Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Gies College of Business is the public business school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delivering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online business education with AI-integrated curricula to students and corporate partners globally.

Company typePublic
Founded1895
HeadquartersChampaign, United States
Headcount10,001+
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign does

Gies College of Business is the business school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public R1 state university located in Champaign, Illinois. Founded in 1895 as the College of Commerce and Politics, the college offers 11 undergraduate majors, six master's programs, three doctoral programs, four fully online graduate degrees (iMBA, iMSA, iMSM, MSBAi), microcredentials, and executive/professional credentials. Its core technology stack includes an online teaching studio for remote instruction, a 3D printing MakerLab, the Margolis Market Information Lab for real-time financial data access, and AI tools integrated across courses, career services, and real-world client projects. Experiential learning is delivered through the iVenture Accelerator (with Cohort 12 focused on AI), EntreCorps, Disruption Lab, Gies Global Programs, and multiple specialized academies including Women in Finance, Derivatives and Trading, and Reichard Real Estate.

The business model is primarily tuition-and-fee based across undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online programs, supplemented by donations and grants (most recently a ~$5 million multiyear collaboration with Morningstar, Inc. announced in March 2026 and a $5 million REAM Foundation grant in 2018) and corporate partnerships for recruiting, student consulting projects, and workforce upskilling. Go-to-market is a hybrid model combining traditional on-campus admissions with self-serve global online enrollment through giesonline.illinois.edu, supported by content marketing, webinars, podcasts, and social media. The college is consistently ranked #1 in accountancy faculty research (BYU) and #1 public business school for graduate accounting (U.S. News & World Report), with a top-15 undergraduate business program ranking. As part of a state-funded public university, Gies is not an independent revenue entity and does not disclose standalone financials; its operations are governed by the University of Illinois system.

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Legal name: Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Website: https://business.illinois.edu
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1895
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 10,001+ employees
Short description: Gies College of Business is the public business school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, delivering undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online business education with AI-integrated curricula to students and corporate partners globally.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200)
akta.pro industry: PRIMARYEDAHAHAA
Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs)
Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes
SECONDARYEDAHAHAC
Specialized Master’s in Management (MiM) & Business Analytics
Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Business Schools & Management Institutes
SECONDARYEDAHALAE
Online Professional Schools (MBA/MPA/MPH/Etc.)
Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Distance & Online Universities

Keywords

Business education
Higher education
Undergraduate business degrees
Graduate business programs
Online MBA programs

Where Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Champaign
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

Tuition and Fees: Revenue from undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and online program tuition and fees
Donations and Grants: Charitable contributions and research grants from donors and organizations, including the nearly $5 million Morningstar collaboration
Corporate Partnerships: Engagement with corporate partners for recruiting, student consulting projects, and workforce upskilling programs

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Annual	Undergraduate Programs
Subscription	Annual	Graduate Programs
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Online Programs (iMBA, iMSA, iMSM, MSBAi)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Gies College of Business delivers business education across undergraduate degrees (11 majors including Accountancy, Finance, Information Systems, and Supply Chain Management), graduate degrees (MS in Accountancy, Business Analytics, Finance, Financial Engineering, Management, Technology Management), doctoral programs, and online degrees (iMBA, iMSA, iMSM, MSBAi). The college integrates AI across curriculum and offers experiential learning through facilities such as MakerLab, Margolis Market Information Lab, iVenture Accelerator, EntreCorps, and Disruption Lab.

Product overview

Gies College of Business offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational products and services including undergraduate degrees (BS in Accountancy, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, Operations Management, Entrepreneurship, Supply Chain Management, plus combined Data Science programs), graduate degrees (MS in Accounting, Business Analytics, Finance, Financial Engineering, Management, Technology Management), and doctoral programs. The institution also provides online programs (iMBA, iMSA, iMSM, MSBAi) and experiential learning through iVenture Accelerator, MakerLab, Margolis Market Information Lab, EntreCorps, and Disruption Lab. AI is integrated throughout curricula, courses, career services, and real-world projects. The college ranks #1 in BYU Accounting Faculty Research Rankings and #1 Public Business School for Graduate Accounting per U.S. News & World Report.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Master of Business Administration (iMBA) Fully online MBA program providing flexible, world-class business education with AI integration throughout the curriculum, designed for working professionals and global learners.
MS in Accountancy (iMSA) Online master's degree in accounting offering comprehensive preparation for professional accounting careers, leveraging the college's #1-ranked accountancy faculty.
MS in Management (iMSM)

Quantifiable outcome

Nearly $5 million multiyear collaboration with Morningstar including $1 million per year in-kind contribution for five years

Companies that use Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Customer profile

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

Morningstar, Inc.flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Multiyear collaboration worth nearly $5 million bringing professional-grade investment tools and training directly into the classroom. Includes in-kind contributions providing students access to Morningstar Direct platform valued at nearly $1 million per year for five years, along with scholarship support, guest lectures, and experiential learning modules. Initiative aims to prepare Gies Business students for careers in finance by bridging academic learning with industry practice using real investment data.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

UC Berkeley Haas School of Business: Top public-school peer with comparable undergraduate business programs and a strong accountancy/finance ecosystem. Competes for West Coast applicants and corporate partners, especially via online programs.
Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Direct Big Ten public-school peer with a top-ranked online MBA and similar undergraduate breadth. Most head-to-head comparable for a public, R1-anchored business college competing on online scale and value.
Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management: Elite peer business school with comparable program mix including MBA, MS, and executive education, and overlapping corporate partner networks. Competes directly for talent and corporate engagement in the Midwest.
Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania): The leading global business school with the deepest online MBA scale. Direct competitor for Gies Online and a benchmark for the AI-integration and corporate-partnership strategy Gies is pursuing.
NYU Stern School of Business: Urban peer with strong undergraduate, graduate, and online programs and a deep finance/accounting footprint. Competes for online learners and corporate partners globally, including in finance where Gies is investing via Morningstar.
University of Chicago Booth School of Business: Top-tier business school offering undergraduate, MBA, and executive programs with strong online and global reach. Closest private competitor in the Midwest and a benchmark for Gies's accountancy and finance programs.
University of Virginia Darden School of Business: Top public-school peer with strengths in graduate business education and corporate engagement. Comparable in scale, public-university positioning, and emphasis on experiential learning.
MIT Sloan School of Management: Elite peer with leading programs in business analytics, finance, and technology management. Sets the standard Gies is benchmarking against in AI and analytics curriculum design.
University of Michigan Ross School of Business: Big Ten public peer with similar program portfolio (BBA, MS, MBA, online) and accountancy strength. Competes for the same applicant pool and corporate recruiters across the Midwest.
University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business: Top public-school peer with leading accounting program and a flagship online MBA. Closest direct comparable to Gies in leveraging public-university scale for online program leadership.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

What does Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign do?

Is Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign a public or private company?

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign founded?

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was founded in 1895. It employs 10,001+ people.

Where is Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign based?

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is headquartered in Champaign, United States, in the North America region.

How does Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign make money?

Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are donations and Grants and corporate Partnerships.

Who are Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management, Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), NYU Stern School of Business, University of Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, MIT Sloan School of Management, University of Michigan Ross School of Business and University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business.

Does Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have an API?

No public API is recorded for Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What industry is Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in?

Gies College of Business - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAHAA, Undergraduate Business Schools (BBA/BSBA Programs), with a secondary code of EDAHAHAC, Specialized Master’s in Management (MiM) & Business Analytics. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.