Entrepreneurship Program Rises in Ranking

PROVO, Utah – Nov 10, 2015 – Brigham Young University’s undergraduate and graduate programs ranked No. 2 and No. 7, respectively, in The Princeton Review’s recent annual survey for Entrepreneur magazine.

With this year’s rankings, BYU joins Babson College as the only two schools in the country to have both its graduate and undergraduate programs place in the top 10 each of the last six years. This exhibits the Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology’s effort to help BYU students become some of the most prepared and qualified entrepreneurs across the country.

“We recognize the Rollins Center’s administrators and staff and the entrepreneurship faculty for their roles in receiving the highest undergraduate ranking in the history of our entrepreneurship program,” said Lee Perry, dean of the Marriott School. “We also note that this accomplishment would not be possible without the innovative spirit and drive of all of Brigham Young University’s incredible student entrepreneurs.”

The Rollins Center provides students interested in entrepreneurship the opportunity for mentored experiences in competitions and workshops both on- and off-campus. BYU annually hosts the International Business Model Competition, the largest business model competition in the country, in addition to the Miller Competition Series. Taking what they’ve learned from the Rollins Center with them, BYU students were recently presented the grand prize at the Rice Business Plan Competition and Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, among other honors and awards received this year.

“We appreciate our Entrepreneur Founders for their incredible support, especially the mentoring they provide to our student entrepreneurs. It is also important to acknowledge the recent contributions of the Larry H. and Gail Miller Family Foundation to the Miller Competition Series, which has become a cornerstone of our program,” Perry says. “The Rollins Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology continues to climb in national rankings and contributes significantly to the growing national stature of BYU and the Marriott School.”

Steven Fox, acting managing director of the Rollins Center, believes that while the rankings showcase the school’s business accolades it includes much more.

“It’s not just about starting your own company even though that’s fantastic,” Fox said. “These students are learning skills of innovation that are applicable across every walk of life. We are making better students and citizens.”

The Princeton Review evaluates schools based on a wide range of institutional data, including each school’s level of commitment to entrepreneurship inside and outside the classroom; the percentage of faculty, students and alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors; the number of mentorship programs available to students; and the amount of funding for scholarships and grants awarded for entrepreneurial studies and projects.

The complete list of rankings is available in the December issue of Entrepreneur and can also be found at entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems and public management. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,300 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.