Queen's University

What Queen's University does

Queen's University is a public, non-profit research university founded in 1841 and headquartered in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It is a member of the U15 group of Canada's leading research-intensive universities and offers undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs across 235+ academic areas within 53 departments, organized into faculties including Arts and Science, Education, Health Sciences, Law, Smith Business, and Smith Engineering. The institution serves a primary student and research-talent customer base, with secondary stakeholder relationships spanning industry partners, federal and provincial government funders, and international collaborators across Canada, the UK, Thailand, Kenya, Brazil, and the United States.

The university's research portfolio spans climate science (PEARL lab, Arctic lake sediment analysis), astrophysics and astroparticle physics (BVEX balloon-borne telescope, SNOLAB underground facility, McDonald Institute), supercomputing (CAESAR Lab, 20 expert researchers, partner in Canada's $2.4B federal AI infrastructure allocation), biomedical research (HCW Biologics collaboration on BPD therapeutics), and sustainable development (Genome Canada BENEFIT project, SD<missing-data> partnerships). It operates wholly-owned and jointly controlled subsidiaries including Bader College in the UK, the McDonald Institute, SNOLAB, and the Queen's University Biological Station, with sub-brands including Smith School of Business, Smith Engineering, and the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts.

Queen's revenue mechanics are those of a public non-profit: tuition fees, government grants (federal and provincial), competitive research awards from agencies such as NSERC, CFI, CSA, and Genome Canada, industry-sponsored research, and charitable donations. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees and Senate, led by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. Pricing for tuition and programs is not publicly disclosed in available sources, and revenue figures are not reported.

Name

Queen's University

Legal name

Queen's University

Website

https://queensu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1841

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Queen's University is a Canadian public research university and U15 member offering 235+ undergraduate and graduate programs across 53 departments, conducting research in climate science, astrophysics, supercomputing, and biomedical fields, and operating subsidiaries including Bader College UK, SNOLAB, and the McDonald Institute.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Higher education programs
• Research university
• Undergraduate education
• Graduate studies
• Academic research

Headquarters

HQ city

Kingston

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Queen's University delivers undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral education across 235+ academic areas in 53 departments, and conducts multi-disciplinary research including climate science, astroparticle physics, healthcare, and AI. It also offers study-abroad programming through Bader College in the UK and professional/continuing education for working adults.

Product overview

Queen's University is a Canadian research-intensive university offering undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs across multiple faculties and schools. The university operates as a single institutional entity providing educational programs and conducting research across diverse disciplines including sciences, engineering, health sciences, business, law, and arts. The institution does not operate a software product or platform in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smith School of Business: The business school at Queen's University offering undergraduate and graduate business programs.
• Smith Engineering
• Bader College
• Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts
• McDonald Institute

Products and services

• Undergraduate Academic Programs Full-time undergraduate degree programs across the Faculties of Arts and Science, Engineering and Applied Science, Health Sciences, Business, Law, and Education, serving domestic and international high-school graduates seeking a bachelor's degree.
• Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs Master's, doctoral, and postdoctoral research training programs across 53 departments, designed for students and early-career researchers seeking advanced academic credentials and research experience.
• Research Programs and Partnerships Funded research initiatives spanning climate science, astroparticle physics, AI, healthcare, and humanitarian engineering, conducted via dedicated facilities (PEARL, BVEX, CAESAR Lab, SNOLAB) in collaboration with industry, government, and healthcare organizations.
• Bader College UK Study Abroad Programs Bader College UK Study Abroad Programs
• Professional and Continuing Education Certificates, diplomas, micro-credentials, and online courses for working professionals and adult learners seeking career advancement and lifelong learning, administered through the Office of the Vice-Provost (Professional and Continuing Education).

Quantifiable outcome

• 4th in world for sustainable impact - Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2026
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HCW Biologics Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's University scientists collaborated with HCW Biologics to discover that HCW11-040, a pembrolizumab-based fusion immunotherapeutic, prevented bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) in animal models during IND-enabling studies. Research conducted at Queen's contributed to understanding of this rare pediatric condition affecting 10,000 to 15,000 premature infants annually in the US.
• Canadian Space AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCanadian Space Agency provided $291,000 funding through the Flights and Fieldwork for the Advancement of Science and Technology (FAST) program to support the Balloon-Borne Very Large Baseline Interferometry Experiment (BVEX). The funding will enable BVEX's flight in late summer 2027, launching from Palmas, Brazil.
• Fisheries and Oceans CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on research examining Great Bear Lake and other Arctic lakes, with co-author Kimberly Howland from Fisheries and Oceans Canada participating in sediment core studies.
• Environment and Climate Change CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-authored Arctic lake research with researchers from Environment and Climate Change Canada, contributing to climate change studies.
• University of AlbertaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Lake Hazen sediment core research with Vincent St. Louis from University of Alberta.
• Burma Children Medical Fund (BCMF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's researchers have partnered with Thailand-based BCMF for nearly 20 years on health initiatives. Queen's students conduct 90-day placements with BCMF, working on 3D-printed prosthetics development including a new above-elbow prosthetic. Students Olivia Radcliffe (2023), Emese Elkind (2024), and Amina Najib (2025) participated. BCMF founder Kanchana Thornton praised the collaboration.
• Inter ParesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOttawa-based organization partnered with Queen's and BCMF to support the 3D prosthetics program for migrants from Myanmar.
• Université de SherbrookecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's signed MOU with Université de Sherbrooke to advance Canada's sovereign quantum and supercomputing future, combining expertise to strengthen high performance computing capabilities for public sector and industry.
• Kinectrics Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemorandum of Understanding signed between Queen's University and Kinectrics Inc. to explore nuclear energy innovation and research collaboration in the nuclear sector.
• Digital Research Alliance of CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization stewarding Canada's research supercomputer infrastructure, critical to scientific discovery and learning. Partner in Canada's three-pronged approach to technology leadership alongside commercial cloud and industry-driven innovation supercomputers.
• Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's-based national network for astroparticle physics research, received $45.5M in federal support for research on dark matter and neutrino science. Hosts art-science residencies and collaborations.
• SNOLABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClean laboratory located 2km underground in Sudbury where Queen's Nobel Laureate Dr. Arthur McDonald led SNO collaboration. Site of groundbreaking dark matter research and art-science residencies. Queen's researchers lead experiments at this facility.
• Agnes Etherington Art CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's art gallery collaborated with McDonald Institute and SNOLAB on 'Drift: Art and Dark Matter' exhibition exploring the intersection of contemporary art and astroparticle physics research.
• Genome CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-led the BENEFIT Project at Queen's, a Genome Canada funded program developing bio-inoculants to improve crop growth, drawing on local soils to support cereal, brassica, and legume production.
• Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed SDG Month Canada campaign along with Colleges and Institutes Canada and UBC's Office of Sustainability to rally post-secondary institutions on UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Science RendezvousminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational science festival organization where Kingston chapter (hosted by Queen's) won national awards in 2020, 2022, and 2023. Largest single-day science festival in Canada spanning 30 cities.
• Slush Puppie PlaceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal venue partner for Science Rendezvous Kingston 2024 event.
• IPG PhotonicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompany demonstrating laser light and 3D imaging technology at Science Rendezvous Kingston 2024.
• Thai Reach - 3D Printing to Extend & EnableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided training for BCMF's 3D printing program launch in 2019.
• NVIDIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQueen's strengthening Canadian supercomputing capabilities in partnership with NVIDIA, advancing sovereign computing infrastructure.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Toronto: Canada's largest and highest-ranked research university and fellow U15 member. Directly comparable as a comprehensive public research university offering undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral programs across similar faculty structures (arts & science, engineering, business, law, medicine), competing for the same federal research funding, faculty talent, and domestic/international student pool.
• University of British Columbia: Major Canadian public research university and U15 member with comparable comprehensive program offerings and significant sustainability research leadership. Direct peer competing in THE Impact Rankings, federal research funding, and international student recruitment; also a co-lead on SDSN Canada's SDG Month campaign alongside Queen's.
• McGill University: Another leading Canadian public research university and U15 member, located in Montreal. Direct peer with overlapping program breadth (235+ areas comparable to McGill's extensive faculty structure), similar federal research grant dependence, and similar competition for top students and faculty in Canada's bilingual research ecosystem.
• University of Alberta: Major Western Canadian U15 research university with strong programs in environmental science, engineering, and health. Direct peer for federal grant competition; also an active collaborator with Queen's on Lake Hazen Arctic sediment core research, illustrating comparable research depth in paleolimnology and climate science.
• McMaster University: Ontario-based U15 research university with strong STEM and health sciences programs. Direct peer with comparable scale, similar reliance on federal/provincial research funding, and overlapping research domains including nuclear energy and biomedical research that align with Queen's partnerships (e.g., Kinectrics).
• University of Calgary: U15 member with comparable applied-research orientation and energy-sector partnerships. Direct peer competing for federal grants and corporate-sponsored research, particularly in environmental science and energy innovation overlapping with Queen's nuclear/Kinectrics collaboration.
• University of Waterloo: Leading Ontario research-intensive university with deep industry partnership culture and strong STEM programs. Direct peer competing for talent, federal funding, and corporate-sponsored research, particularly in computing, engineering, and AI domains where Queen's CAESAR Lab and NVIDIA partnership also position.
• Western University: Ontario-based U15 research university with comparable program scope (Arts, Science, Engineering, Business, Law, Health Sciences) and a similar domestic-student focus. Direct peer ranked in Top 10 Canadian universities alongside Queen's, competing for the same Ontario student pipeline and federal research dollars.

Broad incumbents

• Dalhousie University: Canada's leading Atlantic research university, U15 member. Broader incumbent peer at somewhat smaller scale, but with similar comprehensive offerings and federal research reliance; competes in federal funding rounds and serves as a regional anchor comparable to Queen's role in Ontario.
• University of Oxford: Highly relevant comparable for Queen's UK-based Bader College at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex. Oxford's collegiate model, scale of research funding, and global rankings positioning inform the strategic ambition and operational template for Queen's international campus and study abroad operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/queensu
• Facebookfacebook.com/queensuniversity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors5 records

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M&A

Investments16 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Queen's University