Can you learn to be an entrepreneur? It’s a common question in entrepreneurship circles. After all, an entrepreneur is a little of everything—a visionary, hustler, builder, and boss. Can you learn that stuff in a classroom? The answer is yes and no: You don’t have to go to school for it, but doing so can help accelerate your growth and provide you with the fundamentals for entrepreneurial success. Not all elements of entrepreneurship can be found in a book, of course, which is why the best colleges and universities have robust programs that support students’ startups and help build the kind of networks that last a lifetime.
Related: Top 50 Best Graduate Programs for Entrepreneurs in 2025
So which are the best schools? Entrepreneur has partnered with The Princeton Review for 19 years to answer that question—ranking the top undergraduate and graduate programs for entrepreneurs. This year’s survey considered hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe, and evaluated them on a multitude of factors—including their programming, their available mentors, and their graduates’ success rates in the business world. Read on to see which schools made the grade. (To read more about our methodology, pick up the November/December 2024 issue of Entrepreneur.)
1. University of Houston (#1 Southwest)
University of Houston
Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship
Houston, TX
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 44
Tuition: $11,870 (in-state); $27,110 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 831
What Sets Us Apart
• A focus on the total person. Personal mentors; major curriculum includes dreams, values, life plans, leadership training, retreats to bond the class, and more.
• Integrated, lockstep curriculum. This allows us to manage the curriculum as a whole.
• Experiential learning. Students don’t just learn entrepreneurship, they actively do it, including developing business plans for IP tech, planning/operating pop-up food stands in Wolffest, and launching their own businesses.
• Breadth of coverage. We enroll students from almost every major on campus with offerings that serve business, STEM, arts, communication, and more.
• Community engagement. More than 600 mentors. Off-campus activities at co-working spaces, banks, and law firms. Social outreach through SURE program and Empowering Women Out of Prison. Partnering with Rice University. The city of Houston is a major asset that brings enrichment, networking, and business opportunities.
• Diversity. One of the most diverse universities in the nation, 39% Hispanic, 25% Asian American, 20% Caucasian, 12% African-American, and 3% multiracial, reflecting the international mosaic that is Houston.
• Accessibility. Low tuition makes us accessible to a broad range of students; 100% of ENTR Majors received a scholarship from WCE for 2023-24.
2. The University of Texas at Austin (#2 Southwest)
The University of Texas at Austin
Harkey Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
Austin, TX
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 76
Tuition: $11,678 (in-state); $42,778 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 6,207
What Sets Us Apart
UT Austin’s programs which span across 125+ centers and institutes including clubs and student organizations, offer hands-on experiences like tangible projects, internships, and over 40 business competitions for practical entrepreneurial insight. In Austin’s vibrant ecosystem of over 3,500 companies, students connect with mentors, investors, and peers, fostering unique networking and insights. Learning paths are customizable, reflecting tech, social impact, or traditional interests. Cross-disciplinary teamwork leverages UT Austin’s diversity, mirroring startup dynamics. Our 50+ faculty of which over 90% have bought, sold, and/or run businesses, blend entrepreneurship wisdom with mentoring and actionable guidance. Communication skills are honed, aiding compelling pitches. Global perspective is cultivated through international exposure, broadening horizons. Innovation hubs offer guided venture refinement, enhancing learning and success potential. An extensive alumni network of entrepreneurs, showcased through our Longhorn 100 program and its database of over 1000 registered businesses and growing, offers invaluable mentoring and connections. UT Austin’s program marries theory, practice, connections, innovation, and global insight.
3. Babson College (#1 Northeast, #1 Under 10,000 students)
Babson College
Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship
Babson Park, MA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 46
Tuition: $55,714
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 302
What Sets Us Apart
Babson teaches Entrepreneurial Thought and Action® across all disciplines. FME required course, our students learn by building, operating, and dissolving a business over the course of two semesters. Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship is the hub for resources, including the Butler Launch Pad that offers co-working space, mentors, workshops, competitions, experts and seed funding. Our application based Summer Accelerator, a 10 week intensive accelerator provides advisors, mentors, and programming worth over $200K in-kind services, to accelerate students launching and growing their businesses. Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership (CWEL) empowers women entrepreneurs, and offers both WIN Lab, an application based 12 week accelerator for female founders and Black WEL, a 6 month virtual action tank, both focus on the entrepreneur becoming a CEO. Social Innovation Lab connects a global, interdisciplinary community of students and mentors dedicated to building social impact ventures. Institute for Family Entrepreneurship fosters entrepreneurship in the family businesses, and offers a 4 year Amplifier Program for students to work with classmates from other family businesses, connect with parents and owners of family firms, with the goal of launching entrepreneurial ventures in their family businesses. Our 10,000 sq. ft. Weissman Foundry offers a collaboration space, media lab, wood shop, kitchen and performance space where students can create ideas and prototype.
4. University of Washington (#1 West)
University of Washington
Arthur W. Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship
Seattle, WA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 84
Tuition: $12,643 (in-state); $41,997 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 337
What Sets Us Apart
University of Washington undergraduate students begin a collaborative journey with entrepreneurship as soon as they step on campus. Motivated first-year students can immediately apply for the highly competitive 4-year Lavin Entrepreneurship Program, where more than 45+ different majors are represented. Students can apply for the Entrepreneurship Minor on a rolling basis each quarter. It features ten uniquely focused courses, including the standout “Creating a Company” experiential learning course, where students launch companies, earn revenue, and pitch for funding. The Engineering Innovation in Health program brings together undergrad and graduate students for medical device development and innovation. Undergrads work with graduate students and massively scalable, seed-stage, science-based companies in Creative Destruction Lab courses. CDL-Seattle is the third US based offering and is hosted in the Foster School. UW features undergraduate Living, Learning Communities housing engineering and business students that focus specifically on innovation. A dozen on-campus Registered Student Organizations partner with the Buerk Center. For example, DubHacks worked with staff to create a student-run startup incubator called DubHacks Next so students can grow their ideas in and out of school. Undergraduates also have access to nearly a half-dozen makerspaces. UW broke ground this year on a new 69-acre Seattle innovation hub that will put students and startups side-by-side.
5. Washington University in St. Louis (#1 Midwest, #2 Under 10,000 students)
Washington University in St. Louis
Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship
St. Louis, MO
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 50
Tuition: $65,790
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 200
What Sets Us Apart
Washington University in St. Louis remains committed to creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship at all levels and across all disciplines. This distinguishes it from its peer institutions that limit entrepreneurship education to the business school. Undergrad students can easily take classes and major or minor in other schools, emphasizing the importance of an interdisciplinary approach. Entrepreneurship classes are highly experiential, collaborative, and encourage students to test their concepts. Most courses connect students to the St. Louis community, expanding students’ network, such as the newest offering, The League (of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs). This class brings in successful entrepreneurs to guide student founders who are devoting most of their non-class time to launching their venture. Complementing WashU’s rigorous academics, the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship acts as a hub for co-curricular entrepreneurship activities. The Center provides hands-on workshops, a year-long fellowship, student-owned business opportunities, mentors, entrepreneurship competitions, and links to the St. Louis entrepreneurial ecosystem. Most notably, the majority of opportunities are open to all undergrad and grad students, faculty, staff, postdocs, and alumni. It is this blend of curricular & co-curricular; campus & community; creativity & entrepreneurship; unlimited by discipline or school that distinguishes our entrepreneurial offerings.
6. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (#2 Midwest)
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Center for Entrepreneurship, College of Engineering
Ann Arbor, MI
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 250
Tuition: $18,309 (in-state); $60,107 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 321
What Sets Us Apart
U-M Ann Arbor is a hub of entrepreneurship, recognized for its vibrant and accessible programs that span 19 schools and colleges, catering to students at all levels of entrepreneurial interest and expertise. Whether you’re attending the iconic EHour, where esteemed alumni share their insights, or participating in year-long immersive fellowship programs, our offerings are designed to meet diverse needs. From the Zell Lurie Institute’s Entrepreneurial Studies at the Ross School of Business to the Center for Entrepreneurship’s Perot Jain TechLab Series and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Program (within the College of Engineering), students receive intensive mentorship and training to transform ideas into effective ventures.
Our commitment to fostering entrepreneurial success dates back to 1927, with the introduction of the nation’s first small business management course. Since then, our startup ecosystem has grown to encompass a wide range of disciplines, including the College of Literature, Science, and Arts’ Program in Entrepreneurship, the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, the School of Information, and ten other schools. Our expansive network includes 15 centers and programs, over 30 student organizations, exciting pitch competitions, influential accelerators, immersive treks, dynamic internships, and a variety of community events. This extensive growth underscores the university’s dedication to providing entrepreneurial opportunities to all students.
7. University of Maryland (#1 Mid-Atlantic)
University of Maryland
Office of Innovation
College Park, MD
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 56
Tuition: $11,505 (in-state); $40,306 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 293
What Sets Us Apart
- UMD’s entrepreneurship programs were featured in two Chronicle of Higher Education cover stories: “Now Everyone’s an Entrepreneur” go.umd.edu/iechronicle (2015), “Can Design Thinking Transform Higher Ed” (2017). UMD is embedding design thinking & lean startup into the core curriculum for every student.
- UMD’s 2 signature Intro to Entrepreneurship courses together enroll over 4,000 students each year. These online/hybrid courses allow students to easily learn about entrepreneurship and complete key UMD gen ed requirements; they also serve a gateway to a Minor in Tech Entrepreneurship enrolling ~500 students from 11 out of the 12 undergraduate colleges.
- Southern Management Leadership Program has provided full scholarships for 17 years to community college transfer students to help them become entrepreneurial leaders. Cohorts are mostly first-generation college students, many from low-income and immigrant households. Unrestricted majors enhances diversity in the program.
- xFoundry A $67M “XPrize for Higher Ed” initiative combining innovation, collaboration, creativity, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary design, and competitions targeted at grand challenges with the prize being a student venture launched with investment and mentorship.
- Dingman Center (est. 1985) Award-winning hub creates an inclusive environment to educate, empower and equip students with entrepreneurial skills & resources to realize their ideas.
8. Miami University (#3 Midwest)
Miami University
John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship
Oxford, OH
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 57
Tuition: $18,162 (in-state); $40,822 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 134
What Sets Us Apart
Miami University’s innovative entrepreneurship programming, a past winner of the USASBE Model Entrepreneurship Program and the NASDAQ Center of Entrepreneurial Excellence Award, is one of the world’s top entrepreneurship programs. Our world-class teacher-scholars have helped the program rank among the Top 10 public undergraduate programs for 16 consecutive years in The Princeton Review® and Entrepreneur Magazine’s annual survey.
Our programming combines rigorous academic scholarship & research with immersive, practice-based learning opportunities for startup and venture capital students, social entrepreneurship, corporate innovation, and creativity. Distinguishing features include small class sizes and teacher-scholars with founder experience delivering personalized learning; an interdisciplinary focus engaging 4,000+ students annually across campus; immersive, practice-based learning opportunities in every class; co-curricular program; and integration with ecosystem builders like the United Nations, Techstars, USASBE, GCEC. What began as one entrepreneurship course in 1992 today includes 50+ courses; 12 co-curricular programs; the John W. Altman Institute for Entrepreneurship; three Entrepreneurship Centers—the Page Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Center for Social Entrepreneurship, and the Center for L.I.F.E.; two student-led investment funds; a funded internship program; a startup accelerator program; and World Creativity & Innovation (WCI); among many others.
9. Tecnológico de Monterrey (#1 International)
Tecnológico de Monterrey
Institute for Entrepreneurship Eugenio Garza Lagüera
Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 148
Tuition: Varies
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 904
What Sets Us Apart
- 2 ENTREPRENEURSHIP MAJORS AND 7 MINORS. One major focused on entrepreneurship of all kinds and another on technology entrepreneurship. 7 minors/concentrations with multiple options for students looking for entrepreneurial and real-file experiences to create their own business or NGOs, with a multidisciplinary approach.
- PLETHORA OF CAMPUS AND REGIONAL RESOURCES TO EXPERIMENT AND LAUNCH A NEW VENTURE. Unrivaled nation-wide system of mentoring, incubators, maker spaces, and tech parks. Networking capabilities in Silicon Valley, Israel, and China. Students learn in real-life innovation labs. Access to funding and international accelerators.
- TEC21: UNDERGRADUATE COMPETENCY-BASED ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION. Using semester-long real-life challenges, across the curricula approach, intensive technology use, mentorship-like teaching, and customized curricula design. ‘Tec21’ competencies are explicitly identified for entrepreneurship: opportunity identification, resourcefulness, resilience, and overcoming fear of failure.
- INTERNATIONAL APPROACH. More than 100 elite competitions like Hult Prize, IBMC, Babson, GSEA; multinational programs like GESS. Full undergraduate programs offered in English for global students.
- GLOBALLY EXPERIENCED FACULTY AND MENTORS IN TEACHING AND DOING ENTREPRENEURSHIP. All faculty trained on teaching and stimulating entrepreneurship regardless of majors. More than 1000 mentors are alumni and business leaders.
10. Northeastern University (#2 Northeast)
Northeastern University
Northeastern University Center for Entrepreneurship Education, Sherman Center for Engineering Entrepreneurship Education, Bouve Health Sciences Entrepreneurs
Boston, MA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 68
Tuition: $63,141
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 535
What Sets Us Apart
Northeastern University’s UG entrepreneurship offerings are distinguished through the integration of experiential learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and a diverse range of support programs. Our unique approach combines classroom instruction with real-world experience through our renowned co-op program, where over 200 students annually gain hands-on experience at startups and venture capital firms. We offer 4 concentrations: Corporate Innovation, Entrepreneurial Startups, Family Business, and Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, as well as minors in Entrepreneurial Engineering and Health Sciences Entrepreneurship, with 68 course offerings across multiple colleges.
Our Mosaic network supports 14 student-led groups that support our innovation ecosystem, engaging over 3,000 students and more than 250 venture concepts annually. NUCEE has over 500 mentors and ventures participate in our Venture Mentoring Network that has been in place for over a decade. Student entrepreneurs have access to unique opportunities like the Sherman Venture Co-Op program, where they are supported to work on their startups full-time. Extracurricular programs such as the Husky Startup Challenge, IDEA Venture Accelerator, and Women Who Empower Innovator Awards, enhance skills and provide essential resources, mentorship, and funding. Northeastern also emphasizes global and social impact, with courses like International Entrepreneurship and Social entrepreneurship courses.
11. Michigan State University (#4 Midwest)
Michigan State University
Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
East Lansing, MI
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 44
Tuition: $18,356 (in-state); $0 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 781
What Sets Us Apart
MSU’s entrepreneurship program continues to differentiate itself based on the size and scope of its academics and university-wide programming. We have created a unique innovation ecosystem that meets our students where they are and allows for a diverse group of students to experience entrepreneurship on their own terms. From high-impact extracurricular events like our 2 Day Venture program and Innovate State speaker series; to the broad offerings of courses in our minor; to our comprehensive student venture support program which includes a co-working space, a commercial kitchen, and non-dilutive funding; to the Burgess New Venture Challenge. We have created a fully comprehensive program that engages students from across campus to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and prepare for innovative careers in industry or as founders of their own ventures. We also continue to support students post-graduation with our new Alumni Venture Support role, helping to connect MSU graduates with the entrepreneurial ecosystem beyond the university. Additionally, we support student creators through Student-Made MSU, promoting their products and services to members of the MSU community and beyond.
12. DePaul University (#5 Midwest)
DePaul University
Coleman Entrepreneurship Center
Chicago, IL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 40
Tuition: $44,250
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 211
What Sets Us Apart
DePaul University sits in the heart of Chicago’s business district and was ranked in the top 25 “most innovative schools” in 2016 by U.S. News & World Report. DePaul has offered academic programs in entrepreneurship since 1982. The Coleman Entrepreneurship Center (CEC) launched in 2003 and provides experiential programs to complement our strong academic record. The CEC opened a $1 million, 5,000-square-foot center in 2016. As the hub of entrepreneurship at DePaul, the CEC connects students/alumni with the entrepreneurship ecosystem in Chicago.
In 2023 the CEC won the Nasdaq Center of Excellence Award from the GCEC. The CEC empowers students, alumni and community members to build sustainable businesses. Executive Director of the CEC, Bruce Leech (DePaul MBA 1981), founded a $90 million business. He brings strong experiential components to the CEC, connecting the CEC with the entrepreneur community through memberships at 1871, the premier business incubator in the US, and 2112, an incubator for music, film, and creative tech. In 2019, Maija Renko Ph.D. joined as the Coleman Endowed Chair and brings years of entrepreneurial research to our curriculum. In 2019, we launched the first Women in Entrepreneurship Institute to provide programs, accelerator and research to women in entrepreneurship. We also have our new social impact programs, including our Social Impact Incubator to help entrepreneurship in under-served areas of Chicago.
13. Syracuse University (#3 Northeast)
Syracuse University
Blackstone Launchpad powered by TechStars; Couri Hatchery; Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship; Institute for an Entrepreneurial Society
Syracuse, NY
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 32
Tuition: $65,528
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 270
What Sets Us Apart
We have a dedicated department of Entrepreneurship, reflecting SU commitment to entrepreneurship as a key aspect of its strategic plan. We instill an entrepreneurial mindset in all students, and they have access to many professors who specialize in researching & teaching entrepreneurship. Tenured faculty publish in leading journals and professors of practice have substantial entrepreneurial experience. Our curriculum allows students to focus on different tracks: new venture creation, social entrepreneurship, family business, and corporate entrepreneurship, so students can take courses designed around their interests.
We also offer courses in conjunction with other schools on campus, allowing access to skillsets & resources outside the business school. We take experiential learning seriously and our students work with companies in both for-profit and social settings. We help them take what they learn inside the classroom and put it into action. We pair them up with entrepreneurs from the community via internships, consulting projects, specialized courses, community engagement, etc. We work with over 2000 entrepreneurs per year in our Women’s Business Center, South Side Innovation Center, and more. Our Couri Hatchery and Blackstone Launchpad have tremendous success with student startups providing them wiht robust mentoring and coaching activities. This led to students receiving national media exposure (Newsweek, AdWeek, & others).
14. Iowa State University (#6 Midwest)
Iowa State University
Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship
Ames, IA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 108
Tuition: $10,497 (in-state); $29,198 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 2,371
What Sets Us Apart All 30,000 students at Iowa State have access to entrepreneurship courses, co-curricular programs, clubs and competitions, venture coaching, and other resources. Our motto: Entrepreneurship is for Everyone | Start Something! Every year, 1,500 students from majors across campus enroll in the introduction to entrepreneurship course; all business students are required to take the course. Undergraduates pursuing the minor can choose from more than 100 entrepreneurship course electives; those working on a venture can enroll in a year-long master of entrepreneurship to continue to grow their business. Outside the classroom, multi-day fall and spring pitch competitions involving all seven colleges draw 350+ students and award $50,000; pitches generate applicants for the interdisciplinary summer accelerator. The Student Innovation Center provides undergraduates with a wide range of makerspaces, student-run coffee shop, and retail store for student products. Internships, speakers, competitions, and workshops enhance the student academic experience. Mentoring programs connect students to experienced entrepreneurs, professional service providers, and potential investors. Specialty programs serve veterans, women, underrepresented groups, technologists, creatives, and innovators, including international students. The combination of curricular, co-curricular, and community engagement opportunities makes the entrepreneurial student experience at Iowa State unique and life-changing.
15. The University of Iowa (#7 Midwest)
The University of Iowa
John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC)
Iowa City, IA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 37
Tuition: $12,606 (in-state); $34,569 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 394
What Sets Us Apart Campus-wide, interdisciplinary entrepreneurship courses are available to students from 116 degree-granting programs at Iowa. The new BBA in Entrepreneurship is the first interdisciplinary major in Tippie to prepare students to apply entrepreneurial approaches in their startup or professional careers. Iowa is committed to providing innovative experiential-learning opportunities for students including: Entrepreneurial Leadership Academy–leadership development program to prepare students to lead their own or join high growth ventures; Commercializing New Technology Academy-program to teach students how to commercialize discoveries by leveraging the research expertise at Iowa; Startup Incubator-student entrepreneurs have access to physical office space, training, mentoring, prototyping, marketing/branding support, and early stage capital; Iowa Innovation Challenge-multiple campus-wide ideation, pitch, and business model competitions; Entrepreneurship Interns–matching grant program to connect top Iowa entrepreneurial students with state of Iowa and alumni-owned entrepreneurial ventures; Entrepreneurial Ventures Consulting–team-based strategic business consulting services for Iowa and global ventures; Okoboji Entrepreneurial Institute-annual entrepreneurship immersion program created and led by Iowa for students from six state of Iowa higher education institutions; and multiple short programs to foster entrepreneurship including IdeaStorm, Startup Games, and Side Hustle workshops.
16. University of Miami (#1 South)
University of Miami
The Launch Pad, University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 64
Tuition: $59,940
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 55
What Sets Us Apart With faculty across the campus teaching entrepreneurship, our undergraduate students are exposed to the principals of value creation and building a solution in their areas of study. Our distinguishing aspects concentrate around the engagement of these faculty members across events and co-curricular programming and support to maintain the level of interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations with our students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Seven departments launched at least one new entrepreneurship class engaging industry as adjuncts and the results have been exciting. This also translates to partnerships among and between faculty to continue to build new offerings – both curricular and co-curricular. In 2023 a new major in Innovation, Technology, and Design was launched based on years of faculty interaction across four schools and colleges. This year, we found most of those courses being co-taught between an academic and one to three experts from industry – hence a huge increase in our entrepreneurship faculty numbers. Many of the Business School’s events focused on entrepreneurship have attendance from masses of students from engineering, communication, law, and music. The cross-disciplinary conversations in the classroom and the diverse perspectives of our international students layer the course content with applied takeaways we are seeing impact product design and strategy.
17. Baylor University (#3 Southwest)
Baylor University
John F. Baugh Center for Entrepreneurship
Waco, TX
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 35
Tuition: $54,844
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 282
What Sets Us Apart
Baylor has one of the nation’s oldest undergraduate entrepreneurship programs and it continues to be a high-priority area for the business school and the university as a whole. We offer a unique combination of academic entrepreneurship programming (undergraduate major and minor, graduate certificate program, specialized entrepreneurship Ph.D.), non-degree outreach and engagement activity (New Venture Competition, OSO Launch, Business and Innovation LLC, Student Incubator, Baylor Angel Network, a new makerspace, etc.), and top-tier entrepreneurship research (#4 globally in the latest TCU productivity rating) which also involves undergraduates. Baylor professors have experience starting and running businesses and those experiences are shared with students. Guest speakers and mentors are an integral part of the program as they share their wisdom with students.
Students engage in a variety of curricular and co-curricular experiential activities designed to stimulate ideas, scrutinize them with colleagues and research their feasibility by getting out in the field and talking to potential customers and suppliers.Baylor became an R1 institution in 2022 and we also integrate cutting-edge research findings into the classroom. We also embrace an interdisciplinary approach including partnerships not only with STEM fields but also with the liberal arts via our new Entrepreneurship and the Fine Arts certificate program.
18. Florida State University (#2 South)
Florida State University
Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship
Tallahassee, FL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 125
Tuition: $6,517 (in-state); $21,683 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 502
What Sets Us Apart
Jim Moran College is the 1st stand-alone College of Entrepreneurship at a public university in the US. With 3 unique undergraduate majors, Commercial Entrepreneurship, Retail Entrepreneurship, & STEM Entrepreneurship, & 10 unique minors offered to all FSU students there are opportunities for students to learn & express their entrepreneurial vision. Our majors enable JMC to have complete creative control to deliver a uniquely appropriate experience to student entrepreneurs. JMC has 6 hands-on laboratories for product development, omnichannel merchandising, & 2 labs to conduct textile testing. These opportunities allow students to explore entrepreneurship education beyond course offerings within typical colleges of business or engineering.
JMC employs full-time faculty who have had or currently own their own businesses. JMC focuses on interdisciplinary teaching by “Entrepreneurs in Residence” (EIR) housed in nearly every college at FSU. EIRs further foster entrepreneurship throughout the JMC & across the university; serving as a multidisciplinary resource is a force multiplier for collaborative problem-solving. The EIR in College of Law, offers a law clinic that pairs entrepreneurs with upper-level law students to mentor & guide entrepreneurs with their business law questions/concerns. The EIR in English mentors students who are interested in the publishing industry as she owned a publishing company. EIRs create unique and in-depth mentoring for students in the JMC and FSU.
19. The University of St. Thomas (#8 Midwest, #3 Under 10,000 students)
The University of St. Thomas
Schulze School of Entrepreneurship
Minneapolis, MN
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 43
Tuition: $54,398
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 100
What Sets Us Apart
Scholarship support:The Schulze Innovation Scholarship is a 4-year, full-tuition scholarship and entrepreneurial leadership program for 40 Entrepreneurship majors each year and has provided over $8M in funding.
Prestigious National Competition: e-Fest® is a premier undergraduate business pitch competition co-hosted by the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship and EIX.org. This three-day event convenes top teams from a national pool of highly competitive submissions to compete in four competitions: Pitch Slam!, Innovation Challenge, Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, and Special Recognition Awards. Beyond prizes totaling $215,000 and travel stipends of $3,750 per team, e-Fest offers transformative professional development workshops, national media exposure, and networking opportunities. We also provided $125,000 in development grants to 58 schools to enhance their entrepreneurial programs.
Outstanding Co-Curricular Support: Students across the university participate in year-round workshops, mentoring and competitions beginning with the Freshman Innovation Immersion, an innovation challenge offered before classes start, drawing 10% of the incoming student body.
Venture Acceleration:We partner with nationally ranked accelerator, gener8tor, to provide accelerator programming for students and alumni. Teams can also access on-site services including Small Business Development Center, LegalCorps, Schulze Innovation Investment Fund, pre-seed grants, and our vast pool of mentors.
20. Erasmus University Rotterdam (#2 International)
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, Erasmus Enterprise, Yes!Delft Rotterdam (3 institutes)
Rotterdam, NETHERLANDS
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 6
Tuition: Varies
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 400
What Sets Us Apart
Our undergraduate offerings in Entrepreneurship provide students experiential courses that practice entrepreneurial skills and strategic entrepreneurship theory to discover, recognize and exploit business opportunities for existing firms or by building a new one. Our aim is to provide high-quality training that allow students to experience key steps in the start their own company. Students are exposed to a variety of entrepreneurial theories and practices that allow them to acquire entrepreneurial skills needed for their careers (either within an existing organization or for a new venture)
21. Purdue University (#9 Midwest)
Purdue University
Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship
West Lafayette, IN
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 12
Tuition: $9,992 (in-state); $28,794 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 177
What Sets Us Apart
Purdue is a pioneer in scalable, cross-campus entrepreneurship education. Distinguishing features include:
- Size-Enrolls 3000 students from all 190+ majors each year, into 60+ entrepreneurship fundamentals and capstone courses. High participation from STEM disciplines. Recently selected to expand to Indianapolis as part of Purdue’s newly launched urban campus.
- Flexibility-Offers a modular format that aligns with academic programs and offers unique “track” & experiential options. Fundamentals courses offer a focus on student interests (e.g., for profit versus social ventures), and capstone courses on various career tracks (e.g., venture development, consulting, and leadership).
- Career preparation-A 1-credit/online professional development course prepares students for internships & recruiting activity. A gender, diversity and leadership course offered since 2008 demonstrates commitment to fostering inclusivity and belonging.
- Two living/learning communities– The original entrepreneurial community is one of the longest-running in the country (since 2005).
- A second community focused on data science and entrepreneurship was launched in 2023. (5) Won top awards-Model Program-USASBE 2020; Top 5 for Exceptional Activities Across Disciplines-GCEC 2018; & Excellence in Curriculum Innovation in Entrepreneurship-Deshpande Foundation 2017. The director has received awards for curriculum innovation, research, and diversity activities.
22. Drexel University (#2 Mid-Atlantic)
Drexel University Close School of Entrepreneurship
Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship
Philadelphia, PA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 43
Tuition: $62,412
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 41
What Sets Us Apart
Our BA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, available in 3, 4, and 5-year options, is designed to prepare students for entrepreneurial thinking and action across professional and personal domains. Students are prepared for diverse avenues: innovating within established companies, working in small or growing ventures, and starting new ventures. Students learn and apply critical entrepreneurial skills and nurture their entrepreneurial mindset. The curriculum spotlights specialized courses, notably “”Launch It!”” with seed funding for business initiation and “”Ready, Set, Fail”” providing experiential learning from setbacks.
Our degree, BS in Sustainability and Innovation, aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals, prompting students to address complex intersecting challenges of society, commerce, and environment. This curriculum is enhanced with courses in art, science, and business.
Both programs require a minor, encouraging personal exploration that broadens perspectives for future endeavors. Program core attributes include resilience, opportunity recognition, self-sufficiency, and effective communication. Our Entrepreneurship Co-Op program provides students with growth opportunities which are backed by faculty mentors, and up to $19,000 in scholarships per student. Drexel’s location, adjacent to Philly’s Innovation Neighborhood, provides easy access to the city’s robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.
23. University of Oregon (#2 West)
University of Oregon
Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship
Eugene, OR
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 32
Tuition: $12,720 (in-state); $36,615 (out-of-state)
What Sets Us Apart
Programs are co-created with student leaders. We believe that an entrepreneurship program should be entrepreneurial, and students are considered co-founders and leaders of all of our programs. -Proximity to Silicon Valley. We bring tech founders and investors up from the Bay Area on a regular basis, and every year bring our students to SF and Seattle for on site visits and events. I spent 10 years leading entrepreneurial programs at Michigan in Ann Arbor prior to coming to Oregon, and we’ve been able to productively engage more SF-based stakeholders this year than any of the years I was at Michigan. -Connectivity with cutting edge biotechnology. The Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact is a $1B initiative to advance bioengineering and applied science research. Students from the Knight Campus participate side by side with business students to develop commercialization plans for deep tech. -Collaborative community building across many disciplines. Our programs serve students across the entire UO campus and we encourage multidisciplinary team formation whenever possible. -Opportunities to work directly with faculty members on IP-based innovations.
24. University of Utah (#3 West)
University of Utah
Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
Salt Lake CIty, UT
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 30
Tuition: $12,424 (in-state); $34,900 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 189
What Sets Us Apart
Students can get an exceptional academic experience learning entrepreneurship inside of the classroom and then immediately apply what they have learned through our wide array of programs and offerings outside of the classroom. The opportunities we provide students to learn and explore entrepreneurship include academics, competitions, grants, workshops, prototype assistance, networking, mentoring, and more. Beyond these programs, we provide our students with unique experiences by being a student leader. These students provide much of our extracurricular programming and gain valuable project-based experience and leadership skills. Students at the University of Utah students are welcome to “live, create, launch” at Lassonde Studios, a one-of-a-kind building mixes a 20,000-square-foot creative space on the main floor with 400 residences above. This building houses students from over 60 different majors and has been featured in the New York Times and Architectural Digest. Utah and Salt Lake City are consistently recognized as a top location for business. The state is regularly ranked among the best states for business in the country by Forbes and other national publications. Lastly, we recently launched our new alumni program, called Lassonde for Life. This program provides free, lifelong entrepreneurial support to all alumni through workshops, networking opportunities, resources, and more.
25. The University of Texas at Dallas (#4 Southwest)
The University of Texas at Dallas
Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Richardson, TX
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 41
Tuition: $14,564 (in-state); $40,064 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 194
What Sets Us Apart
UT Dallas’ approach to undergraduate entrepreneurship offerings stands out due to its strong emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, real-world application, and experiential learning, all coordinated through a singular, central hub—the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE). We view innovation and entrepreneurship as a “common denominator” across all disciplines. This philosophy is embedded in our curriculum, with the undergraduate innovation and entrepreneurship certificate program being open to all students across the UTD campus, allowing anyone—regardless of their major—to develop entrepreneurial skills and thinking.
The IIE creates a cohesive ecosystem where faculty and students from diverse fields such as engineering, arts, and sciences collaborate on innovation, reflecting the real-world nature of entrepreneurship. By supporting multiple student organizations and hosting signature events like speed networking, lunch and learns, and pitch competitions, the IIE provides students with valuable opportunities to connect with mentors, investors, and co-founders. Its centralized approach fosters collaboration across departments and disciplines, strengthening connections between students, faculty, and industry partners. Its approach also streamlines access to resources, networks, and entrepreneurial growth, empowering the campus community to transform their ideas into real-world solutions, commercialize innovations, and scale their impact across industries.
26. Loyola Marymount University (#4 West, #4 Under 10,000 students)
Loyola Marymount University
Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship
Los Angeles, CA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 21
Tuition: $50,283
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 40
What Sets Us Apart
- Our Mission: We have been teaching entrepreneurship with a focus on ethics and social responsibility since 1972 before it was a hip thing to do. Our students and graduates are values-centered and possess moral courage. They build businesses that leave a positive impact on the world.
- Our Location (Silicon Beach: We are located in the center of one of the most vibrant ecosystems for entrepreneurial activity (e.g., Youtube to Beyond Meat to SpaceX) that offer immense opportunities for internships, jobs, and projects.
- Our (family-like) atmosphere: Our faculty and staff members are incredibly dedicated to students’ success. We form and maintain a close family-like atmosphere between students, alumni, and faculty that is unlike any other school.
- Our Track Record: We have a track record of developing successful entrepreneurs. Our graduates go on to found companies like Dave.com (IPO’d at $4B), Liquid IV (sold for ~$500M), General Finance Corp. (sold for $1B), and O Positiv (specialty vitamin for women), and many other small to medium sized businesses. Others become entrepreneurial leaders in established companies and their communities.
- Our Innovative Curriculum: We are all about hands-on and experiential learning with an emphasis on real-world applications. We also offer a spectacular co-curricular program that includes The Hilton Lecture Series, The Dinner with A Winner, Startup Weekend, New Idea Pitch competition, Incubator Showcase, etc.
27. University of Delaware (#3 Mid-Atlantic)
University of Delaware
Venture Development Center
Newark, DE
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 41
Tuition: $16,080 (in-state); $39,720 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 236
What Sets Us Apart
Horn Entrepreneurship offers relevant and accessible programming to ALL University of Delaware students, including programming threads pertaining to entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship and technology commercialization. This includes a unique set of 7 undergraduate certificates (i.e., entrepreneurial leadership; design & creative making; social innovation & entrepreneurship; eco-entrepreneurship; technology innovation & entrepreneurship; innovation & entrepreneurship for health; and food systems innovation & entrepreneurship). In addition, Horn emphasizes community building, maintaining an entrepreneurial culture and creating synergies between academic, enrichment and new venture support programming — all of which is operated by a single unit— Horn Entrepreneurship. This includes more than 50 programs and events that are intended to enhance students’ available means for making an impact through entrepreneurship, including skill enhancement, networking and access to resources. Select examples include: Delaware Innovation Fellows — a four-year, selective enrichment program for creative, innovative and entrepreneurial students in any major (see www.udel.edu/DIF), and Summer Founders, a pre-accelerator program providing students with stipends to enable them to work full-time on their ventures while benefiting from regular educational programming, active mentorship and external/investor feedback and guidance.
28. The Pennsylvania State University (#4 Mid-Atlantic)
The Pennsylvania State University
Penn State has 25+ entrepreneurship centers across our 24 campus locations
Philadelphia, PA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 66
Tuition: $18,898 (in-state); $36,476 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 118
What Sets Us Apart
The program empowers undergraduates to transform their ideas into viable businesses, reimagine organizations, become their own bosses, and drive change in the global marketplace. With courses available to all 76,000 undergraduates across 24 campuses, the program has already engaged over 14,000 students from 172 different majors in at least one entrepreneurship course. Each Penn State campus tailors the program to meet the unique needs of its students, helping them build connections with regional entrepreneurs and access business support services.
29. Texas Christian University (#5 Southwest)
Texas Christian University
Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Fort Worth, TX
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 116
Tuition: $61,740
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 97
What Sets Us Apart
TCU’s entrepreneurship program stands out with its mission to cultivate the next generation of purpose-driven entrepreneurs through a comprehensive and integrated approach. We offer a rigorous academic curriculum, complemented by a robust ecosystem of co-curricular programming that spans the entire university. The Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation serves as a dynamic sandbox where students across disciplines can apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges. Our program’s excellence is reflected in its consistently high rankings in Bloomberg Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report, and in Princeton Review. Additionally, TCU’s faculty is globally recognized in the TCU Global University Entrepreneurship Research Productivity Rankings. TCU’s entrepreneurship program has made history as the only school in the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC) to win three consecutive awards for cross-campus entrepreneurship programming. Key initiatives include the CREATE Accelerator powered by the Shaddock Fund, the Richards Barrentine Values and Ventures Competition—the nation’s premier undergraduate business plan competition—the Horned Frog Investment Network, the Innovative Teachers Guild, and Neeley NIL, which empowers student-athletes to navigate the evolving Name, Image, and Likeness landscape. These initiatives are part of TCU’s unwavering commitment to fostering innovation, leadership, and impactful entrepreneurship across the campus and beyond.
30. East Carolina University (#3 South)
East Carolina University
Crisp Small Business Resource Center
Greenville, NC
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 23
Tuition: $7,170 (in-state); $23,447 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 225
What Sets Us Apart
The Miller School of Entrepreneurship focuses our efforts on engaged student learning & rural regional transformation. Our core purpose is to instill an entrepreneurial mindset in our students and demonstrate the viability of entrepreneurship as a key element of regional economic development. The Entrepreneurship degree includes courses with significant client interaction. Our faculty are focused on thought leadership in the areas of rural entrepreneurship, small business development, and entrepreneurship education. We provide impactful internships for our students and award-winning consulting projects for business clients, and this work is transforming our region through new venture growth and job creation. Our Crisp Center has a Faculty Alliance program that brings small businesses into classrooms across campus for experiential learning projects and to provide resources & best practices to help students convert knowledge into actionable ideas and new ventures. The Isley Innovation Hub (15,000 sq. ft. facility) connects our campus and serves as a catalyst for entrepreneurship & innovation through multidisciplinary efforts. This space includes an Innovator-in-Residence who supports students and faculty, ideation & collaboration spaces and a makerspace for early-stage prototyping. Based on this work we have been recognized by USASBE as the winner of the Best Emerging Program and Excellence in Co-Curricular Innovation Awards as well as the Emerging Center Award from GCEC.
31. The University of Tampa (#4 South)
The University of Tampa
John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center
Tampa, FL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 10
Tuition: $34,358
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 334
What Sets Us Apart
The distinguishing features of UT’s UNDG ENT offerings revolve around our holistic approach to fostering entrepreneurial skills. We emphasize a blend of theoretical knowledge and real-world experience that enhances students’ ability to think creatively, recognize opportunities, and navigate complex problems. Our curriculum integrates a competency model from successful entrepreneurs, bridging the gap between academic theories & real-world entrepreneurial experiences. This model enables students to apply their learning beyond the classroom, preparing them to adapt & thrive in dynamic business environments. It fosters creative thinking, opportunity identification, and innovative problem-solving abilities. Our program stands out due to its rigorous assessment and continuous improvement processes. We employ summative and formative evaluations to gauge student learning and program effectiveness. This commitment to continuous improvement, guided by comprehensive data, underscores our dedication to entrepreneurial edu. excellence. We take pride in the intricate connectivity of our curricular and co-curricular programs, designed to reinforce and supplement one another. This design instills a comprehensive understanding of ENT, making our program distinctively robust and integrative. For the past 7 years, we refined our model, ensuring our program stays at the forefront of entrepreneurial education. Commitment to continuous innovation is a key differentiator, setting our program apart.
32. Belmont University (#5 South)
Belmont University
Thomas F. Cone Sr. Center for Entrepreneurship
Nashville, TN
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 35
Tuition: $42,540
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 118
What Sets Us Apart
The Jack C. Massey College of Business was founded by a nationally acclaimed entrepreneur who is the only person to take 3 companies public at the NYSE. The mission of the MCB is to educate entrepreneurial and ethical future business leaders. It is unique to require ETP courses at the undergraduate level. Also, Belmont created the first Social Entrepreneurship major in the country, which focuses on creating sustainable social enterprises. We provide a clear path to equip our students through ideation, launch and development. After receiving a $2 MM endowment last year, the Center has been able to fund new initiatives to support our alumni and student entrepreneurs including grants, business building partnerships and resources. Since launching the ETP major in 2003, it has become the largest major in the business school. Experiential learning is at the heart of everything we teach in the MCB, but it is especially relevant within the ETP program. The robust offerings we’ve developed for our student entrepreneurs include our Hatchery, Accelerator, Endowed Grant Fund, Workshop Series, Alumni Mentor network, E-Village, and Business Pitch and Plan Competitions. Our robust mentor network includes over 150 alumni and local entrepreneurs. Through our innovative curricula, Cone Center co-curricular programming, emphasis on experiential learning, mentor network and endowment, we offer students the tools and resources to become successful entrepreneurs.
33. University of South Florida (#6 South)
University of South Florida
Nault Center for Entrepreneurship
Tampa, FL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 17
Tuition: $6,410 (in-state); $17,324 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 120
What Sets Us Apart
Our entrepreneurship major program has several distinguishing features. First and foremost, our program requires every student in the major to create a business (virtual or non-virtual) as a solopreneur or founder of a team-based venture. We provide all these students with a support infrastructure that facilitates venture creation (workshops, mentors, seed funding, networking etc.). Second, we strongly encourage all our students in the major to take part in the many extra-curricular programs we offer (same day pitch competitions, our year-long HUSTLE venture creation competition, the Student Innovation Incubator, networking events, SBDC activities etc.). And third, we bring the entrepreneurial ecosystem into the classroom in the form of guest speakers, projects proposed by SMEs and new ventures in the local community where students in teams can work on for credit and vying for a spot in one of the local incubators or accelerators in the Tampa Bay region.
34. University of Dayton (#10 Midwest, #5 Under 10,000 students)
University of Dayton
L. William Crotty Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Dayton, OH
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 35
Tuition: $49,140
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 156
What Sets Us Apart
UD students are immersed in every aspect of entrepreneurship. The program is housed at the university’s off-campus innovation hub. A space where multiple academic units work with 170+ startups. All entrepreneurship programming is run out of this space. Like the first course where students pitch an idea, form teams, and receive a $5,000 investment to run their business to their capstone where students have an opportunity to launch a scalable tech venture. These businesses are created with the guidance of UD faculty, and the 350 experienced entrepreneurs in the hub. All of the core courses in entrepreneurship utilize this space to connect students with entrepreneurs. These experiences are also offered outside the classroom. Through Flyer Enterprises students are running a $2.5 million business with 13 divisions on and off campus. Flyer Consulting has another group supporting and lending to local non-profits and startups, many through our neighborhood incubator in an underserved community. Other students are managing a $1 million seed fund through Flyer Angels. Engineering, design and business students are paid as interns to do hands-on projects for entrepreneurs through our Stitt Scholars program. At UD students have an opportunity to start a business, manage a business, invest in startups, lend to underrepresented entrepreneurs, raise capital for their ideas, and serve as an intern with myriad local startups. This vast array of opportunities is the UD Experience.
35. Saint Louis University (#11 Midwest, #6 Under 10,000 students)
Saint Louis University
Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship
St. Louis, MO
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 163
Tuition: $53,244
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 36
What Sets Us Apart
We have dense graduate academic offerings: entrepreneurship majors in business, campus-wide minors and supporting areas in entrepreneurship open to all, 163 classes with entrepreneurship content across 21 departments. We support entrepreneurship in all its forms with a nationally recognized entrepreneurship center, student business and medical technology accelerators, two makerspaces, a NSF I-corps site, a shared-use kitchen and student-led cafe, a student-led entrepreneurship legal clinic, and two on-campus incubator spaces. We strive for innovation in action from our collection of competitions [elevator pitch, new venture accelerator, etc.], to the textbook we have developed that showcases our approach [Entrepreneurial Small Business from McGraw-Hill] and is used in over 250 US schools, to innovative pedagogy such as classes co-taught by standing faculty [many with entrepreneurial experience] and local practicing entrepreneurs and experts. We have tight and deep integration with one of America’s top-ranked startup cities (see WSJ, Kauffman, etc.). Our team are prominent players in national entrepreneurship efforts like the Chaifetz Fellows Network, Kern Engineering Entrepreneurship Network and the Experiential Classroom.
36. Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (#7 South)
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
SCADpro
Savannah, GA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 32
Tuition: $35,190
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 133
What Sets Us Apart
SCAD is built on research, rigor, and relevance. The university’s curriculum design reflects a recognition that entrepreneurship is critical to professional success across all disciplines. SCAD added a new business core into the general education curriculum required of every SCAD student to understand contracts, marketing, and the language of business—from screenwriters negotiating with agents to architects opening their own studios to fine artists marketing their products and points-of-view.
Well-researched, intentional, and continual evolution of SCAD degree programs, with promising careers in mind, is just one reason SCAD enrollment has risen nearly 10% in the last two years. Where others prize tradition, SCAD leans into the future.
SCAD has originated programs to support and fund alumni entrepreneurship. SCADpro Fund invests in new ventures to scale fast and solve business challenges through design innovation. To date, SCAD has invested $2.9M across 13 alumni-led companies. Our first Fund company investment, Liist, was also our first exit to Google within the first three years. 12 companies have raised a total of $136M in capital, generated more than $100M in revenue. SCAD Alumni Atelier, conceived and endowed by SCAD president and founder Paula Wallace, has supported over 175 alumni the time, space, and resources to create a new body of work in disciplines that range from fibers to fashion to industrial design to animation, investing over 1M.
37. Rowan University (#4 Northeast)
Rowan University
Rowan Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Glassboro, NJ
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 28
Tuition: $15,700 (in-state); $25,564 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 88
What Sets Us Apart
Entrepreneurship is one of Rowan’s core values, and we view it as an interdisciplinary effort that bridges disciplines rather than creating silos. We emphasize student-centeredness, inclusivity, engagement, accountability, resilience, quality, and transparency in all our initiatives. Our commitment extends beyond the university, as we strive to benefit our local and state communities by partnering with and investing in regional businesses and organizations that align with our mission. Through these efforts, we aim to prepare an educated citizenry and skilled workforce, enhance public health and quality of life, and develop innovative products, services, and ideas.
38. Fordham University (#5 Northeast)
Fordham University
Fordham Foundry
New York, NY
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 21
Tuition: $61,567
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 230
What Sets Us Apart
Fordham’s undergraduate offerings are open to all students on campus without regard to major or background. This is true for both the curricular and co-curricular offerings. Thus, there is robust interaction in our entrepreneurial ecosystem between people with all kinds of interests and goals. All of our offerings are experiential in nature, with each part of the curriculum offering multiple and varied opportunities to practice innovation and to advance existing ideas. These experiences are also usually team-oriented, enabling students to build relationships with other creative people and to learn how to function within organizations. Our curriculum is oriented toward humanistic management and the development of the whole person, providing students with a unique and principled way of looking at the new venture creation process. We offer courses such as Social Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation that help to foster this.
39. Boston University (#6 Northeast)
Boston University
Innovate@BU
Boston, MA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 26
Tuition: $62,360
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 36
What Sets Us Apart
Our students can pursue their interest in entrepreneurship in a flexible way that suits their schedule and fuels their passion. They can take a wide breadth of for-credit entrepreneurship classes, whatever their chosen major. Our minor in innovation and entrepreneurship students is available to all Undergraduate students. The students can choose from over 70 courses as they put together a course of study that matches their interests. We also have courses in “new venture creation” and “design thinking” in our general education program (The Hub). You get Hub units in these courses, which students now need to graduate. Lastly, we have a thriving co-curricular program that allows students to create their own ventures or work on their own projects. This is through the Innovate@BU initiative, which is now seven years old. A wide variety of programming is held in the IDG Capital Student Innovation Center, a customer-build innovation space on campus close to EPIC, a 15,000-square-foot maker space. Both these facilities are open to all students on campus. Our Entrepreneurship Program is about creating leaders who view entrepreneurship as a means for solving big problems. We value equally social, non-profit, and for-profit ventures. We encourage our students to think big and to make an impact in the world.
40. University of Arizona (#6 Southwest)
University of Arizona
McGuire Center for Entreprebeurship/FORGE
Tucson, AZ
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 65
Tuition: $13,277 (in-state); $38,784 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 42
What Sets Us Apart
A number of distinctive features characterize the McGuire Center. Our commitment to experiential education and a focus on the live intellectual property. McGuire’s hallmark program, New Venture Development, provides students with an immersive year long experience in which they take a concept from idea to execution. Challenging students to understand their customers and deliver customer centered solutions is not just an academic exercise. Dedicated business mentors work with teams full-time throughout the year, bringing students through rigorous customer and product validation activities. A critical component to this process is our Hearst Experiential Learning grants, which fund student research, prototyping, and other validation activities. McGuire also provides students with a robust Maker Space, including resources for 3D printing and VR programming. McGuire elective courses and co-curricular events all contain experiential aspects, including the development of actionable business plans and active participation in micro-business marketplaces, hackathons, and startup weekends. Furthermore, the McGuire Center’s specialized mentors encourage students to emphasize social entrepreneurship and solve global problems. McGuire partners with community resources like Start-Up Tucson and supports the annual Tenwest entrepreneurship festival as well as collaborate with other start-up organizations like Catalyst, UA Center for Innovation, FORGE and TechLaunch Arizona.
41. State University of New York – University at Buffalo (#7 Northeast)
State University of New York – University at Buffalo https://www.princetonreview.com/schools/1024014
UB CoLab
Buffalo, NY
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 7
Tuition: $10,782 (in-state); $30,572 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 188
What Sets Us Apart
Our distinguishing features are focused on experiential programming that builds student confidence and an ability to work in environments of ambiguity, uncertainty, and change. We immerse students directly into real businesses and ask the students to solve actual problems faced by existing ventures.
Our experiential offerings include:
- Visits to Silicon Valley to develop hands-on experience, learn leading techniques in premier ecosystems, and expose students to diverse communities.
- The UB Blackstone Launchpad delivers workshops, hackathons, and competitions to expose thousands of UB students to a wide range of new venture challenges and skill development.
- Interdisciplinary curriculum that combines business education with other fields such as technology, engineering, design, and social sciences. This broadens students’ perspectives and equips them with a well-rounded skillset to tackle complex problems.
- Our pitch competitions offer funding opportunities for student ventures. These events not only provide financial support but also help students gain exposure to potential investors and customers.
- Alumni engagement events play an essential role in inspiring our students. Our programs maintain strong alumni engagement to foster a sense of community and ongoing mentorship.
- Social impact and sustainability programs emphasize social entrepreneurship practices, empowering students to create ventures that address pressing societal and environmental challenges.
42. University of Nebraska – Lincoln (#12 Midwest)
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
Center for Entrepreneurship
Lincoln, NE
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 33
Tuition: $10,148 (in-state); $27,878 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 46
What Sets Us Apart
The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) is uniquely advantaged as we are not limited by a single, centralized entrepreneurship program, but instead have multiple entrepreneurship programs deployed across different colleges. Because these programs vary in their domain focus, approach to entrepreneurship education, and student population; UNL offers entrepreneurship education to a wider array of students, with greater customization. Our ability to meet the needs students where they are at in their academic journey is an exceptional value proposition for the University. We continue to grow our Franchising & Family Business programs as well as our pop-up offerings. Nebraska ranks in the top 10 states for franchise growth & is home to over 20 franchisor headquarters. We have been a leader in university franchise education since the 1980s. Working in/managing a family business requires additional insight to navigate family dynamics such as succession planning & governance. Our programs cater to students who are connected to a family business & includes experiential assignments that include students using their own family’s business. Our pop-up courses innovate our curriculum, elevate student experiences & offer an accelerated way of earning credit. We offer 7 pop-up courses which provide flexibility to students in terms of meeting their degree requirements by allowing them to substitute for a regular 3 credit hour class.
43. Auburn University (#8 South)
Auburn University
The Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, New Venture Accelerator, and Thomas Walter Center for Technology Management
Auburn, AL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 17
Tuition: $11,826 (in-state); $31,986 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 41
What Sets Us Apart
Students can enter the entrepreneurship program via several avenues during their academic careers, including course enrollment or competition participation. For the former, they can choose between two minors, BET and ENFB.
BET minors are competitively selected from Business and Engineering majors. Students from any major can add the ENFB minor. This innovative program enhances students’ entrepreneurial mindset and provides them opportunities to hone their scientific/artistic skills by allowing some non-Business (like math and biology) classes to count as electives. Students from over 20 different majors have now enrolled. The minor also includes innovative coursework, including an internship where students can earn class credit for starting their own business.
For the latter, students may also begin their entrepreneurial journeys via co-curricular activities like myriad entrepreneurship competitions annually. Regardless of whether a student participates in ENFB courses or competitions, they can always receive mentorship from Lowder Center staff & affiliated faculty.
The most promising students are offered support from the New Venture Accelerator, including free office space and mentoring in a collaborative environment. Residents (and graduates) are also introduced to other promising growth avenues including follow-on competitions, national accelerator programs, angel investors, and more.
44. New Jersey Institute of Technology (#8 Northeast)
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Newark, NJ
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 30
Tuition: $19,974 (in-state); $37,664 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 47
What Sets Us Apart
The New Jersey Institute of Technology is a research university focused on technological innovation. This focus is shared by all the colleges at NJIT, and distinguishes NJIT from other universities. The entrepreneurship program offered by NJIT’s Martin Tuchman School of Management (MTSM) also shares in this multidisciplinary focus on technological innovation, and exposes students to three unique resources. First, NJIT hosts VentureLink, the largest new venture incubator in New Jersey (110,000 sq.ft) with 90 companies. Entrepreneurship students work in this ecosystem as part of their experiential learning, and establish startups there. Second, NJIT hosts the largest and best-equipped makerspace in the State (25,000 sq.ft), with student-centered intellectual property rights. Third, NJIT is a site for the National Science Foundation I-Corps program, which promotes and funds entrepreneurship among university students and faculty. MTSM and the I-Corps program also prepare students for federal Small Business Innovation Research funding, which provides non-dilutive funding for entrepreneurs with technological innovations that address opportunities with societal significance. MTSM seeks to instill such visionary and impactful skills in its entrepreneurship students.
45. University of Connecticut (#9 Northeast)
University of Connecticut
Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Storrs, CT
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 59
Tuition: $17,226 (in-state); $39,894 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 24
What Sets Us Apart
At UConn, we’ve taken an innovative leap that bridges the worlds of business and science. Our entrepreneurial initiatives integrate the analytical prowess of scientists with the strategic acumen of business students, creating a holistic entrepreneurial landscape.
Central to our philosophy is the recognition that entrepreneurship is a global force for progress. We prepare students for the nuances of emerging markets, understanding that these economies hold unique challenges and opportunities. By studying emerging market entrepreneurs and integrating knowledge from developing countries into our curriculum, we aim to produce leaders equipped to drive growth internationally.
A standout feature of our program is Hillside Ventures, UConn’s student-run venture fund. Hillside Ventures offers students hands-on experience in funding entrepreneurship, allowing them to evaluate and invest in real-world startups. This practical approach cultivates a deep understanding of the entrepreneurial ecosystem from the ground up.UConn’s commitment extends beyond classroom learning. Our engagement with underrepresented groups in entrepreneurship, combined with the practical experience offered through Hillside Ventures, positions UConn as a pioneering institution in the entrepreneurial academic sphere.
46. Florida International University (#9 South)
Florida International University
StartUP FIU, Pino Global Entrepreneurship Center, Small Business Development Center at FIU, and FIU CARTA Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator, Blackstone LaunchPad at FIU
Miami, FL
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 59
Tuition: $6,566 (in-state); $18,964 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 16
What Sets Us Apart
FIU’s undergraduate offerings in entrepreneurship are varied and deep. The breadth of offerings spans across incubators, centers and departments in six schools, colleges and divisions where offerings at most universities are concentrated in the College of Business. While the College of Business offers an entrepreneur certificate program that provides undergraduates from any major at FIU with the opportunity to complement their major field of study with an additional concentration in entrepreneurship, having programs in our Chaplin School of Hospitality and College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts allow students access to entrepreneurship programming with industry specific depth and expertise. Further, students have access to the StartUP FIU, Blackstone LaunchPad and the SBDC which are not bound to curricular constraints and were designed to help individuals start and scale their companies. Students who want to start companies get a rigorous, real-world environment through bootcamp style instruction, industry advisors, entrepreneurship mentorship and access to sales channels and capital. Although not tallied in this survey, our 1-credit FIU experience course for all incoming freshmen (~1,500 students annually) was redesigned with StartUP FIU to infuse entrepreneurship concepts, such as technology and design thinking to give all FIU students a framework for 21st Century critical thinking and problem solving.
47. University of Minnesota (#13 Midwest)
University of Minnesota
The Gary S. Holmes Center for Entrepreneurship
Minneapolis, MN
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 16
Tuition: $16,488 (in-state); $36,402 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 51
What Sets Us Apart
We offer a broad range of experiential courses and programs led by a mix of researchers and experienced practitioners that enable students to gain practical experience and connections with the community. Our courses enable students to design new products, commercialize University technology, support corporate innovation, solve grand social challenges, and launch and operate real businesses (both within and outside their classes). In 2019 and again in 2024, we supported 25 undergraduate students to raise two $1 million for a student-owned venture capital funds that are connected to an experiential course and have placed investments in 28 startups around the country. Our MN Cup competition is the largest statewide startup competition in the country, awarding $5.8 million in cash prizes and supporting more than 26,000 entrepreneurs since 2005. Our Gopher Angels investor network provides invaluable connections with leading entrepreneurs and investors. Our WE* initiative organizes events and mentoring to encourage more women to pursue entrepreneurship. Our internship programs place more than 60 undergraduate students each year with local startups. More than $150K of seed funding is available each year for student-founded companies, which are supported in our 6,500 sf Toaster Innovation Hub. As one of the only land-grant research universities located in the heart of a major metropolitan area, our students are continuously connected with a vibrant entrepreneurial community.
48. The George Washington University (#5 Mid-Atlantic)
The George Washington University
Center for Entrepreneurial Excellence
Washington, DC
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 12
Tuition: $59,870
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 15
What Sets Us Apart
Women’s Leadership: GW’s Business School has the highest proportion of women MBAs in the world. The school is the home to the nationally award-winning women’s entrepreneurship curriculum. GWSB’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership course is the winner of a US Association of Small Business and Entrepreneurship Excellence in Entrepreneurship Education Award together with the faculty-led ed tech and women’s research initiative: The Hot Mommas Project which today is the world’s largest women’s case study library. Outside of the classroom, student leadership opportunities exist through the WEL Fellowship and WEL Council in which student leaders act as through leaders and ambassadors in women’s entrepreneurship and interact with mentors from the professional business community.
49. Washington State University (#5 West)
Washington State University
Center for Entrepreneurship
Pullman, WA
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 13
Tuition: $12,997 (in-state); $29,073 (out-of-state)
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 16
What Sets Us Apart
Our offerings in entrepreneurship span from more traditional classroom experiences to real world pitching and business accelerators providing our students with both depth and breadth in their entrepreneurship experience. The Carson College of Business offers a BA in Entrepreneurship and a Minor in Entrepreneurship. The Center for Entrepreneurship leads The WSU Business Plan Competition, The Jones Milestone Accelerator, the Jones Sparks Program for early-career students, WSU Entrepreneurship Skills and Knowledge Accelerator (WESKA) for graduate students, Global Entrepreneurship Week Pitch Competition, NSF I-Corps Site and international partnerships. The on-campus student collaboration center, “The Den”, offers meeting rooms, a kitchenette, snacks for students, a copy machine, and “hot desks” for small meetings, events, and workshops. Faculty and staff from multiple colleges hold office hours in “The Den” enabling students to come to a central location for information and resources. Our programs, events, clubs, and competitions teach students entrepreneurial skills and a mindset which prepares them not only to take an idea from concept to launch, but also navigate non-profit and traditional career paths with grit and resilience. We have community consulting projects, internship opportunities, and highly engaged mentors. We regularly host successful entrepreneurial alumni to mentor our current students, serve on various entrepreneurship-related boards and committees.
50. American University (#6 Mid-Atlantic, #7 Under 10,000 students)
American University
Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship
Washington, DC
Number of Entrepreneurship Courses Offered: 16
Tuition: $58,772
Companies Started by Graduates Over the Last 5 Years: 77
What Sets Us Apart
Our entrepreneurship program is a dynamic ecosystem fostering innovation and real-world impact. By merging rigorous academics with hands-on experiences, we empower students to transform ideas into scalable solutions. Our program is comprised of seasoned faculty who are experienced entrepreneurs, an extensive and diverse mentor network of entrepreneurs, and an education-first student startup incubator, which equip students with the tools and knowledge to tackle both local and global challenges. Through a comprehensive curriculum and high-impact initiatives, we cultivate the entrepreneurial and risk-taking mindset and drive tangible results including a broad range of student ventures working on issues that span the economy and the impact spectrum. Additionally, we offer a wide range of competitions that engage students from across campus, attracting a diversity of interests, perspectives and experiences into our entrepreneurial community.
