Wayne State University - Mike Ilitch School of Business

What Wayne State University - Mike Ilitch School of Business does

The Mike Ilitch School of Business is an academic unit of Wayne State University, a Carnegie R1 public research university, located at 2771 Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Michigan. Founded in 1946 and renamed in 2016 following a naming gift from Mike Ilitch, the school offers AACSB-accredited Bachelor's, Master's (including MBA), and Doctoral degree programs across disciplines including accounting, finance, marketing, management, global supply chain management, technology information systems and analytics, entrepreneurship, and sport entertainment management. It also delivers graduate certificates, an accelerated AGRADE bachelor's-to-master's pathway, executive education, and online/evening courses for working professionals.

The school's core academic delivery is augmented by a career services technology stack comprising Handshake (job/internship platform), Steppingblocks (alumni outcomes data), Big Interview (mock interview training), Bloomberg Terminal access for finance students, and the College to Career Intel module on Canvas LMS. Specialized experiential programs include the SEAL Lab (Student Engagement and Active Learning), the BELL (Belinsky Entrepreneurial Learning Laboratory), MPREP (Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program), and a Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF). Auxiliary student services include a Professional Dress Closet, Laptop Loan Program, and Finance Calculator Loan Program.

The school operates on a tuition-and-fees revenue model supplemented by alumni giving, endowed scholarships (including BDO USA and RSM US endowed scholarships), and donor-funded initiatives. Distribution includes the main downtown Detroit campus plus satellite advising in Livonia and Warren, Michigan, and faculty-led study abroad programs across Europe and Asia. Customer-facing engagement spans prospective students, undergraduate/graduate/doctoral enrollees, and 800+ employer partners including General Motors, Ford Motor Company, DTE Energy, KPMG, BDO, RSM US, and the Detroit Pistons. The school is led by Dean Virginia Kleist with a 120+ faculty body organized across seven academic departments.

Name

Wayne State University - Mike Ilitch School of Business

Legal name

Wayne State University - Mike Ilitch School of Business

Website

https://ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Mike Ilitch School of Business is an AACSB-accredited public business school in downtown Detroit offering undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral degrees to a diverse student body, supported by 800+ employer partnerships and a 40,000+ alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Business School

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Strategy, Consulting & General Management Institutes (EDAHAHAI)

Keywords

• Business education
• MBA programs
• Undergraduate business degrees
• Accounting programs
• Executive education

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: As a public university business school, primary revenue is generated through tuition and fees from undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The school offers evening courses and online programs for flexibility.
2. Alumni Giving and Donations: The school receives charitable contributions through various giving programs including the Mike Ilitch School of Business Annual Fund, endowed scholarships, and major gifts. Alumni relations and development office manages donor engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Mike Ilitch School of Business delivers higher education in business disciplines, offering Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees, Master of Science and MBA (including Executive MBA) degrees, Graduate Certificates, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration. Specialized academic concentrations include Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Global Supply Chain Management, Technology Information Systems and Analytics, Entrepreneurship, and Sport Entertainment Management. The school supplements instruction with career-readiness services and experiential learning resources.

Product overview

Wayne State University Mike Ilitch School of Business is a business school offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. The core educational offerings include Bachelor's, Master's (including MBA), and Doctoral degree programs across disciplines such as Accounting, Finance, Management, Global Supply Chain Management, Marketing, Technology Information Systems and Analytics, and Sport Entertainment Management. These are supplemented by professional development tools including the College to Career Intel Canvas Module, Handshake career platform, Steppingblocks digital career counselor, and Big Interview interview training platform. Specialized programs include the SEAL Lab for experiential learning, MPREP for multicultural student support, BELL for entrepreneurial development, and the Student Managed Investment Fund for finance experience. Additional student services include the Professional Dress Closet, Laptop Loan Program, Finance Calculator Loan Program, and AGRADE accelerated degree program. The school serves students from its downtown Detroit location with satellite campuses throughout Southeast Michigan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs in business disciplines including Accounting, Finance, Management, Marketing, Global Supply Chain Management, and Technology, Information Systems and Analytics. Targeted at students seeking foundational business education to launch careers.
• Master's Degree Programs Graduate degree programs including Master of Science, Executive Master of Science, Graduate Certificates, and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Evening courses and online programs provide flexibility for working professionals.
• Doctoral Degree Programs Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration degree program for students pursuing academic and research careers in business disciplines.
• BELL (Belinsky Entrepreneurial Learning Laboratory) Entrepreneurial learning laboratory enabling students to hone entrepreneurial skills and apply for fellowships to work with early-stage companies in the downtown Detroit business community.
• Student Managed Investment Fund (SMIF) Hands-on investment management program where finance students gain real-world experience by managing actual investment portfolios.
• AGRADE Accelerated Degree Program Accelerated program allowing undergraduate students to complete both a bachelor's and master's degree in an expedited timeframe.
• MPREP (Multicultural Professional Readiness Education Program) Learning community supporting multicultural undergraduate business students through corporate mentorship, academic support, industry exposure, and professional development.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average graduate salary of $71,756 for '21-'25 graduates
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ford Motor CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor employer partner recruiting Ilitch School graduates for internships and full-time positions. Fortune 500 automotive company located in the Detroit metropolitan area, representing the school's connection to the automotive industry's resurgence.
• General MotorscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerTop employer of Ilitch School graduates and Fortune 500 automotive company. Partners with Career Services Office for recruiting talented business students and graduates.
• Detroit PistonsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional sports franchise partnering with Career Services for student recruiting and employment opportunities in the Detroit market.
• HandshakecoreTechnology or IntegrationWeb-based platform partnership for career services coordination. Students, alumni, employers, and Career Services staff interact through Handshake for appointments, job/internship postings, workshops, and career fairs.
• Bloomber TerminalcoreTechnology or IntegrationBloomberg Terminal access provided to finance students for real-time financial data, analytics, and trading simulations essential for finance education.
• Canvas LMScoreTechnology or IntegrationCollege to Career Intel module hosted on Canvas providing students access to career resources, templates, planning guides, assessments, and video content.
• 800+ Employer PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOver 800 employers partner with the Ilitch School Career Services Office for recruiting, including Fortune 500 companies, accounting firms, automotive companies, energy companies, and other businesses seeking talented business graduates.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management: Big Ten public university business school with AACSB accreditation and a comprehensive portfolio across undergraduate, MBA, MS, and PhD programs. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and corporate recruiting model centered on regional Fortune 500 employers.
• Indiana University Kelley School of Business: Public Big Ten university business school with a comparable portfolio of undergraduate, MBA, MS, and doctoral programs and a strong tradition of online graduate education. Directly comparable in scale, public-university mission, and corporate recruiting model.
• Michigan State University Broad College of Business: Michigan's other major public university business school, offering undergraduate, MBA, MS, and PhD programs with similar AACSB accreditation and Big Ten placement. Directly competes for the same in-state applicant pool, corporate recruiting dollars, and Michigan-resident talent.
• University of Illinois Gies College of Business: Public Big Ten university business school with parallel undergraduate, MBA, MS, and PhD program structure and strong iMBA online presence. Comparable in scale, public-university mission, and emphasis on flexible program delivery including online and evening formats.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin School of Business: Big Ten public university business school with similar undergraduate, MBA, MS, and PhD program structure and AACSB accreditation. Comparable in scale, mission as a state-affiliated comprehensive business school, and reliance on regional corporate recruiting pipelines.
• Purdue University Krannert School of Management: Big Ten public university business school offering undergraduate, MBA, MS, and PhD programs with AACSB accreditation. Comparable in scale and public-university positioning, with overlapping supply chain and operations management strengths that parallel Ilitch's Global Supply Chain Management department.
• Ohio State University Fisher College of Business: Midwestern Big Ten public university business school offering undergraduate, MBA, specialized master's, and PhD programs with comparable AACSB accreditation. Closely comparable in scale, program mix, and corporate recruiting orientation toward regional Fortune 500 employers.

Regional players

• Cleveland State University Monte Ahuja College of Business: Urban public university business school serving a peer Rust Belt market with similar AACSB-accredited undergraduate and graduate programs. Comparable in mission as an urban-serving, diversity-focused business school serving a regional employer base, though in the Cleveland/Northeast Ohio market rather than Detroit.
• University of Cincinnati Lindner College of Business: Ohio public university business school with AACSB accreditation and comparable undergraduate, MBA, and specialized master's program structure. Comparable in scale and public-university positioning, with co-op and experiential learning programs paralleling Ilitch's career-readiness infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• University of Michigan Ross School of Business: Michigan's flagship public university business school and a top-tier national program (M7-adjacent), offering BBA, MBA, MS, and PhD programs. Operates broadly in the same space as Ilitch but at significantly higher prestige, deeper resources, and stronger national/international employer pipelines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/WSUSchoolOfBusiness
• Facebookfacebook.com/IlitchBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/wayne-state-university-mike-ilitch-school-of-business
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilitchbusiness

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Wayne State University - Mike Ilitch School of Business