UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality

What UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality does

The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality, founded in 1967 as the College of Hotel Administration, is an academic college within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). It was renamed in honor of casino magnate William F. Harrah following his significant donation. The college is one of 18 major academic units at UNLV, a public R1 research university that also offers its own law, medicine, and dental medicine schools, and a total of 78 majors, 84 minors, and over 197 graduate degree and certificate programs. The college is organized into three dedicated academic departments: Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Management; Events, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism Management; and Gaming Management and Hospitality Technology.

The college serves prospective and enrolled undergraduate and graduate students pursuing hospitality credentials, leveraging its location on UNLV's 335-acre main campus in the heart of Las Vegas, the world's premier hospitality and gaming destination, to deliver in-person instruction supplemented by internships and experiential learning at nearby industry venues. It also operates alongside specialized UNLV research units such as the International Gaming Institute and the International Center for Gaming Regulation, and it has a partnership with the PGA Golf Management Program, broadening its sports and entertainment hospitality scope. The college does not run a commercial GTM; recruitment flows through UNLV's central admissions, high school outreach, transfer agreements with community colleges, industry partnerships, and a peer mentoring program under the university-wide First Year Experience initiative.

The college does not generate commercial revenue. As a public academic unit of the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), it is funded through state appropriations, student tuition paid at UNLV's standard rates plus college-specific fees, research grants, and private donations including the Harrah family endowment. It markets programs through UNLV's institutional channels: the university website (averaging 2.07 million monthly pageviews), news center, magazine, campus visit events such as Scarlet & Gray Days, and social media channels. Distribution is single-channel and on-campus in Las Vegas, with online delivery available where UNLV offers it.

Name

UNLV William F. Harrah College of Hospitality

Legal name

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Website

https://unlv.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality is an academic college within the University of Nevada, Las Vegas that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in hospitality, food and beverage, events, gaming, and tourism management, serving students preparing for careers in the hospitality industry and leveraging its Las Vegas location for industry access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality, Tourism & Sports Management Schools (within Business Schools) (EDAHAHAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs) (EDAHAHAA), Coffee Shops, Cafés & Beverage Programs (EDALADAG), University & Educational Venue Operations (Auditoriums, Campus Arenas) (MPAGALAI), University/College Club Sports Programs (MPAKACAK)

Keywords

• Hospitality education
• Hospitality management degree
• Hotel administration
• Gaming management education
• Tourism management programs

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Academic Fees: The college generates revenue primarily through tuition and fees paid by enrolled students. As part of UNLV, students pay university tuition rates with additional college-specific fees for hospitality programs. Revenue supports faculty salaries, facilities, equipment, and program operations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in hospitality management, organized into three academic departments: Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Management; Events, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism Management; and Gaming Management and Hospitality Technology. Programs prepare students for management careers in hotels, restaurants, casinos, resorts, event venues, and tourism organizations, and include continuing education and professional development for industry professionals.

Product overview

The William F. Harrah College of Hospitality is a college within UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas) offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in hospitality management. The college is organized into three academic departments: Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Management; Events, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism Management; and Gaming Management and Hospitality Technology. The college leverages its location in Las Vegas to provide hands-on learning opportunities in the hospitality, tourism, and gaming industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hospitality, Food, and Beverage Management Programs Academic department offering undergraduate and graduate courses and degree programs focused on hospitality management, food service operations, and beverage operations, preparing students for careers in hotel and restaurant management.
• Events, Sports, Entertainment, and Tourism Management Programs Academic department offering degree programs in event management, sports management, entertainment industry studies, and tourism management, preparing students for careers in event planning, sports and entertainment venues, and tourism organizations.
• Gaming Management and Hospitality Technology Programs Academic department offering degree programs focused on gaming management, casino operations, and hospitality technology applications, preparing students for management careers in the casino and gaming industries.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• International Gaming InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Gaming Institute is housed within UNLV's broader ecosystem. While not exclusively within Harrah College, the institute focuses on gaming research and industry collaboration that benefits hospitality and gaming management programs.
• International Center for Gaming RegulationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe International Center for Gaming Regulation operates within UNLV's research ecosystem, providing research and education in gaming regulatory matters that complement hospitality and gaming management education.
• PGA Golf Management ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PGA Golf Management Program is listed alongside hospitality programs at UNLV, suggesting collaboration in sports and entertainment hospitality management education.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Glion (Switzerland/London) is another Swiss-rooted hospitality school with comparable luxury hospitality and event management programs that compete with UNLV for international student enrollment.
• EHL (École hôtelière de Lausanne): EHL is the leading international hospitality management school based in Switzerland; while not in the U.S., it competes globally for the same top-tier hospitality students and recruits from many of the same employer brands.
• Les Roches International School of Hotel Management: Les Roches (Switzerland/UAE/Spain campuses) is a globally recognized Swiss hospitality school competing for international hospitality students who would otherwise consider UNLV.

Direct peers

• Penn State - School of Hospitality Management: Penn State's School of Hospitality Management is a similarly structured academic unit at a large public university with comparable F&B, lodging, and tourism management degree offerings.
• Johnson & Wales University - College of Hospitality Management: Johnson & Wales has been a long-standing U.S. hospitality education competitor with applied culinary and hotel administration programs targeting a similar student segment.
• Florida International University - Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management: FIU's Chaplin School is a comparable hospitality and tourism school at a major U.S. public university, similarly structured around F&B, lodging, and event management tracks.
• Cornell University - Nolan School of Hotel Administration: Cornell's Nolan School is the most established U.S. hospitality management school, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees with the same industry-recognition positioning UNLV's Harrah College pursues.
• Purdue University - School of Hospitality and Tourism Management: Purdue's HTM school competes directly with UNLV for undergraduate hospitality majors at a large U.S. public research university, with overlapping curriculum in lodging, F&B, and tourism.
• New York University - Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality: NYU's Tisch Center offers hospitality management degrees in a major U.S. urban market (NYC), competing for the same prospective students interested in lodging, F&B, and tourism management careers.
• University of Houston - Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership: Hilton College is one of UNLV's closest U.S. peers: a dedicated hospitality college at a public research university offering comparable F&B, lodging, and hospitality technology programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unlvhospitality

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries3 records

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 William F. Harrah College of Hospitality