Top 25 Undergraduate Programs for BIZ Experiencesship 2012 Our annual report evaluates the best BIZ Experiencesship programs in the U.S. Here's a look at the top 25 undergraduate programs.
BIZ Experiences magazine's annual Princeton Review report on business schools renews its rankings of the top BIZ Experiencesship programs in the country. The roster is based on a survey of more than 2,000 institutions, looking at academics and requirements, as well as the percentage of recent graduates who've started up and the percentage of faculty who already have.
The survey also includes off-campus learning opportunities such as partnerships, clubs and competitions.
Related: The Top 50 BIZ Experiencesship Programs of 2011
1. Babson College
Arthur M. Blank Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Babson Park, Mass.
2011-12 Enrollment: 2,007
Babson College's undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship program may be one of the most expensive on our list but the scholarship and grant money awarded to students is plentiful. In the 2011-12 school year, a whopping $27 million was made available to undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship students.
Plus, there are 90 BIZ Experiencesship clubs and organizations available for students to practice outside the classroom. Still, only 6 percent of recent students launched businesses upon graduating -- the lowest percentage on our top 10 list.
2. Baylor University
Baylor BIZ Experiencesship Program
Waco, Texas
2011-12 Enrollment: 300
With the second oldest undergraduate program among schools on our top 10 list, a tradition of BIZ Experiencesship would seem thoroughly engrained on Baylor University's campus. The school's Baylor BIZ Experiencesship Program boasts a faculty that's comprised entirely of BIZ Experiencess. Further, roughly two thirds of recent students started up since graduating and 75 percent those Baylor alums are still in business.
Related: Does College Matter for BIZ Experiencess?
3. University of Houston
Wolff Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Houston
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,847
With the second-largest program on our top 10 list, the University of Houston's Wolff Center for BIZ Experiencesship offers one of the more modest tuition price tags. One hundred percent of the school's BIZ Experiencesship faculty has started, bought or run a business, and there are nine mentorship programs available to undergrads.
4. University of Southern California
Lloyd Greif Center for BIZ Experiencesial Studies
Los Angeles
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,170
The University of Southern California may have the oldest undergrad BIZ Experiencesship program on our top 10 list, but it's also one of the most expensive -- with an annual price tag of $42,818 this year. Still, for winning business ideas, there's opportunity to reel in top dollar prizes. In the 2011-12 school year, $157,000 was divvied out to competition winners. Further, half of all recent graduates started up businesses and 100 percent of them are still up and running.
5. Washington University in St. Louis
Skandalaris Center for BIZ Experiencesial Studies
St. Louis
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,041
Though the scholarship and grant money afforded Skandalaris Center for BIZ Experiencesial Studies students is light years away from those offered by competitors on our top 10 list, $500,000 is generous. Plus, 55 percent of recent students were able to launch just after graduation.
But with an annual tuition of $43,705 this year, Washington University in St. Louis' undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship program did clock in at the most expensive school on our list.
6. Brigham Young University
Rollins Center for BIZ Experiencesship & Technology
Provo, Utah
2011-12 Enrollment: 88
Brigham Young University's Rollins Center for BIZ Experiencesship & Technology may be exclusive -- there were just 88 students enrolled in the program in the 2011-12 school year -- but with an annual price tag of $4,710, it's a steal.
In addition, the school boasts a total of 13 BIZ Experiencesship clubs and organizations and 20 mentorship programs -- putting the school at or near the top of the heap in both categories.
7. University of Arizona
McGuire Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Tucson, Ariz.
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,500
The University of Arizona's most recent undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship class is one of the largest on our top 10 list. And though just 36 percent of McGuire Center for BIZ Experiencesship's undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship faculty has ever started, purchased or run a successful business, 100 percent of the recent alums who started up after graduation are still in business.
8. Temple University
Innovation & BIZ Experiencesship Institute
Philadelphia
2011-12 Enrollment: 405
With an undergraduate class of 405 BIZ Experiencesship students in the 2011-12 school year, Temple University's Innovation & BIZ Experiencesship Institute maintains just two BIZ Experiencesship clubs and organizations.
But the school does offer a sizeable set of prizes. For the students participating in contests this year, their winnings rang in at $149,300.
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Center for BIZ Experiencesial Studies
Chapel Hill, N.C.
2011-12 Enrollment: 375
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers one of the least expensive undergraduate BIZ Experiencesship programs on our top 10 list, as tuition this year set in-state students back about $7,694. But, the school only has just three mentorship programs available to students. And only 8 percent of recent grads launched companies. On the bright side, 100 percent of those companies are still in business.
10. University of Oklahoma
Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Norman, Okla.
2011-12 Enrollment: 238
The University of Oklahoma's Center for BIZ Experiencesship offers students the second most-generous level of scholarships and grant money among colleges on our top 10 list. This year the tally came in at nearly $1.4 million. And though the program is also among the least costly on our list, just 7 percent of recent students launched businesses upon graduating -- making it the second-least impressive in that regard on our top 10 list.
11. Syracuse University
BIZ Experiencesship and Emerging Enterprises
Syracuse, N.Y.
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,835
The large BIZ Experiencesship and Emerging Enterprises program at Syracuse University boasts an impressive $1.8 million bank of scholarship and grant money for students. Not many of the recent graduating class have started a business (only 12%), but most of those that did are still in business (a respectable 89%).
A program of this size would do well to add some more out-of-classroom learning opportunities -- there are only three BIZ Experiencesship clubs and six mentorship programs.
12. University of Missouri-Kansas City
UMKC Institute for BIZ Experiencesship and Innovation
Kansas City, Mo.
2011-12 Enrollment: 454
Three perfect scores boost UMKC Institute for BIZ Experiencesship and Innovation's overall ranking. Every single one of their the faculty comes to the classroom with business experience under their belts. Which could be part of the reason that 100% of the recent grads have launched a business, and an unbeatable 100% are still in business today. These numbers are especially impressive considering that the program is only six years old.
The amount of prize money awarded to students ($20,000) isn't the among the highest, but the variety in clubs and mentorship programs offers a lot of hands-on opportunities.
13. Northeastern University
BIZ Experiencesship and Innovation
Boston
2011-12 Enrollment: 490
A tiny 2% of recent Northeastern University BIZ Experiencesship and Innovation's grads have launched their own businesses, but at least all of those startups are still alive and kicking today. The experienced faculty and $1.8 million in available scholarship money helps boost the program's ranking.
Students also benefited from $63,750 in prize money, but the three decade long program should add more clubs and mentorship programs.
14. University of Maryland
Dingman Center for BIZ Experiencesship
College Park, Md.
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,512
The youngest program on our list has a strong showing considering it's only the third year of operation. All of the faculty have an BIZ Experiencesial background, but they only managed to encourage 7% of the recent graduating class to startup (89% of which are still in business).
Scholarship and award money are both decent ($345,380 and $55,500, respectively), but a program of this size could stand to add a few more clubs and organizations.
15. Clarkson University
Innovation and BIZ Experiencesship
Potsdam, N.Y.
2011-12 Enrollment: 368
All of Clarkson University's Innovation and BIZ Experiencesship program's recent graduates who started businesses (20%) are still in business today. All of their former teachers taught from a place of personal BIZ Experiencesial experience as well.
The scholarship and grant money available is pretty good at $758,900, and the $38,610 tuition is pretty standard.
16. Miami University
Institute for BIZ Experiencesship
Oxford, Ohio
2011-12 Enrollment: 545
A tiny percent of recent grads from Miami University's Institute for BIZ Experiencesship braved the startup waters after graduation (just 5%), but at least all who did were successful (100% are still in business).
The experience of the faculty (all of whom have BIZ Experiencesial experience of their own), is a boon for students, but more mentorship programs could help boost the number of grads confident enough to startup after college.
17. University of Utah
Pierre Lassonde BIZ Experiences Center
Salt Lake City
2011-12 Enrollment: 86
The Pierre Lassonde BIZ Experiences Center at the University of Utah has been around since the dawn of this century. While it has a decent amount of clubs and mentorship programs for its size, a mere 5% of recent grads have started their own businesses (but all of them have been successful).
Most of their faculty brings their own BIZ Experiencesial experience to the classroom (91%), and the amount of scholarship and prize money is good for the size of the program.
18. University of Dayton
BIZ Experiencesial Leadership
Dayton, Ohio
2011-12 Enrollment: 300
Recent grads from the University of Dayton's BIZ Experiencesial Leadership program had a 50% chance of their new businesses lasting. That's the success rate for the 15% of newly minted treps that launched businesses.
The scholarship and grant money and extracurricular learning opportunities could be better, but are about mid-range of the other schools on our list.
19. Belmont University
Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Nashville, Tenn.
2011-12 Enrollment: 188
Less than half (44%) of Belmont University's Center for BIZ Experiencesship's recent alum have started a new business, but every single one is still in business. The rest of the school's stats are average: Seventy-one percent of faculty with an BIZ Experiencesial background, $27,000 in scholarship and grant money, and ten mentorship programs to help students gain a competitive edge.
20. DePaul University
BIZ Experiencesship Program
Chicago
2011-12 Enrollment: 291
This well-established program has a strong showing for faculty knowledge (100% have started, launched, or bought a successful business themselves). Unfortunately only18% of recent grads have started their own businesses, but a respectable 76% of that group are still in business today.
The prize and scholarship money available to students is decent but not outstanding, and the amount of extracurriculars could stand some improvement.
21. Barch College, The City University of New York
Lawrence N. Field Center for BIZ Experiencesship
New York
2011-12 Enrollment: 530
Prize money for students at the Lawrence N. Field Center for BIZ Experiencesship program is pretty tiny ($500), but tuition for The City University of New York's Barch College is reasonable ($5,910 in-state). Nearly a quarter of grads started their own businesses after graduation, and 90% of them are still in business.
A sparse showing for extracurricular clubs and mentorship programs is buoyed somewhat by the experience of the faculty (94% have themselves started a business).
22. Oklahoma State University
School of BIZ Experiencesship
Stillwater, Okla.
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,520
Oklahoma State University's School of BIZ Experiencesship gets several middle of the road scores: 30% of grads launched a business and 30% of those young treps are still in business. Prize and scholarship money isn't that high, but tuition is average as well.
There are barely any clubs or mentorship programs, but nearly all of the faculty (90%) enter the classroom with their own business experience. The program is still less than five years old, so some of the kinks may be worked out as the program grows.
23. Bradley University
Robert and Carolyn Turner Center for BIZ Experiencesship
Peoria, Ill.
2011-12 Enrollment: 558
The small showing for extracurricular clubs, organizations and mentorship programs, might account in part for the 20% of grads dipping their toes in the BIZ Experiencesial water. But at least all of the faculty at the Robert and Carolyn Turner Center for BIZ Experiencesship have a business background themselves. And all of those grads that did launch businesses are still at it today.
24. Lehigh University
Baker Institute for BIZ Experiencesship, Creativity & Innovation
Bethlehem, Pa.
2011-12 Enrollment: 571
Lehigh University doesn't offer a major in BIZ Experiencesship, but a minor in the field has been around since 2004. The small number of recent grads who have launched a business (a paltry 1%) might be due to the program's lack of emphasis. But all things considered the rest of the numbers aren't too shabby: All of the few newly minted BIZ Experiencess who did start up are still in business, and there are at least 17 mentorship programs available.
25. Texas Christian University
Neeley BIZ Experiencesship Program
Fort Worth, Texas
2011-12 Enrollment: 1,052
A nearly non-existent 1% of recent Texas Christian University Neeley BIZ Experiencesship Program grads decided to take the BIZ Experiencesial plunge, but at least the few that did faced a 100% success rate. No information on available prize money and a small showing for clubs and mentorship programs also account of the school's lower ranking.
