Department of Marketing - Illinois State University - College of Business

What Department of Marketing - Illinois State University - College of Business does

The Department of Marketing is an academic unit within the College of Business at Illinois State University, a public state university founded in 1857 and the first public university in Illinois. The Department offers programs of study in Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communication, Professional Sales, Business Education, and Advanced Data Analytics, delivered through an active-learning, high-involvement pedagogical approach with a 23:1 student-to-faculty ratio in 300-level courses. It is housed in State Farm Hall of Business on the main campus in Normal, Illinois, alongside four peer departments (Accounting; Finance, Insurance, and Law; Management; and the MBA Program) and seven specialized centers and institutes including the Professional Sales Institute, the Hagge Innovation Institute, the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management, the Organizational Leadership Institute, the Institute for Financial Planning and Analysis, the Carson and Iris Varner International Business Institute, and the George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Revenue flows through the parent university's tuition and fee structure rather than directly to the department, supplemented by alumni and donor contributions channeled into annual giving and endowed scholarships that fund over $250,000 in awards each year to qualified undergraduate and graduate students. Its primary customers are prospective undergraduate students, graduate students (MBA, Master of Science in Accountancy, certificates), and corporate partners who recruit the resulting talent pipeline. The College of Business holds dual AACSB accreditation in business and accounting (held by approximately 1.9% of business schools worldwide), is a founding member of PRME, and a full member of CUIBE. Employer outcomes cited include a median graduate starting salary of $60,000, a 60% internship completion rate, and a 40,000+ alumni network spanning all 50 U.S. states, with major employer partners including State Farm, AIG, Salesforce, Meta, Hulu, Houlihan Lokey, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

The Department is led by Dr. Bulent Menguc (Department Chair) and supported organizationally by Steve Vandiver (Executive Director for Marketing and Communication). Distribution is concentrated at the Normal, Illinois campus, with international reach delivered through Study Abroad programs coordinated by the Varner Institute and via the 40,000+ alumni network acting as a referral channel. There is no proprietary technology platform underpinning the business; the underlying 'product' is in-person instruction, with curriculum differentiated by faculty credentials (80% terminal-degree holders), small class sizes, and practical coursework supported by centers such as the Professional Sales Institute.

Name

Department of Marketing - Illinois State University - College of Business

Legal name

Illinois State University

Website

https://business.illinoisstate.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Department of Marketing is an academic unit within the College of Business at Illinois State University, delivering undergraduate and graduate programs in Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communication, Professional Sales, Business Education, and Advanced Data Analytics to prospective business students, with operations based in Normal, Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Marketing, Sales & Brand Management Schools (EDAHAHAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Education & Corporate Programs (Non-degree) (EDAHAHAN), Sales, Marketing & Customer Success (EDAAAPAN), Sales & Customer Service Training (EDAGANAC), Sales, Marketing & Digital Marketing Certifications (EDAAANAF)

Keywords

• Business education programs
• Marketing degree programs
• Professional sales education
• Graduate business education
• AACSB accredited programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Normal

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Public university operating as part of Illinois State University system; generates revenue through student tuition and fees for undergraduate and graduate business programs including MBA, M.S. in Accounting, and various certificate programs.
2. Annual Giving and Endowed Scholarships: The college receives annual contributions from alumni and donors through endowed scholarship funds and general giving programs. The college offers over $250,000 in scholarships annually to qualified students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Department of Marketing delivers undergraduate and graduate academic programs in Marketing, Integrated Marketing Communication, Professional Sales, Business Education, and Advanced Data Analytics to students on the Illinois State University campus. Teaching is delivered through full-time faculty and industry professionals, with experiential learning, student-managed portfolios, and internship placement as core features of the curriculum. The department operates within the College of Business, which is dual-accredited by AACSB in business and accounting.

Product overview

The College of Business at Illinois State University is an educational institution offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple business disciplines. The product portfolio consists of five academic departments (Accounting, Finance/Insurance/Law, Management, Marketing, and MBA Program) and seven specialized centers and institutes (including the Professional Sales Institute ranked among the top 68 programs nationally, the George R. and Martha Means Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, Hagge Innovation Institute, and the Carson and Iris Varner International Business Institute). These programs provide students with active-learning, high-involvement educational experiences with partnerships connecting students to business and industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Median starting salary of $60,000+ for graduates
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• International Town-Gown AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2026Illinois State University strengthening partnership with Bloomington and Normal community through Strategic Initiative Fund, supporting town-gown collaboration initiatives.
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAACSB accreditation is the longest-standing global accrediting body for business schools, ensuring continuous improvement and excellence in business education. The COB holds accreditation for both business and accounting programs.
• Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRME is a United Nations Global Initiative that aims to embed sustainability and social responsibility into business education. COB is a founding member of this initiative.
• Consortium for Undergraduate International Business Education (CUIBE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUIBE promotes international business education and provides resources for curriculum development and student exchange opportunities.
• Professional Society for Sales and Marketing TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional Sales Institute holds certified collegiate membership, providing students access to industry certifications and professional development resources in sales and marketing.
• State Farm InsuranceminorOthersState Farm Hall of Business building named after State Farm; company headquartered in adjacent Bloomington, IL; major employer of COB graduates; advisory council member representation

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wisconsin School of Business – University of Wisconsin–Madison: AACSB-accredited public Big Ten business school with comparable marketing department programs and similar Midwest talent-market overlap; benchmark for admissions and placement.
• Krannert School of Management – Purdue University: AACSB-accredited Indiana-based public business school competing for the same Big Ten marketing talent pool and corporate partnerships with Midwest employers.
• Gies College of Business – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: AACSB-accredited public Illinois business school offering undergraduate and graduate marketing and business education; the most direct in-state peer and the primary competitor for Illinois-resident business talent.
• Tippie College of Business – University of Iowa: AACSB-accredited Midwest public business school of similar scale, competing for overlapping Big Ten undergraduate marketing students and regional employer relationships.
• Fisher College of Business – The Ohio State University: Large AACSB-accredited public Big Ten business school with a strong marketing and logistics function; competes for the same Fortune 500 employer recruiting relationships.
• Kelley School of Business – Indiana University: Top-ranked AACSB public business school in a neighboring Big Ten state with a strong undergraduate marketing and professional sales curriculum; competes head-to-head for regional out-of-state talent.
• Broad College of Business – Michigan State University: AACSB-accredited public Midwest business school with a marketing department of comparable scale and supply-chain-adjacent specializations; competes for similar student demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Mays Business School – Texas A&M University: Large AACSB-accredited public business school with a nationally recognized sales program and marketing department; benchmark for program scale and sales specialization metrics.
• Ross School of Business – University of Michigan: Elite AACSB-accredited public Big Ten business school with a top marketing department; competitive ceiling benchmark for the program in the same regional talent market.
• Smeal College of Business – Penn State University: Large AACSB-accredited public business school offering marketing programs and undergraduate sales specialization; structurally comparable as a state-system peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BusinessISU
• Facebookfacebook.com/BusinessISU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/isudepartmentofmarketing
• Instagraminstagram.com/businessisu

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Department of Marketing - Illinois State University - College of Business