Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business has been ranked the top MBA program for entrepreneurship in the United States and second in the world.
The school jumped from sixth place last year to surpass prestigious institutions like the University of Michigan, Duke University, and UCLA. Dean Charles J. Robel expressed his gratification at the ranking, stating, “ASU is known for being No.
1 in innovation, and it follows that our business school should be deeply committed to entrepreneurship. The ranking is an external marker of our ongoing commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset throughout our programs and operations.”
The rankings are based on a comprehensive analysis of 16 data points collected through school surveys. These include factors such as the percentage of MBA elective courses focused on entrepreneurship and innovation, the size of the school’s main entrepreneurship club, incubator or accelerator space available to MBAs, and startup award money available to MBAs.
The W.
ASU MBA tops entrepreneurship ranking
P.
Carey MBA program provides extensive support for students interested in starting a business. The curriculum includes a core course in entrepreneurship, specialized courses, and related electives. It aims to help students develop skills in idea generation, opportunity assessment, concept development, resource determination and acquisition, funding opportunities, managing growth, and harvesting the business.
An associate dean for graduate programs at W. P. Carey said, “Our entrepreneurship courses put students in the shoes of an entrepreneur, helping them develop critical thinking to make business decisions in real-time with limited information.”
The program offers sponsored opportunities to access venture funding, mentorship from experienced business leaders and entrepreneurs, and support for students pursuing their ideas and turning them into successful businesses.
Mike Shufeldt (MBA ’23), founder of Ignite Healthcare Solutions and Xcellerant Ventures, credits the Executive Connections mentorship program at ASU’s full-time MBA with being instrumental to his success. “I meet and talk to my mentor, a lifelong entrepreneur, to this day,” he said. “He’s been there for me to bounce ideas off and talk about business growth.
I’m thankful for the lasting connections I made in the program.”
