Morningstar Contributes Nearly $5 Million to University of Illinois Gies College of Business to Bring Real-World Investing Closer to the Classroom
Morningstar, Inc. (NASDAQ:MORN), a leading provider of independent insights, today announced a multiyear, nearly $5 million strategic collaboration with the University of Illinois' Gies College of Business that brings real-world investing directly into the classroom and strengthens the Midwest's future finance talent pipeline. The collaboration includes an in-kind contribution from Morningstar that provides students with professional grade access to Morningstar Direct, hands-on training with real investment data used by analysts worldwide, and scholarship support for Gies Business students.
As the financial industry evolves amid rapid advances in fintech, data science, and AI, the collaboration is designed to help equip Gies Business students with the skills, tools, and judgment needed to thrive in finance. The collaboration looks to build a bridge between academic learning and industry practice, aimed at preparing students to graduate job-ready, analytically strong, and grounded in Morningstar's principles of independence and transparency.
Marie Trzupek Lynch, chief people officer at Morningstar and 1994 graduate of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said: "Morningstar has always believed that empowered, independent thinking leads to better outcomes for investors, and I've had first-hand experience seeing the talent and real-world training that the University of Illinois provides to our best and brightest Illinois students. By bringing our data, our people, and our platforms directly into the classroom, we're giving students the chance to develop their craft in real time. This collaboration is about unlocking what's already in them—curiosity, capability, and the confidence to challenge convention for better markets."
A Scalable, Real-World Learning Model
Through this collaboration, Morningstar will provide Morningstar Direct licenses and onboarding—valued at nearly $1 million per year, for 5 years—giving students and faculty access to a platform they can use to analyze securities, evaluate fund performance, and apply market data just as professionals do on Wall Street. In addition, Morningstar plans to:
- Support experiential learning modules through the Magelli Office of Experiential Learning, allowing students to work on real business challenges using Morningstar datasets and frameworks.
- Offer guest lectures, workshops, and shadow-day opportunities that expose students to research, analytics, fintech, and product innovation roles.
- Collaborate with Illinois faculty to expand practice-based curriculum aligned to the needs of a data-driven, sustainable finance ecosystem.
- Pledge $25,000 to the Gies Scholarship Fund.
- Become a Strategic Corporate Partner for Gies Business.
These components together form a comprehensive model—pairing technology, applied learning, and mentorship—designed to help prepare the next generation of finance leaders with the expertise and ethical orientation needed to serve investors.
Gies Business students and faculty will immediately begin using Morningstar Direct in the College's Margolis Market Information Lab, one of the most highly utilized university finance labs in the country. Opened in 2009, the lab provides exposure to real-time financial and alternative data as well as live coverage of financial news networks. Each workstation is equipped with cutting-edge hardware and software providing a unique hands-on experience for students, researchers, and faculty.
W. Brooke Elliott, Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor in Business and Dean of Gies College of Business, said: "This generous investment and our growing relationship with Morningstar will put state-of-the-art technology at our students' fingertips and help bring real-world experience into the classroom. Morningstar's focus on transparency, data integrity, and putting investors first closely matches the values we emphasize at Gies Business. Together, this collaboration will better prepare our students to think critically, work with data, and succeed in the evolving business landscape."
As a Chicago-headquartered firm that employs thousands in the Windy City, Morningstar's collaboration with one of the nation's top-ranked public business schools reinforces its investment in homegrown talent and the economic vitality of the Midwest. Morningstar is investing in purposeful relationships that can help strengthen the local talent ecosystem, create meaningful pathways into the industry, and reinforce the company's belief that ideas rise on merit, not volume. Through this program, hundreds of Gies students—many first-generation and from across Illinois—are expected to gain access to tools and training traditionally concentrated in elite, coastal institutions.
About Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment insights in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The Company offers an extensive line of products and services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset managers and owners, retirement plan providers and sponsors, institutional investors in the debt and private capital markets, and alliances and redistributors. Morningstar provides data and research insights on a wide range of investment offerings, including managed investment products, publicly listed companies, private capital markets, debt securities, and real-time global market data. Morningstar also offers investment management services through its investment advisory subsidiaries, with approximately $378 billion in AUMA as of Dec. 31, 2025. The Company operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries in 32 countries. For more information, visit www.morningstar.com/company. Follow Morningstar on LinkedIn @Morningstar.
About Gies College of Business, University of Illinois Urbana‑Champaign
Gies College of Business provides a world-class educational experience for the next generation of business leaders. For more than 100 years, the College has delivered on the promise of innovation in business education, with a commitment to cutting-edge curriculum design and delivery, exceptional experiential learning opportunities, and unparalleled academic excellence. Today Gies faculty prepare more than 11,000 on-campus and online learners to be at the forefront of innovation and leadership in the global economy. GiesBusiness.illinois.edu
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Kate Holtkamp, +1 312 696-6037, [email protected]