UW Foster School of Business

What UW Foster School of Business does

The UW Foster School of Business is a top-20 public business school within the University of Washington, serving approximately 2,500 full-time undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students through a multi-format portfolio that includes a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with eight majors, six MBA delivery formats (Full-time, Evening, Hybrid, Executive, Global Executive, Technology Management), seven specialty master's programs (MPAcc, MST, MSBA, MSIS, MSCM, MS Entrepreneurship, MS Finance), and a PhD program. The school also delivers executive education — open-enrollment programs, topic-focused seminars, and custom corporate engagements — and operates eight specialized centers (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking, Center for Sales and Marketing Strategy, CBDC, Global Business Center, Creative Destruction Lab-Seattle, Global Innovation Exchange, UW Climate Risk Lab) that anchor its research and industry-engagement function. Curriculum is increasingly AI-integrated via a Graduate Certificate in AI in Business, AI Bootcamps, AI Strategy seminars, and the annual Global AI Summit, with faculty research spanning generative AI, predictive analytics, knowledge retrieval, and autonomous agents.

Revenue mechanics rest on three streams: recurring tuition across undergraduate and graduate programs (graduate application fees are $90 USD standard, $75 USD non-matriculated), professional-services pricing for executive education and custom corporate programs, and philanthropic support through a tiered giving structure ranging from Dean's Club ($1,000+) to Presidential Laureate ($10M+). Go-to-market is hybrid: sales-led direct admissions for prospective students, enterprise field sales for executive education sold to corporate clients, and channel partnerships with major Pacific Northwest employers (Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Boeing, Costco, Zillow, Alaska Airlines, Nike, Bank of America, PACCAR) for recruiting, faculty research engagement, and pipeline development. The school operates across multiple Seattle-area facilities — PACCAR Hall (135,000 sq ft, 2010), Dempsey Hall (65,000 sq ft, 2012), Founders Hall, the Bank of America Executive Center, and the Eastside Executive Center in Kirkland — and is supported by a 65,000+-member alumni network spanning more than 70 countries. Foster is a nonprofit academic department within the University of Washington; it does not have publicly disclosed financial statements or equity ownership.

Name

UW Foster School of Business

Legal name

Michael G. Foster School of Business

Website

https://foster.uw.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1899

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The UW Foster School of Business is a top-ranked public business school within the University of Washington, serving approximately 2,500 full-time students across undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and executive programs. It generates revenue through tuition, executive education, and philanthropy, operating across multiple Seattle-area facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Education / Higher Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Business & Management Research Universities (EDAHABAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.) (EDAHALAE)

Keywords

• Business education
• MBA programs
• Executive education
• Undergraduate business
• Specialized master's degrees

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition: Revenue from undergraduate students paying tuition to the University of Washington for business administration degrees.
2. Graduate Tuition: Revenue from MBA programs (Full-time, Evening, Hybrid), specialty master's programs (MS Finance, MS Business Analytics, MS Information Systems, MS Supply Chain Management, MS Entrepreneurship, MPAcc, MST), PhD programs, and executive MBA programs.
3. Executive Education Programs: Revenue from executive development programs, topic-focused courses, custom programs for organizations, and professional certificates.
4. Donations and Philanthropy: Private support from alumni, friends, and corporate partners including annual giving, endowments, planned giving, and matching gifts. Recognition levels include Dean's Club ($1,000+), President's Club ($2,000+), UW Benefactor ($100,000+), UW Laureate ($1M+), Presidential Laureate ($10M+).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The UW Foster School of Business is a comprehensive business school within the University of Washington that offers undergraduate (BABA with 8 majors), MBA (Full-Time, Evening, Executive, Global Executive, Technology Management, Hybrid), specialized master's (MPAcc, MST, MSBA, MSIS, MSCM, MS Entrepreneurship, MS Finance), PhD, and Executive Education programs. It serves approximately 2,500 full-time students through degree-granting and non-degree programs and supports a 60,000+ alumni network, supported by 140+ full-time faculty across five academic departments and multiple research centers.

Product overview

The UW Foster School of Business is a comprehensive business education institution offering a multi-level portfolio of degree programs and professional development offerings. The core academic structure includes undergraduate programs (BABA degree with 8 majors), multiple MBA delivery formats (Full-Time, Evening, Executive, Global Executive, Technology Management, and Hybrid), specialized master's programs (MPAcc, MST, MSBA, MSIS, MSCM, MS Entrepreneurship, MS Finance), PhD research program, and Executive Education. Add-on certificate programs include AI in Business, Sales, International Studies, Leadership, and Honors programs. Research and industry engagement are facilitated through eight specialized centers (Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Leadership, Global Business Center, CDL-Seattle, etc.) and five academic departments. The school operates across multiple facilities including Founders Hall, PACCAR Hall, Dempsey Hall, and satellite executive centers, serving approximately 2,500 full-time students with access to a 60,000+ alumni network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Programs (BABA) Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with eight specialized majors including Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Human Resources Management, Information Systems, Marketing, and Operations & Supply Chain Management, for prospective undergraduates.
• Full-Time MBA Two-year intensive MBA program ranked #1 MBA in the Northwest by U.S. News & World Report, for professionals seeking career acceleration or transition.
• Evening MBA Part-time MBA program for working professionals, ranked #4 Online MBA by Poets & Quants.
• Executive MBA (EMBA) Executive MBA program housed in the Bank of America Executive Center with offices and classrooms for senior executives.
• Global Executive MBA International executive education program with global business perspectives and international immersion experiences for senior leaders.
• Technology Management MBA MBA program hosted at the Eastside Executive Center in Kirkland, WA, focused on technology leadership and management for working tech professionals.
• Hybrid MBA Flexible MBA program combining online and in-person learning components for working professionals.
• Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) Master's degree in professional accounting that satisfies the 225-quarter credit educational requirement for CPA exam eligibility.
• Master of Science in Taxation (MST) Graduate degree in taxation preparing students for careers in tax preparation, consulting, and corporate tax departments.
• Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) STEM-designated program focusing on data analytics, statistical methods, and business intelligence.
• Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) Four-quarter work-compatible degree training future business leaders to use information technology to solve business problems.
• Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) Four-quarter work-compatible degree providing technical and managerial skills for overseeing flow of goods, with Monday/Wednesday evening and Saturday classes.
• Master of Science in Entrepreneurship Graduate program focused on new venture creation, startup management, and entrepreneurial strategy.
• MS in Finance STEM-designated program preparing students for analyst-level roles across finance, investments, markets, and fintech.
• PhD Program Doctoral program in business administration with research focus across all business disciplines for academic careers.
• Executive Education Programs Open enrollment programs including the Executive Development Program and topic-focused courses for senior executives and professional development.
• Custom and Group Executive Programs Custom-designed executive education programs sold to corporate clients and organizations for team leadership development and strategic capability building.
• AI in Business Certificate Graduate certificate program teaching AI as a tool for better decision-making, grounded in real-world business contexts for working professionals.
• Sales Certificate Program Nationally ranked sales program teaching students how to sell, manage, and lead in professional sales careers.
• Certificate of International Studies in Business (CISB) Rigorous academic supplement combining study abroad, foreign language immersion, and area studies coursework for global business competency.
• Arthur W. Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship Center founded in 1991 offering curriculum, real-world experiences, and Seattle entrepreneurial community connections to inspire students across campus.
• Global Business Center (GBC) Center creating transformative global business opportunities through study abroad programs, international case competitions, and global business education.
• Consulting and Business Development Center (CBDC) Publicly-engaged center accelerating student careers through strategic consulting engagements and executive education for underserved communities.
• Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Seattle) Startup program with partnerships across UW College of Engineering, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science, and CoMotion, supported by Microsoft and AI2.
• Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking Center focused on integrating rigor and relevance in leadership and strategic thinking development using evidence-based practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• $77k+ average starting salary for undergraduate graduates
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Department of Education (CIBER)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGBC is funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) grant program, supporting international business education and research initiatives.
• Microsoft CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft provides support to the Creative Destruction Lab (CDL-Seattle), partnering across UW campus including College of Engineering, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, and CoMotion.
• Washington Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate foundation supporting the Creative Destruction Lab and Foster's innovation ecosystem.
• Allen Institute for Artificial IntelligencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAI research institute supporting Foster's Creative Destruction Lab and AI initiatives.
• Bank of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of America Executive Center houses the offices, classrooms, and lounge spaces for Executive Education and Executive MBA programs.
• BECUminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBECU credit union provided generous support for the creation of the Business for Life Badge & Minor Program at Foster School.
• Husky AthleticscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UW Athletics for Foster Leadership Academy program and co-branded sports business educational content.
• Russell InvestmentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of the Russell Investments International Case Competition (RIICC), Foster's global case competition for business students.
• Corporate Recruiting PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCompanies including Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, REI, Boeing, Zillow, Alaska Airlines, Nike, Costco, and others recruit Foster graduates and engage with students through various programs.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Northwestern Kellogg School of Management: Top-tier MBA competitor for executive education and corporate custom programs with a similar emphasis on experiential learning and industry partnerships. Comparable on premium graduate and executive programming.
• Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Direct peer given Foster Dean's alma mater and overlapping strengths in undergraduate business, online MBA, and specialty master's programs; comparable ranking tier and public-university structure.
• UC Berkeley Haas School of Business: Top-ranked West Coast public university business school with a similarly research-strong faculty profile and tech-industry employer pipeline. Most directly comparable peer given shared public-research-university context and Pacific/West-Coast employer ecosystem.
• UCLA Anderson School of Management: Public West Coast research university business school at a similar ranking tier to Foster, with comparable program breadth (MBA, specialty master's, executive education) and a large alumni network in tech, entertainment, and consulting.
• Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business: Tech-forward business school with strong quantitative graduate programs (Business Analytics, Information Systems) directly comparable to Foster's MSBA, MSIS, and Technology Management MBA, and similarly AI-influenced curriculum.
• USC Marshall School of Business: West Coast private (large research university) business school with comparable full-time MBA, specialty master's, and executive education portfolios, competing for similar Pacific Coast employer relationships and applicants.
• Stanford Graduate School of Business: Geographic neighbor and top-tier MBA competitor with deep ties to the same Silicon Valley/Seattle tech employer ecosystem. Comparable in targeting working professionals and executives with premium-priced graduate and executive education.
• NYU Stern School of Business: Top urban private-university business school with comparable MBA, specialty master's, and executive education portfolios, and strong corporate recruiting relationships in similar high-growth sectors (tech, finance, consulting).
• University of Michigan Ross School of Business: Public research university business school at a comparable U.S. News ranking tier with similar program breadth (MBA, specialty master's, executive education) and strong national brand. Directly comparable on size, scope, and student profile.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Sloan School of Management: Higher-prestige tech-adjacent business school with strong AI, analytics, and executive education offerings. Comparable on technology-business integration but operates at a higher brand tier and broader portfolio scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UWFosterSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/UWFosterSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uwfosterschoolofbusiness
• Instagraminstagram.com/uwfosterschool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 UW Foster School of Business