NC State Ranked No. 1 Entrepreneurship Program in the Southeast

NC State continues to earn national recognition as one of the nation’s best undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation by the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine. This year, The Princeton Review also tallied sub-lists that name the highest ranked schools within their regions and NC State also made the top of the list.

NC State ranked No. 1 in the Southeast for both undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship education programs and came in at No. 15 in both lists of Top 50 Undergraduate Schools and Top 50 Graduate Schools for Entrepreneurship Studies in the nation for 2022. These rankings make NC State one of two universities to be the No. 1 in their region for both undergraduate and graduate programs and one of eight universities to be top 15 for both undergraduate and graduate education in the nation.  

These rankings are based on a summer 2021 survey of more than 300 schools with offerings in entrepreneurship studies and are intended to give future entrepreneurs guidance on the best schools that can help them start their journey in entrepreneurship. 

“NC State’s commitment to entrepreneurship and innovation makes it an outstanding choice for students aspiring to become entrepreneurs. Our decentralized but highly connected approach to entrepreneurship, outstanding academic programs and robust list of experiential learning opportunities give students the tools to build an entrepreneurial mindset and the confidence and support to launch their own ventures,” said Dr. Tom Miller, senior vice provost for Entrepreneurship and McPherson Family Distinguished Professor.

Building an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Students across the university can build their entrepreneurial mindsets, skills and attitudes through entrepreneurship-related courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Academic offerings include a B.S. in business administration with a concentration in entrepreneurship, graduate and undergraduate certificates in entrepreneurship, minors offered with an entrepreneurship concentration, and graduate degrees such as the MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Technology Commercialization, or an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering for students interested in acquiring the skills necessary to lead biomedical-related early-stage ventures. 

Along the way, students are joined by world-class faculty including the McPherson Family Distinguished Professor of Engineering Entrepreneurship, the Jenkins Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship and the Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor. 

“Being ranked top 15 in the country for our undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship education reflects the tremendous creative energy and collaboration of students, faculty and staff across campus,” said Lewis Sheats, assistant vice provost for Entrepreneurship and executive director of the NC State Entrepreneurship Clinic.

Learn more about entrepreneurship academic programs. 

 Entrepreneurship, Everywhere

Students at NC State benefit from startup spaces designed to give big ideas room to grow. From living with like-minded entrepreneurs in the Albright Entrepreneurs Village to co-working and developing entrepreneurial prototypes in the Entrepreneurship Garage on Centennial Campus, students have access to the resources and network required to build their entrepreneurial skills.

But entrepreneurship education does not stop in the classroom. Our comprehensive entrepreneurship programs combine award-winning coursework and experiential opportunities, equipping student entrepreneurs to turn ideas into action. In fact, NC State’s Entrepreneurship Alliance is a federation of university departments, programs and groups offering opportunities for the NC State community to learn and explore various aspects of entrepreneurship throughout campus.

Learn about our spaces. 

Entrepreneurship Scholarships

Philanthropic contributions of alumni and friends have allowed NC State Entrepreneurship to continue growing and offering entrepreneurship scholarships. These scholarships support NC State student entrepreneurs who have demonstrated initiative, determination, a “Think and Do” attitude and a commitment to entrepreneurial excellence in their daily lives. Currently, students can apply for the e5x Entrepreneurship Scholarship, The Sameer Murarka Entrepreneurship Scholarship, The Alagu Periyannan and Theivanai Palaniappan Entrepreneurship Scholarship, The Frank J. Newlands, M.D. Entrepreneurship Scholarship and the NC State Entrepreneurship Scholarship. Over $40,000 in entrepreneurship scholarships were awarded this year along.

Jenn Capps, interim assistant vice provost of NC State Entrepreneurship shared, “our NC State Entrepreneurship Scholars truly represent the passion, commitment and entrepreneurial drive of the NC State community.  They are building businesses, creating student groups, bringing their entrepreneurial mindset to established organizations and leading efforts throughout the university.  Being able to support these students with scholarships has been a goal of ours since we started.”

Learn about entrepreneurship scholarships. 

Ongoing Support

Support for undergraduate students doesn’t end at graduation. Programs such as the Andrews Launch Accelerator and the Miller Fellowship provide mentorship and financial support for students and recent grads pursuing their startup full-time.

Graduates can connect with other alumni entrepreneurs, attend dedicated events, collaborate with companies with NC State roots through the Wolfpack Investor Network (WIN), or take advantage of the many services offered to startup companies and other partners. Over the last 4 years, WIN members have invested over $15mm into 25 companies that are led by NC State alums or are licensing technology from the university. 

Learn about ongoing support for our alumni. 

Get Involved

If you’re interested in contributing to our rankings for next year, please fill out our student survey, alumni survey, or faculty survey if you have been involved with entrepreneurship at NC State. 

The entrepreneurial spirit is contagious at NC State. Whether you’re a prospective student visiting campus for the first time, a current student with an innovative concept, or an alumnus, NC State Entrepreneurship can help you find the programs, places and people to bring your ideas to life.

This post was originally published in Entrepreneurship News.