30 Best Schools for a Master of Entrepreneurship Degree

A public land-grant institution based in College Station, Texas, Texas A&M University – College Station benefits from almost 150 years of experience as a higher education institution. As of 2020, it also holds the second-largest student body in the entire nation, with around 57,000 undergraduates alone. 

This master’s degree in entrepreneurial leadership is available to any student in the Professional Program in Accounting (PPA). There’s a heavy emphasis on leadership in developing, implementing, and managing the growth of new business opportunities. After graduation, you’ll be poised to plan your own start-up or lead an existing high-growth organization. 

Within this curriculum, you’ll cover courses in areas such as:

• Leadership Development
• Project Management
• Funding Start-ups
• Creativity and Innovation

This is a non-thesis degree program, though students will be expected to consult with the faculty to develop their own unique degree plan for the duration of their studies. 

The home of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the University of Virginia is one of the oldest institutions in the nation, having been founded in 1819. The campus is comprised of 13 different academic schools and colleges, with around 16,000 faculty and staff calling the campus home. 

The entrepreneurship and innovation program at the UVA Darden School of Business offers focused study in 25 different areas of electives. According to the university’s website, this business school is known for having one of the best entrepreneurship programs around. 

As a student enrolled in the entrepreneurship program, you’ll be encouraged to develop your creativity and business acumen through partnerships with other students who are enrolled in other programs within the same field. You’ll have the chance to participate in opportunities like:

• workshops
• internships
• conferences
• mentorships

In-state residents pay a lower rate of tuition and fees.

The University of South Florida (USF) is part of the State University System of Florida and has a catalog of around 180 majors and concentrations. Comprising 14 colleges and schools, the institution has a population of roughly 50,000 students, with around a quarter of those enrolled in a graduate program. 

This Master of Science in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies covers new venture formation, market assessment, and other key areas for budding entrepreneurs. Students may choose to take a dual-degree path, pairing this program with, for example, biomedical engineering, global sustainability, and others. 

In most cases, students take around two years to complete the program, though, with the correct guidance, some students finish as soon as 12 months with a more concentrated curriculum. The master’s degree in entrepreneurship is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and it is taught at the Tampa campus. 

The University of Texas at Dallas welcomes close to 31,000 students annually, studying from a range of 140 degree programs across seven academic schools and colleges. There’s a particular focus on programs in science, the arts, engineering, and business. It’s the biggest and best research university in the country. 

The Master of Science in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Naveen Jindal School of Management is designed for those who have an interest in launching their own businesses and products. You’ll learn how to plan and kick-start your own business, in addition to learning how to run, manage, and grow existing ventures. 

There are a number of resources that you’ll be able to make the most of in your time at the university. Students can choose from two concentration areas, including New Ventures and Innovation within the Corporation.

The master’s program consists of three terms, covering areas like:

• Technology and New Product Development
• Market Entry Strategies
• Business Model Innovation

All courses are taught by professors who are industry leaders with top-notch experience.

William Marsh Rice University, or as it’s more commonly known, Rice University is a private institution in Houston. Situated on a stunning 300-acre campus, Rice boasts a 6:1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio. Rice is well known for providing a great quality of life for its students.

One of the only MBA programs in the nation to offer an entrepreneurship concentration, the Rice business program will guide you as you plan and launch your own start-up. Students will sharpen their entrepreneurial mindset while taking courses like:

• The New Enterprise
• Enterprise Acquisition
• The Social Enterprise

You’ll benefit from facilities like the Rice Entrepreneurship Acquisitions Lab, which will support you in finding funding opportunities and scaling your business up. 

In total, 290 companies have been started by Rice Graduates since 2015. There are a number of reduced rate waivers for students continuing on certain paths of study.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) needs no introduction, but we’ll give you one anyway. Located in Cambridge, MIT is a private land-grant institution focused on research and innovation. And it’s highly competitive, too; from a pool of more than 20,000 applicants in a recent admission, just 1,400 or so students were admitted. 

MIT Sloan School of Management’s faculty have been providing expert guidance in the area of entrepreneurship and business management for over forty years. Subsequently, they now run the MIT Entrepreneurship Center, which has a varied curriculum touching on many different disciplines.  Master of Business Administration (MBA) students can earn their MIT Sloan Entrepreneurship and Innovation Certificate by working with a cohort of like-minded peers.

It is also the home of one of the country’s best-known business plan competitions, the MIT $100K. This entrepreneurship competition involves three challenging competitions that span the academic year: PITCH, ACCELERATE, and LAUNCH. In the first stage, you’ll pitch your idea, with finalists progressing to the next stages with a budget and mentorship to develop their business ventures further.  You can find information about tuition and fees here.

With origins going back to 1853, the University of Florida is situated on 2,000 acres of land, with more than 900 buildings making up the campus. The average GPA of the student body is an impressive 4.5, with SATs averaging in the 1400s. 

This Thomas S. Johnson Master of Science in Entrepreneurship program combines theory and practice with many experiential learning opportunities available. One of these, GatorNest, fosters collaboration with start-ups in the area. Another, the Integrated Technology Venture Program, encourages interdisciplinary cooperation with students in areas of law, business, and engineering. 

Within the one year that it typically completes to graduate, you will learn how to launch your own business while gaining invaluable support from those who have done it before. You will also gain access to networking opportunities with established entrepreneurs in Gainesville. 

Founded in 1868, the University of California – Berkeley was the state of California’s first land-grant university. It’s also part of the University of California System and was one of the founding institutions too. Students choose from a range of around 185 academic programs and departments. 

The Berkeley’s Haas School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. It is one of the top business schools in the country. Their Entrepreneurship Program has been designed as a hub of business leadership at Berkeley. Your courses will cover areas such as financing new ventures and social entrepreneurship. You’ll also have access to services such as the Lean Launch Pad, in addition to student-run competitions like the LAUNCH Startup Accelerator. 

What’s more, the Berkeley Entrepreneurs Association provides an outstanding source of peer learning and networking opportunities. There are more than 400 members within the association, with new members finding resources such as mentorship, internships, and more competitions. You can find more information about other resources available on the program page. As a graduate student enrolled in this entrepreneurship program, you’ll be studying at the Haas School of Business.

With a student body comprising around 40,000 students, Indiana University is a part of the Indiana University system. Students enrolling in this entrepreneurship program will benefit from over 100 years of experience in the business arena. You’ll benefit from strong partnerships with both educational institutions and local and national employers. 

The Kelley School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. They offer an online MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Corporate Innovation. Course offerings include:

• Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Venture Concept Development
• Entrepreneurship: Theory, Process, and Practice

Every graduate who enrolls in this online master’s in entrepreneurship has the opportunity to complete globally-focused courses as well as domestic immersion courses. Students will build a strong foundation of business development skills while gaining valuable perspectives and participating in experiential learning opportunities.

Located in Chicago, DePaul University is a private Catholic institution that was founded in 1898. It’s the 13th-largest institution of its kind in the country, with a total enrollment of around 22,500 students. Roughly two-thirds of the student body are undergraduates, with the remainder taking graduate programs. 

This entrepreneurship master’s degree is well-positioned to help you launch your own business or work within existing ventures. Thanks to the campus location, you’ll benefit from the start-up hub that is Chicago. It’s home to many well-known accelerators and other programs based in 1871, the country’s biggest entrepreneurial environment. 

Your curriculum will comprise eight core courses and four elective courses, with the electives providing you with an opportunity to specialize further in line with your career goals. Information on graduate tuition rates at DePaul can be found on the Student Financial Accounts website, where you’ll also be able to find information on the fees applicable to your program.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is said to offer an academic experience that’s comparable to that of an Ivy League institution. With a total enrollment of around 31,000 students, it was founded in 1789 and has a campus occupying around 730 acres today.

The Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The entrepreneurship concentration is offered as an MBA enrichment concentration so the focus is not on job placement. The program strives to help develop your entrepreneurial mindset and transition to entrepreneurship over the course of your professional career.  Elective course offerings include:

• Innovation and Design Thinking
• Business Plan Analysis
• Venture Capital Valuation and Deal Structure

Within the available courses are those geared toward students who want to launch their own businesses and those geared toward students who want to work in established start-ups. Typically, the courses are split into three categories: founder/operator competencies, funder competencies, and growth executive/intrapreneur competencies. 

Assuming a full-time study schedule comprising at least nine or more credits per semester, students can complete the entrepreneurship program in about two years. Check out this page for a list of rates and fees.

Temple University is a public institution in Philadelphia. It was founded in the late 1800s, originally a night school until Russell Conwell renamed it in 1888. Over 500 academic programs are offered, with the university leading across the nation in fields such as dentistry and medicine. 

This master’s program in innovation management and entrepreneurship is made available by the Fox School of Business. Students from STEM degree programs and those with professional careers can benefit from courses designed to impart key business start-up and management skills. 

There’s a heavy focus on experiential learning in this program, with graduate students benefiting from an experienced faculty. You’ll be shown how to generate business models that challenge the norm and identify underserved markets. Courses cover areas like:

• creating new entrepreneurial ventures
• solving real-world entrepreneurial innovation challenges
• developing a global innovation strategy

Through this program, you will learn to spot these opportunities and creative, competitive advantages that can help propel your business forward. 

Taught by the Fox School of Business and Management, students benefit from active collaboration with both classmates and faculty.

Founded in 1880, the University of Southern California is based in Los Angeles. The oldest private research university in the state, USC is a highly competitive university, with around 16 percent of the nearly 60,000 applicants being admitted in a recent academic year.

The USC Marshall School of Business offers the Master of Science in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Launched in the early 1970s, it was the first integrated entrepreneurship program of its kind in the nation.

Supported by a group of nearly 40 different professors, you’ll benefit from 6 annual venture competitions, offering a combined $300,000 or more in prize money. Alumni of the school have gone on to work with SalesForce, Tinder, Riot Games, and other big names in business. In addition to two specialized master’s degree programs, this business school also offers 7 interdisciplinary minors that cover a variety of fields. 

Admission to the program is competitive. Full-time work experience is encouraged. Prospective international students must submit TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE scores. The estimated cost of attendance for graduate students can be found on the USC website.

Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Harvard University was established in 1636, making it the oldest institution of higher learning in the entire nation. As you’re likely already aware, Harvard is also one of the most well-known and prestigious institutions in the world. Around 20,000 students are enrolled in degree programs annually. 

Harvard Business School is no doubt one of the best business schools in the country. Students are continually challenged to seek out entrepreneurial pursuits, with a great many resources on-hand to support them. The effectiveness of the teachings here is perhaps most evident in the striking statistic that over half of all graduates from HBS have launched at least one new venture of their own. 

Supported by the Rock Center for Entrepreneurship, you’ll have access to opportunities that include competitions, conferences, and summer fellowships. It’s one of the most well-prepared institutions for giving you access to vast networking opportunities before you’ve even finished your entrepreneurship program. 

As the flagship university of the University of Texas System, UT Austin welcomes more than 50,000 students annually. The McCombs School of Business is considered one of the top business schools in the country.

The program offered here is a master’s degree in technology commercialization. As such, it’s geared toward students who have a particular interest in tech start-ups. You’ll learn how to launch new businesses and products through your own start-up or as part of a bigger organization. 

Classes are available both online and on-campus via the McCombs School of Business. For more than twenty years, this program has been a popular choice for professionals who already work in established careers. If you have an idea for a business or product, this program could help you acquire the skills you need to get your idea off the ground without sacrificing your career. 

The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university. It was founded in 1740, making it one of the oldest institutions in the nation, in addition to having been chartered before the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. With 12 graduate schools, it’s an excellent choice for students seeking their master’s degree or doctorate. 

This major in entrepreneurship and innovation gathers the necessary hard skills, soft skills, and analytical tools you’ll need to succeed as an entrepreneur in a corporate setting. After graduation, however, you will also be ready to set the foundations for your own business venture. Combining both theory and practice, you’ll understand how the academic teachings in the classroom can be applied in the creation of business plans and projects. 

Comprising a total of 5 credits, you’ll be expected to select one credit in management course courses in addition to completing a mandatory 0.5-credit entrepreneurship course. Your remaining courses can be in areas such as:

• venture implementation
• mergers and acquisitions
• intellectual property

Additional course offerings cover many more subject areas related to business. The Graduate School of Education (GSE) charges tuition on both a per-semester and per-credit basis, depending on your program.

The University of Oklahoma was founded in 1890, which was around 17 years before the state of Oklahoma merged with Indian Territory. Today, the institution welcomes approximately 28,000 undergraduate students, with a number of graduate programs also offered. Traditions include the Sooner Schooner, a covered wagon that can be seen supporting the university’s athletes at sporting events. 

The University of Oklahoma benefits from the Tom Love Center for Entrepreneurship, a renowned center for graduate entrepreneurial studies. Under this center, students very much learn by practicing.  Students can complete an MBA with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Course offerings include:

• Entrepreneurial Finance
• Market Development
• Entrepreneurial Process

With university support and resources, you’ll be encouraged to launch your own successful venture. In the entrepreneurship specialization, you’ll propose a business venture and be shown how to question its feasibility while coming up with ideas on how to commercialize the idea. There are opportunities to work with established corporations, too. 

The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor was founded in 1817. Featured in a range of rankings, the university has been named the number one public university in the nation, in addition to making a list of the best small college towns in America. 

Michigan Ross’ Master of Entrepreneurship comprises 36 credit hours and lasts for around a year of full-time study, running from August to August. For decades, Michigan Ross has been supporting students in all areas of entrepreneurship, providing resources that can support you in developing and launching your own ventures. 

The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies is one such resource, attracting some of the nation’s best-performing entrepreneurs and instructors as part of the faculty. You’ll see events that include Entrepalooza, among others, all of which support and propel the curriculum to new heights. 

A private Ivy League research university, Cornell is located in Ithaca, New York, and has a renowned reputation that you’ve likely heard of before. With additional campuses in locations that include Washington, Qatar, and Rome, the university was founded in 1865 and has around 23,500 students in attendance. 

There are numerous courses at Cornell to upskill in the area of entrepreneurship. These include the Johnson Applied Entrepreneurship Curriculum, with faculty possessing expert knowledge in areas of:

• sales
• entrepreneurial marketing
• finance
• management

Specific programs include a two-year MBA in entrepreneurship and business ownership, in addition to more specialized, topical courses. 

What’s more, there’s a whole suite of student-led entrepreneurship services to support your journey. These include the BR Venture Fund, a venture capital funding program that supports high-growth businesses connected to the university in the early stages.  As a highly competitive Ivy League university, tuition is above average at Cornell.

Conveniently located in Boston, Massachusetts, Northeastern University was founded in 1898 and offers both undergraduate and graduate study. The campus has links to more than 3,000 employers and over a quarter of a million alumni, making for a strong learning environment for budding entrepreneurs looking to network. 

Northeastern University offers a 30-credit hour MS in Management with a concentration in entrepreneurship. Nearly half of your courses will be geared towards the skills needed to start and build your business idea, with the remainder focused on technology and a few electives. 

The average graduate will take around 12 months to complete the program full-time or around 24 months through part-time learning. There are two modalities to choose from, and you’ll be encouraged by faculty to both start your own company and foster other budding start-ups through an on-campus scheme. Unlike undergraduate tuition, which is fixed, you’ll pay tuition on a per-credit basis.

Lehigh University has excellent student support, with a student-to-faculty ratio of just 10:1. Your average class size at this institution is around 28-strong. Established in 1865 and branching out into coeducational programs in 1971, the university today has a student body of around 6,800 learners, with a heavier lean toward undergraduate studies. 

This Master of Engineering in technical entrepreneurship is geared toward students who have a greater interest in technical product development. As a graduate of this program, you’ll be well-positioned to seek out roles in product development within small or large corporations. 

Comprising a total of 30 credits, you will take just six credits in your first summer session before completing a further 12 in the following fall and spring semesters. The program is designed to be completed in around 11 months, with students graduating with an M.Eng. degree. 

The University of Arizona was founded in 1895; the first graduating class had just three students! Today, the student body is far larger, with students known as Arizona Wildcats. 

The University of Arizona offers graduates an online master’s degree in entrepreneurship. Comprising 18 units of coursework and taking around 12 months to complete, you won’t be expected to attend campus for any part of the curriculum. For the core concentration, you’ll also get to choose 12 units of electives for specialization. 

Core courses cover areas like:

• Principles of Entrepreneurship
• Industry Analysis and New Venture Development
• Business for Entrepreneurs

Further specializations in family, health, and technology are available. 

Columbia University was established nearly 300 years ago in 1754. Located on the grounds of the original Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia, it is one of the five oldest higher education institutions in the nation. The university conferred nearly 15,000 certificates, degrees, and other awards in recent academic years. 

A number of resources and initiatives at Columbia could help you realize your business plans. The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center exists to help students studying at Columbia launch their own businesses, invest in existing ventures, or join a new start-up. The virtual accelerator fosters networking and provides expert knowledge and resources to budding entrepreneurs. 

Graduate students also have access to a modern coworking space known as the Columbia Startup Lab. It’s based in Sogo and provides first-year alumni with access to support from experienced entrepreneurs and CEOs. More than 20 start-ups have been founded by alumni of the Columbia Business School through the use of this lab. Tuition varies again between programs.

Babson College, located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, is a private business institution. Founded in 1919, it’s the go-to college for many budding entrepreneurs. The student body is relatively small, with around 3,900 students enrolled, though these learners represent more than 80 countries around the globe. Founded as an all-male college, the cohort is now more widely representative of all types of students and genders. 

This entrepreneurship concentration will help you to formulate new business ideas, identify gaps in the market, collate the necessary resources, and manage teams in an entrepreneurial environment. Courses provide students with an entrepreneurial spirit and the support they need as they prepare to work in:

• start-ups
• established organizations
• nonprofits

A number of specialist academic centers and institutes will support you as you complete the concentration. These include:

• the Blank Center for Entrepreneurship
• the Lewis Institute for Social Innovation
• the Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership

You’ll have access to mentorship, various events, and resources to support your learning. 

Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is a public research university in Seattle. Their Foster School of Business is one of the top business schools in the country, offering a master’s degree in entrepreneurship.

The University of Washington runs a twelve-month Master of Science in Entrepreneurship. The curriculum has been designed in direct collaboration with entrepreneurs who have seen success in growing their own ventures from the ground up. Your studies will follow the same route that a fledgling business does as it grows. 

You will also benefit from designated mentors as a student at UW, with leading experts based in Seattle providing expert guidance. These people include a number of Seattle-based founders and CEOs, among others, and you can read more about the mentors themselves on this page. 

Northwestern University was founded in 1851 and is one of the founding members of the Big Ten Conference. With 12 academic schools and colleges spread across three campus locations, the university has a total enrollment of around 23,000 students. These students have access to over 500 clubs and organizations, with 19 intercollegiate athletic teams participating in a range of sports. 

The entrepreneurial resources at Northwestern are some of the most varied in the nation. You only need to check out this page to see how supportive the university is toward students engaged in a business or entrepreneurship program, with competitions, mentor groups, and partnerships to benefit from. 

The graduate entrepreneurship minor can be paired with a range of academic majors under the graduate business school. Tailoring your choice of major and electives will help you steer your studies in the direction of business that interests you most, with guidance on leadership and management, new venture growth, and funding. 

Founded in 1890, the University of Chicago is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood. More than 16,000 students are in attendance, studying programs from a range of 52 academic majors and 41 minors. Within the student body, there tend to be more graduate students than undergraduates. 

Chicago Booth offers an MBA concentration in entrepreneurship, developing future business leaders. The curriculum is led by world-class innovation leaders with a great deal of business experience and research ability. The program concentration blends academic theory with practical experience and competitions, allowing you to work with real companies and develop your own business plans. 

There will be the opportunity to participate in a new venture challenge program, which is an accelerator program that’s been ranked one of the best in the nation. Through this opportunity, you’ll join a team as you work to solve a real-world marketplace issue by proposing a business plan. 

Located in Rochester, New York, the University of Rochester welcomes around 12,000 students annually, with an almost equal split of undergraduates and graduates in attendance. Class sizes are small, with a student-to-faculty ratio of around 9:1. Founded in 1850, the university employs roughly 1,000 members of faculty and 30,000 staff. 

The University of Rochester offers the MS in TEAM, or Technical Entrepreneurship and Management. It’s a collaborative program offered by collaboration between the Simon Business School and the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. By selecting the necessary electives, you can tailor your degree of emphasis toward management and leadership or entrepreneurial skills. 

As part of the program, you’ll get to choose a technical concentration for further specialization. These include various subfields within engineering, energy and the environment, computer science, and more. You can find a full list of the concentrations available on the program page. Tuition at the University of Rochester varies from one program to the next.

Baylor University was founded in 1845 as a private Baptist research institution. Located in Waco, Texas, the university has around 20,000 students in attendance annually. Over 60% of students are natives of Texas, with all states represented within the student body. 

The Master in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program has focused on new venture creation and growth for nearly half a decade. It’s considered one of the top entrepreneurship master’s programs in the country thanks to accolades like these.  Course offerings cover concepts like:

• global social entrepreneurship
• entrepreneurial strategy
• entrepreneurial marketing

Every MBA student at Baylor starts out their program with a strong foundation in business courses. Taking place in late July ensures that you’ll be ready for the academic rigor of the program ahead. Through electives, you’ll have the opportunity to specialize in entrepreneurial courses that teach you key business start-up and management skills. 

A private research institution based in Syracuse, New York, Syracuse University was founded in 1831 and has a student body of around 22,000 students. There are more than 300 student organizations available, and around 80% of students receive some degree of financial aid. 

The Master of Science in Entrepreneurship comprises 30 credits. In addition to a rigorous curriculum, you’ll be given the opportunity to develop practical skills that develop your confidence. Through specialized resources and career tracks offered by the Falcone Center for Entrepreneurship, you’ll develop the tools and skills needed to succeed. 

Some of the specialized programs offered to students in this program include the Blackstone LaunchPad and Couri Hatchery business incubators, among others. These could result in funding that’ll help you get your idea off the ground before you’ve even finished your program.