lee Business School is the business college of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), a public R1 research university within the Nevada System of Higher Education. Founded in 1957 as Nevada Southern University (renamed UNLV in 1968), the school was established as the College of Business and rebranded as Lee Business School in 1994 following a gift from the Lee family. It serves undergraduate and graduate students seeking business degrees across six academic departments: Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Management and Entrepreneurship, and Marketing and International Business. The school supports four specialized research centers (Center for Business and Economic Research, Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management, Lied Center for Real Estate, and Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation) and provides student services through the Lee Business School Advising Center and the Bob Boughner Center for Career & Alumni Services.

The school's underlying technology consists of standard educational infrastructure — the MyUNLV student information system, WebCampus for online learning, and Workday for HR and financial management — rather than proprietary platforms. Its applied-research infrastructure is anchored by Black Fire Innovation, a 2020 collaboration with Caesars Entertainment, and includes industry-partnership channels with MGM Resorts (Public Policy Institute) and the 2025 START AgriTech Scale-Up program with Frontier RNG, Utah Tech University, Haifa Group, and Exit Ventures. These partnerships generate in-kind support, sponsored research, and student placement pipelines into Las Vegas's hospitality, gaming, and entertainment industries, as well as emerging AgriTech and desert-innovation sectors.

The school's revenue model is institutional rather than commercial. As a public university unit, it is funded through a combination of Nevada System of Higher Education appropriations, tuition and fees (set by NSHE and varying by residency status and program level), federal and private research grants, and industry-sponsored programs. Customer segments include prospective undergraduate students (primary), graduate business professionals, and business research consumers (government agencies, policymakers, and industry). The school's go-to-market motion is event-driven, leveraging the broader UNLV admissions funnel (Apply Now, Request Info, Visit Campus), digital marketing (UNLV website averaging 2.07 million monthly pageviews), social media, alumni networks, and partnerships for student recruitment and engagement. Pricing is not commercially negotiable; rather, tuition schedules are administered by NSHE policy.

Name

UNLV Lee Business School

Legal name

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Website

https://unlv.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Lee Business School is the business college of UNLV, a public R1 research university in Las Vegas. It offers undergraduate and graduate business degrees across six departments, supported by four research centers and partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and AgriTech startups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education / Business Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE)

Keywords

• Business education
• Undergraduate business degrees
• Graduate business programs
• Business research centers
• Hospitality management education

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Vegas

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public university funded primarily through tuition and fees from undergraduate and graduate students. UNLV offers in-state and out-of-state tuition rates, with additional fees for specific programs and services.
2. Research Grants and Contracts: UNLV as an R1 research institution receives significant funding through federal, state, and private research grants and contracts across its colleges including Lee Business School's research centers.
3. Industry Partnerships and Sponsored Programs: Business school maintains partnerships with industry (Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts) that may include sponsored research, facilities, and collaborative programs generating revenue and in-kind support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UNLV Lee Business School is a public university business school that delivers undergraduate and graduate business degree programs across six academic departments and supports them with applied research through four specialized centers. As part of UNLV (an R1-classified public research institution), the school awards bachelor-level and master's-level business credentials to in-state and out-of-state students, supplemented by industry partnerships, career services, and mentorship programs such as the Kerestesi Center.

Product overview

UNLV's Lee Business School is a comprehensive academic unit offering undergraduate and graduate business education across six academic departments (Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Management and Entrepreneurship, and Marketing and International Business). The school is supported by four research centers: Center for Business and Economic Research, Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management, Lied Center for Real Estate, and Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Student services include an advising center. The school is planning a new building to strengthen workforce development and industry partnerships in Southern Nevada.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management: A research center within the Lee Business School focused on insurance and risk management.
• Center for Business and Economic Research
• Lied Center for Real Estate
• Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Lee Business School Advising Center

Products and services

• Center for Business and Economic Research A research center under Lee Business School that conducts business and economic research, producing data and analysis for government, industry, and policymakers.
• Kerestesi Center for Insurance and Risk Management A center under Lee Business School focused on insurance and risk management research, education, and student mentorship that connects students to careers in the insurance industry.
• Lied Center for Real Estate A center under Lee Business School dedicated to real estate research and education serving students and the regional real estate industry.
• Troesh Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation A center under Lee Business School supporting entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives, including startup programs such as START AgriTech Scale-Up.
• Department of Accounting (Degree Programs) Offers accounting degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students seeking careers in accounting.
• Department of Economics (Degree Programs) Offers economics degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students seeking careers in economics and analysis.
• Department of Finance (Degree Programs) Offers finance degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students seeking careers in finance.
• Department of Information Systems (Degree Programs) Offers information systems degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students pursuing careers in information systems and technology management.
• Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Degree Programs) Offers management and entrepreneurship degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students pursuing management or entrepreneurial careers.
• Department of Marketing and International Business (Degree Programs) Offers marketing and international business degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) within Lee Business School for students pursuing marketing and global business careers.
• Lee Business School Advising Center The advising office providing academic guidance, course planning, and degree-progress support for undergraduate Lee Business School students.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Frontier RNGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025UNLV partnered with Frontier RNG as part of the START AgriTech Scale-Up program's third cohort expanding to Nevada. The program runs March 31 to April 3, 2025, in St. George, Utah and Las Vegas, connecting AgriTech startups with global agriculture and climate leaders. UNLV contributes academic expertise to DeserTech, precision farming, plant health, agrivoltaics, regenerative agriculture, and WaterTech solutions addressing global food security challenges.
• Utah Tech UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Academic partner in the START AgriTech Scale-Up program, collaborating with UNLV to advance agricultural technology innovation in the desert Southwest region.
• Haifa GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2025Global agriculture and climate leader partnering with UNLV in the START AgriTech Scale-Up program, bringing international expertise in agricultural solutions for desert environments.
• Exit VenturescoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2025Startup ecosystem partner facilitating the START AgriTech Scale-Up program's cross-country commercial deals, having facilitated over 14 deals and supported 19 startups from 12 countries.
• Caesars Entertainment CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Black Fire Innovation opened in 2020 as a collaboration between UNLV and Caesars Entertainment Corporation. The facility serves as the centerpiece of applied research and innovation for hospitality, gaming, and entertainment industries, combining big tech with UNLV research resources to accelerate industry development.
• MGM Resorts InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMGM Resorts Public Policy Institute is housed within the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs, focusing on public policy solutions that impact communities and the hospitality industry.
• Nevada Gold MinesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program placing students like Gare Ambrose-Igho as environment geologists, mapping well sites and analyzing groundwater samples with Nevada Gold Mines.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Arizona State University - W. P. Carey School of Business: ASU's W. P. Carey is the closest comparable — a large public R1 business school that has aggressively scaled online MBA and undergraduate programs. Both schools compete for the same Southwest applicant pool and online learners, and both emphasize industry partnership-driven programming.
• Penn State University - Smeal College of Business: Large public R1 business school with a similarly diversified portfolio across departments and research centers. Smeal is a useful scale benchmark and competes with UNLV Lee for out-of-state undergraduates and online MBA candidates.
• Western Governors University - College of Business: WGU is a leading online-only, low-cost business school competitor for UNLV Lee's WebCampus MBA and undergraduate online programs. Different model (nonprofit competency-based) but directly competes on price and flexibility for working adult learners.
• University of Arizona - Eller College of Management: Another public R1 business school in the immediate Southwest region. Eller competes with Lee for the same out-of-state applicant pool, industry partnerships in hospitality and real estate, and ranking position in the Pac-12/Big 12 footprint.
• Texas A&M University - Mays Business School: Another large public R1 business school with strong industry partnerships (especially energy and agriculture) and a research-center structure analogous to Lee's four centers. Comparable on governance, scale, and funding model.
• University of Nevada, Reno - College of Business: The in-state public R1 counterpart and primary direct competitor for Nevada-resident applicants, state appropriations, and faculty hiring. UNR and UNLV split the limited Nevada higher-ed budget and compete for the same regional employer placement pipelines.
• University of Central Florida - Rosen College of Hospitality Management: UCF Rosen is a public hospitality-focused business school closely comparable to UNLV Lee — both serve major U.S. tourism markets (Orlando and Las Vegas), both emphasize industry-embedded curriculum, and both compete for hospitality-firm recruitment and research funding.
• University of Houston - C.T. Bauer College of Business: Large public R1 business school with a strong hospitality and energy industry focus — directly comparable to UNLV Lee's hospitality anchor strategy. Bauer competes for hospitality-sector employer partnerships, executive education, and Southwest-region talent.
• Florida International University - Chapman Graduate School of Business: FIU Chapman is a public R1 business school in a major tourism/hospitality market (Miami) with strong diversity credentials and industry partnership model. Comparable in scale, mission, and target student demographic to UNLV Lee.

Broad incumbents

• Cornell University - Nolan School of Hotel Administration: Cornell's Nolan School is the leading global hospitality business school — broader incumbent that competes for top hospitality-firm recruitment and thought leadership. Not a direct competitor for most applicants (private, Ivy-tier pricing) but defines the ceiling UNLV Lee's hospitality niche must address.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/unlv
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@unlvcollegeofurbanaffairs
• Facebookfacebook.com/UNLVGreenspun
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/officialunlv
• Instagraminstagram.com/unlv_mvsc

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 UNLV Lee Business School