UChicago Data Science Institute

What UChicago Data Science Institute does

UChicago Data Science Institute (DSI) is an academic and research unit within the University of Chicago that executes the institution's vision of data science as a distinct discipline through degree programs, research initiatives, and industry partnerships. Founded around 2020-2021 (evolving from the prior CDAC entity established in 2019), DSI operates from the Hyde Park campus at 5460 S University Ave and a downtown instructional site at 455 N Cityfront Plaza Dr in the NBC Tower, with 66 staff.

DSI's core educational portfolio comprises the MS in Applied Data Science (in-person 1-Year 12-course, in-person 2-Year Thesis Track 18-course launching academic 2026-27 with ~50-55 spots, and Online for working professionals), an undergraduate data science major, a PhD program, the Data Science Clinic (experiential client projects), and an 8-week paid Summer Lab. Research initiatives include AI+Science, AICE for Climate, Data & Democracy, Data Ecology, Novel Intelligence, and the Open Spatial Lab, producing outputs such as the ACE climate emulator (100x faster than physics-based models) and AI-driven healthcare quality scoring. The curriculum and applied projects span LLMs, agentic AI, computer vision (PyTorch/TensorFlow), and predictive analytics, with student internships placed at JLL, NASA Goddard, BMO, 1871, and healthcare providers.

DSI's revenue mechanics combine tuition set by the University of Chicago's Physical Sciences Division (STEM-designated MS-ADS enables OPT extension), an Industry Affiliate Program with membership from startups to Fortune 500 companies offering Data Science Clinic access and talent pipeline, and research grants and postdoctoral funding (including Schmidt Sciences backing for AI+Science). Distribution runs through the UChicago centralized admissions system, an online learning platform reaching global working professionals, monthly Chicago Data Night events co-hosted with ChiData and Booth's Center for Applied AI, the AI+Science Summer School with SkAI and NITMB, and outreach programs like Data4All high school workshops.

Name

UChicago Data Science Institute

Legal name

Data Science Institute, University of Chicago

Website

https://datascience.uchicago.edu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The University of Chicago's Data Science Institute (DSI) is an academic and research unit offering MS, PhD, undergraduate, and postdoctoral data science programs alongside industry partnerships, while running AI-focused research initiatives in climate, democracy, and novel AI methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Data Science Research

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Computer Training (61142), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Technology & Computer Science Universities (EDAHALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Data, Analytics & AI/ML Certifications (EDAAANAG), Data, AI & Analytics (EDAAAPAD), Data Science & Analytics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAG), Data Science & Analytics (Data Literacy, SQL, Visualization) (EDAMACAF), Advanced Analytics & Data Science Services (BPAEAHAE)

Keywords

• Academic data science
• Applied data science education
• AI scientific research
• Machine learning research
• Data science training

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Academic Tuition Revenue: The institute generates revenue through tuition from its Master's in Applied Data Science programs (in-person and online), undergraduate data science major, and PhD program. The MS-ADS program offers 12-course and 18-course thesis track options with varying program lengths and structures.
2. Industry Partnership Fees: The Industry Affiliate Program provides membership opportunities for companies to partner with students, gain access to talent pipeline, participate in Data Science Clinic projects, and join Industry Council to help set DSI priorities.
3. Research Grants and Funding: Seed funding projects and postdoctoral programs funded by DSI and external sources. Research funding opportunities for early-stage, transformative data science research.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Data Science Institute delivers graduate and undergraduate degree programs (MS in Applied Data Science in-person and online, PhD program, undergraduate major), immersive research experiences (Summer Lab, Data Science Clinic), and interdisciplinary research initiatives in AI+Science, AICE for Climate, Data & Democracy, Data Ecology, and Novel Intelligence. It also runs an Industry Affiliate Program that gives companies access to research collaborations, talent recruiting, and the Data Science Clinic.

Product overview

The Data Science Institute (DSI) at the University of Chicago executes the institution's vision of Data Science as a discipline through an integrated portfolio of educational programs and research initiatives. The core educational offerings include the MS in Applied Data Science (in-person and online formats with 12 and 18-course thesis tracks), Summer Lab (8-week paid research program), Data Science Clinic (experiential client projects), and Postdoctoral Programs. Research initiatives span AI+Science, AICE for Climate, Data & Democracy, Data Ecology, and Novel Intelligence. Partnership programs include the Industry Affiliate Program and Data Science for Social Impact Network. Outreach includes Data4All high school workshops and AI+Science Summer School.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MS in Applied Data Science

Quantifiable outcome

• Man-hour reduction in neighborhood disorder identification: 98%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SkAIflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026DSI partners with SkAI to host the annual AI+Science Summer School, introducing a new generation of diverse interdisciplinary trainees to the expanding field of AI+Science. Schmidt Fellows, organizers, and speakers build a community across disciplines and institutions.
• NITMB (Northwestern Institute for Math and Science)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-host of the Fifth Annual AI+Science Summer School with DSI and SkAI, contributing to interdisciplinary training in AI+Science.
• CaltechflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Pritzker AI+Science Joint Initiative partnership with Caltech. DSI and Caltech collaborate on the annual UChicago and Caltech AI+Science Conference (next scheduled for October 19, 2026), advancing transformational AI-enabled scientific discovery.
• Industry Affiliate MemberscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry Affiliates ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies form partnerships with DSI experts to address challenging questions in data science and AI. Benefits include Data Science Clinic access, Industry Council seat, Guest Scientist opportunities, and talent acquisition.
• ChiData (UChicago Data Systems Research Group)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of monthly Chicago Data Night speaker series, bringing together data professionals and academics for technically rigorous conversations.
• Booth's Center for Applied AIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago Data Night co-host partner, collaborating on monthly events for the Chicago data and AI community.
• 11th Hour ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoftware and Data Hub providing software and data science support for grantees of the 11th Hour Project, serving nonprofits in energy, food and agriculture, human rights, and marine technology.
• Data Science for Social Impact NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium of diverse higher education partners to broaden STEM participation and amplify social impact through data science.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with national laboratory, including Globus Labs, Chameleon Cloud testbed, and summer research programs.
• Fermi National Accelerator LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Fermilab on physics research, DUNE project, and postdoctoral researcher opportunities.
• North Dakota Native VotecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership supporting Native voters with tools to navigate ID systems through data science and technology.
• UChicago Booth School of BusinessflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint MBA/MS in Applied Data Science degree program, allowing students to earn both degrees in approximately 7 quarters with combined online and in-person courses.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Harvard Data Science Initiative: Harvard's cross-school effort to advance data science research and education. Comparable to DSI in leveraging an elite parent institution's brand across interdisciplinary research and graduate training.
• NYU Center for Data Science: NYU's data science academic center offering MS and PhD programs with industry engagement. Comparable to DSI in offering graduate applied data science degrees with capstone-style experiential learning.
• Berkeley Division of Computing, Data Science, and Society (CDSS): UC Berkeley's academic division for data science education and research. Closely comparable to DSI's structure as a cross-disciplinary unit integrating data science across teaching and research.
• MIT Schwarzman College of Computing: MIT's computing-focused college driving AI, data science, and interdisciplinary research. Comparable to UChicago DSI in advancing data science as a discipline through dedicated institutional structure and industry partnerships.
• Stanford Data Science Institute: Stanford's flagship data science academic institute offering graduate and undergraduate education plus research initiatives. Most direct peer to UChicago DSI in mission, structure, and prestige positioning among elite private universities.
• Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College / MLD: CMU's Heinz College and Machine Learning Department offer MS degrees in data science with strong industry ties. Comparable to DSI in combining rigorous technical training with applied industry partnerships.
• University of Michigan - Michigan Institute for Data Science (MIDAS): University of Michigan's flagship data science institute for research and education. Comparable peer in academic scale and research breadth, though in a public university setting.
• Columbia Data Science Institute: Columbia University's institute for data science research and education, including MS in Data Science and affiliated industry programs. Direct peer in name, scope, and academic positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Caltech - Computing and Mathematical Sciences: Caltech's CMS department co-leads the Pritzker AI+Science Joint Initiative with DSI. Comparable as an AI+Science research partner and elite peer institution, though Caltech's data science effort is embedded in CMS rather than a standalone institute.

Regional players

• Northwestern University Data Science Initiative: Northwestern's data science initiative covering research and graduate training. Comparable as a Chicago-area peer with related research strengths (and partner via NITMB on the AI+Science Summer School).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dsi-uchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 UChicago Data Science Institute