One of the best ways to remain competitive in today’s management workforce is to pursue a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in entrepreneurship.
Let’s face it: small firms are the drivers of the American economy. This means that an education in managing these firms can help entrepreneurs overcome the tremendous, 1-in-2 failure rate for startup companies.
What is an MBA for entrepreneurs?
An MBA can be a valuable degree for an entrepreneur who want to start or grow their own business. While entrepreneurship is often associated with creativity and risk-taking, it also requires a strong understanding of business ideas and fundamentals, including:
- finance
- marketing
- operations management
- strategy
An MBA program can provide entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the complex world of business and make informed decisions about venture capital. It can also help them build a network of contacts, including fellow students, alumni, and faculty, who can provide advice, feedback, and potential partnerships.
Some MBA programs offer specific tracks or courses focused on entrepreneurship, which can provide additional resources and support for entrepreneurs. These programs may include courses on topics such as:
- new venture creation
- innovation
- financing
- private equity
There will be opportunities to work with mentors, incubators, or venture capitalists.
Overall, an MBA can be a valuable tool for entrepreneurs who want to build successful businesses by combining their passion and creativity with a solid foundation in business fundamentals.
What is the best MBA in entrepreneurship?
To maximize flexibility, many of the best MBA programs have moved online and embraced a highly flexible format. Among these MBA programs, there are a few that stand out. Along with ones that are known from coast to coast, the best MBA entrepreneurship degrees are from top business schools and include these aspects:
- AACSB-accredited
- Regionally accredited
- Highly affordable
- Prestigious
In the world of graduate business education, prestige and networking outweigh most other factors when choosing a best entrepreneurship MBA program. For this reason, the ranking of business schools below focuses primarily on:
- Name recognition
- Academic prestige
- Affordability
- Flexibility
Each top entrepreneurial MBA program provides students with a powerful brand name and a vast network of professionals that will help them grow their career in a dynamic way.
20. Texas A&M University
When it comes to finding great value and a prestigious name, the regional campuses of Texas A&M University lead the way. Located north of Dallas, the Commerce campus offers one of America’s top entrepreneurship MBA programs.
Texas A&M’s online MBA in entrepreneurship is also one of the most affordable. Whether in-state or out-of-state, grad students pay about half the average price of an MBA for 36 credits of instruction.
TAMU-Commerce offers an entrepreneurship concentration that teaches entrepreneurial skills such as:
- The economics of starting a firm
- Positioning a product competitively in an economy dominated by larger corporations
- Both the ethics and procedures for growing the business
- The nature of managing its increasing number of employees
19. Ohio University
Often overshadowed by Ohio State University, this state-funded institution offers a top-ranked MBA in entrepreneurship that is often overlooked. Ohio University, located in the small town of Athens, boasts one of the best business schools for entrepreneurship. Ohio University offers an online MBA with several concentrations in fields like healthcare and leadership.
Students in the leadership concentration can opt to take courses that focus on leading a new firm, giving them the skills they need to be successful entrepreneurs after graduation. Easily one of the most affordable online MBAs in the nation, Ohio University’s program requires 36 total credits. Of those credits, 9 credit hours must be in a concentration.
Business students also complete a capstone course at the end of the program and have the opportunity to travel to Athens for an in-person residency with their online cohort. The MBA program takes two years to complete on a part-time basis. Applicants do not need to submit GMAT scores when applying.
18. Robert Morris University
Located just outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Robert Morris has an AACSB-accredited online MBA that’s among the most affordable online business programs in the Keystone State. The business school offers the best MBA for entrepreneurs with a concentration in entrepreneurship. This 36-credit hour program teaches students what it takes to:
- Create a new product
- Bring it to market
- Guide a firm toward sustainable success
The 9-credit entrepreneurship concentration leads to a final capstone course. During the capstone course, graduate students create business plans and proposals based on what they’ve learned in their prior coursework.
Robert Morris University is one of the largest institutions of higher education in western Pennsylvania. It is ranked as a best value school by U.S. News and World Report as well as top-ranked in business and regional higher education. The MBA’s AACSB accreditation puts it in the top 5 percent of online programs worldwide.
17. Fayetteville State University
One of North Carolina’s largest and most affordable public universities, Fayetteville State is a top-ranked school for veterans. The school is located near a military base and offers a robust set of tools for veterans that makes it easier to schedule and afford the cost of the online MBA.
The MBA in entrepreneurship is online and includes up to 12 credits of coursework in:
- Entrepreneurial finance
- Innovation management
- Small firm marketing
- Ethical leadership
Fayetteville State University graduate students complete a required capstone course during their final semester of enrollment. This capstone project consists of a business management and consulting simulation. The project is designed to both pull together the core concepts of the program and to teach students how to make effective decisions when they own businesses.
On a part-time basis, this online entrepreneurship MBA can be completed in approximately two years. Thanks to its flexible, veteran-centric focus, however, the program can run for as long as three years to meet student needs.
16. University of South Florida
The University of South Florida has emerged as a leader in regional higher education for online students in recent years, with an online MBA for entrepreneurs. This MBA is both highly affordable and AACSB-accredited.
The business school offers a discount to in-state students with Florida residency, even in its online program. This discount allows many MBA graduates to leave the university without a significant student loan debt load.
The 9-credit concentration in entrepreneurship focuses on entrepreneurial skills in the world of business, including:
- Securing funding
- Setting a marketing strategy
- Growing the firm through both employment and increased sales
- Overcoming business challenges
15. Eastern Michigan University
Ranked in the top 100 regional universities in the Midwest, and among the top 30 public universities, Eastern Michigan University includes one of the best business schools for entrepreneurship. EMU’s online MBA program is both new and growing.
The business school benefits from highly affordable tuition, at least for in-state students who pay one of the lowest per-credit rates offered by any business school in the region. Additionally, EMU ranks as one of the best business schools for veterans because of the highly flexible nature of course scheduling in the online program.
Entrepreneurship at the EMU’s business school is both a core curriculum focus of the online MBA program as well as an optional concentration for MBA students interested in the field. This best MBA program for entrepreneurship is primarily informed by Eastern Michigan University research and the major industries of this Midwestern state, including the automotive, arts, and technology industries.
14. Florida International University
Affordability is a key concern of this state-funded Florida International University, which offers a generous, $10,000 scholarship to entering online MBA students. The business school allows for a full waiver of the GMAT, further enhancing access to students of all backgrounds. FIU features one of the best entrepreneurship MBA programs in the U.S.
Upon admission, business students can choose from a concentration in entrepreneurship that spans between 9 and 12 credits. Focused on tech innovation and managing a startup firm, the concentration prepares students to become innovators and managers of exceedingly small firms.
Ranked one of the best online MBAs in the south, FIU also earns top marks as an affordable program for all admitted students in the most recent edition of the U.S. News and World Report.
13. University of Houston
The University of Houston System is the leading, urban provider of public higher education in the city of Houston. The school’s state funding allows it to offer exceedingly affordable tuition to Houston and Texas residents, making it one of the most affordable online programs for these MBA students. Out-of-state residents pay more, but still get a great value.
The 36-credit best entrepreneurship MBA program at the University of Houston offers a concentration in entrepreneurship based on the university’s extensive academic research into innovation management and startups. Business students focus primarily on the technology industry in case studies that teach entrepreneurial skills like the following:
- Starting a business
- Growing a business
- Marketing a business
- Diversifying a business
Internships and high-tech simulations also teach students how their actions directly affect a growing firm.
12. Ball State University
Originally founded as a teacher’s college, Ball State University has evolved into one of the nation’s flagship public universities. The top business school is also one of the most affordable providers of online education. It has earned top ranks for educational quality within its online programs from the U.S. News and World Report.
The school’s top ranking as a great value is helpful to business students who don’t want to rely excessively on student loans to fund their educational expenses.
The MBA in entrepreneurship requires at least 9 credits, and as many as 12 credits, in areas like:
- Innovation management
- Entrepreneurial finance
- Scaling a small firm to meet demand
Graduate students also complete a capstone course, resulting either in a virtual simulation or a scholarly thesis that ties their academic experience together as they finish the program.
11. University of Massachusetts Amherst
UMass Amherst offers one of the largest online entrepreneurship MBA programs, boosted by an extensive marketing effort as well as an excellent reputation in the world of higher education.
Operating for more than a decade, the online MBA program at Amherst offers a concentration in entrepreneurship and general leadership. Between 9 and 12 credits are required, which will introduce MBA students to:
- Topics surrounding ethical leadership
- The details of starting and growing a firm
- How to navigate a highly competitive marketplace of ideas and high-tech products
The business school’s online program is ranked in the top 15 online MBAs nationwide, according to the U.S. News and World Report. It is also named a best value and a leader among national universities.
10. Saint Joseph University
At Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, students are encouraged to live the “magis.” This is a Jesuit term that invokes giving back to others and living a fulfilled life.
Throughout the MBA in entrepreneurship program at the university, students are instructed in business ethics and taught how to make decisions that are both fiscally responsible and beneficial to the community at large. MBA students learn about the ethical dilemmas facing business owners and innovators, which gives them a solid foundation on which to build and grow a new business.
Consistently recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as well as the Beta Gamma Sigma business honor society, the school typically ranks among the best nationwide for online MBAs.
9. Suffolk University
Suffolk University is notably the only university in Greater Boston that has earned AACSB accreditation for both its accounting and business programs. These accreditations have helped position Suffolk University in the top 1 percent of business schools globally. Though better known for its law school, Suffolk offers a top-30 MBA with a highly successful entrepreneurship concentration.
The business school, a prolific producer of management research, has a broad core curriculum that pairs with 9 credits of elective study. Within the MBA in entrepreneurship, graduate students will study:
- The economics of starting a firm
- The ethics of securing funding and working with “angel” investors
- The process of growing the firm’s products, familiarity, and employment base
8. Northeastern University
Once a commuter school for regional students, Northeastern University has grown in recent decades to become a top-ranked national university for students from coast to coast.
The D’Amore-McKim School of Business is one of the top business research centers in the country. The business school offers a separate Department of Entrepreneurship that focuses centrally on the creation and growth of new firms and has earned a top-50 ranking among all online MBA programs in the country.
Northeastern’s best MBA in entrepreneurship emphasizes hands-on learning, while:
- Encouraging online students to work in groups and study cases
- Engaging in high-tech simulations that teach the basics of starting a firm
- Learning how to secure funding and bring a product to market
The MBA also benefits from a 235 percent explosion in employer partners who actively recruit Northeastern graduates.
7. Oklahoma State University
One of two flagship public universities in Oklahoma, OSU offers a highly affordable online MBA that has ranked in the top 40 programs nationwide in the U.S. News and World Report. In addition to offering a robust entrepreneurship concentration within its MBA curriculum, Oklahoma State has a separate School of Entrepreneurship that is centrally focused on both instruction and research in the field.
The School of Entrepreneurship is among the top business schools in the country. It has helped the university earn a reputation as a top school for starting new firms. Its research has also been central to the explosion of tech startups nationwide over the last two decades. The online MBA in entrepreneurship can be completed in two years, on a part-time basis.
6. Drexel University
Philadelphia’s Drexel University has built its reputation on offering an innovative cooperative learning program. Co-op, as the program is known, allows students to both learn in the classroom and apply those skills in a full-time job off-campus.
For high-achieving graduate students, co-op opportunities include placements alongside executives, giving them insight into top-level decision making. These opportunities also provide an unparalleled chance to network and build a career in management.
The MBA in entrepreneurship at Drexel is offered online. MBA students take 9 credits that focus on both entrepreneurship and innovation management. This makes the entrepreneurship program a natural fit for today’s tech-minded entrepreneurs who are looking to incorporate both their business education and a product that innovates its way into the marketplace.
This best MBA program for entrepreneurship can be completed in a 2-year cohort, or stretched to more than three years, depending on student preference.
5. University of Florida
Known as one of the flagship public universities in both Florida and the southeastern region of the United States, it should come as no surprise that the University of Florida offers one of the top-ranked MBA in entrepreneurship programs in the country.
The University of Florida’s AACSB-accredited program consistently receives excellent rankings in:
- Forbes
- Business Week
- U.S. News and World Report
This top business school gives an edge to in-state students, who benefit from lower tuition, as well as students across the country who are looking for a top-tier degree.
At the University of Florida, the study of entrepreneurship is combined with a study of both leadership and innovation. MBA students are taught:
- How to think critically about a new product
- How to pursue funding
- How to ethically market and publicize a firm over time
The business school’s capstone course focuses on either consulting or leadership, giving soon-to-be graduates a chance to develop hands-on experience in business decision-making.
4. Washington State University
Washington State University offered one of the earliest and best MBA programs. Today, the business school is widely known for offering one of the most affordable online MBA programs in the country.
Washington State University also benefits from proximity to major tech companies, like Microsoft and Amazon. These connections inform its entrepreneurship curriculum and makes its MBA one of the best choices for students who aspire to either own a tech firm or join one of the country’s largest technology companies after commencement.
WSU’s entrepreneurship concentration is tech-focused, with an emphasis on:
- Bringing innovative new technologies to market
- Navigating the process of securing funding
- Making marketing decisions
- Growing employment
- Maturing a successful firm
Graduates will be prepared to join the tech entrepreneurs of Greater Seattle, the Silicon Valley, and other tech hubs throughout the country and the world.
3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has seen its MBA evolve from a fledgling program to one that’s tied for first place with the more established online MBA at Temple University in Philadelphia. While the schools are on par in terms of quality, it’s worth noting that UNC Chapel Hill’s MBA in entrepreneurship more than three times the price of Temple’s program.
While prestigious, that means this school could be out of reach for students on a budget. Even so, it has earned a place in the top three programs for its high degree of prestige and its track record for getting MBA graduates into lucrative positions and long-term careers.
Within the MBA in entrepreneurship program, UNC Chapel Hill offers a robust, 9-credit concentration in entrepreneurship that teaches students:
- The economics of starting a new venture
- The process of growing the venture and adding employees
- The ethical concerns of entrepreneurs in today’s marketplace
General business courses focus on a broad variety of topics, ranging from:
- Economics
- Statistics
- Integrated marketing
- Finance
- Managerial accounting
- Entrepreneurship skills
This top entrepreneurial MBA program can be completed in about two years on a part-time basis and offers robust career services for online program graduates.
2. Indiana University
Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business was one of the first online MBAs from a major, public university in the United States. Over the course of more than a decade, IU’s AACSB-accredited online MBA in entrepreneurship program has become one of the largest and most prestigious options available nationwide.
With more affordable tuition than the MBA program at UNC Chapel Hill, the school seems a better fit for entrepreneurs who are looking to start their careers with as little debt as possible. The overall reputation and instructional quality of the school, which often ranks in the top 5 online MBA programs in U.S. News and World Report, is also top-notch.
The Kelley MBA can be completed in as little as two years. However, part-time MBA students might take as long as three years to finish the required coursework. In addition to the typically broad MBA core curriculum, Kelley students can opt for an entrepreneurship concentration that spans 9 or 12 credit hours.
The MBA program’s central focus is on the mechanics of actually starting and growing a business, with a significant focus on the economic, strategic, and human resources implications of a growing firm.
1. Temple University
Consistently ranked as the best online MBA in entrepreneurship in the United States, Temple University’s MBA program is also highly regarded by the U.S. News and World Report for its track record of producing successful entrepreneurs.
The top business school offers a specialization in entrepreneurship as part of its MBA program and operates an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute at the main campus in Philadelphia. This institute is focused on both guiding students toward entrepreneurial success and researching entrepreneurship itself.
Temple’s program, which benefits from partial state funding and keeps tuition low, lasts just over two years on a part-time basis. Full-time MBA students can complete the 48-credit-hour program in just 18 months.
The MBA in entrepreneurship is broken down into several components:
- Leadership
- Accounting
- Statistics
- General business classes
- Elective credits
A capstone course in enterprise consulting gives students either hands-on or simulated experience in an executive role. Temple’s focus on research, cutting-edge online instruction, prestige, and value, make it easily the best MBA for entrepreneurs and all other MBA applicants.