UB climbs in undergrad entrepreneurship ranking

By Jacqueline Molik Ghosen

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Entrepreneur magazine and The Princeton Review have again named the University at Buffalo one of the country’s top schools for undergraduate entrepreneurship studies.

UB was ranked No. 44 nationwide in the annual ranking, up four spots from its debut last year. UB also ranked No. 7 in the Northeast.

Based on a 2023 survey of nearly 300 schools with entrepreneurship offerings, the ranking factors in more than 40 data points about school programs, faculty, students and alumni.

Entrepreneurship leaders at UB attribute the university’s continued success on the list to the burgeoning entrepreneurial ecosystem on campus across several UB entities, including the School of Management, UB’s Startup and Innovation Collaboratory, powered by Blackstone LaunchPad, Business and Entrepreneur Partnerships, and the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership.

“The growth of entrepreneurship at UB is a result of cross-campus collaborations and our innovative approach to entrepreneurial education,” says Bob Neubert, director of entrepreneurship academic programs in the School of Management. “We encourage all students to amplify their positive influence on communities by developing innovations that enhance customer lives.”

The university offers a wide range of opportunities that provide students with the practical skills to become successful entrepreneurs.

Students can take advantage of numerous entrepreneurship courses, competitions and hackathons, bootcamps, workshops, innovation sprints, design challenges, coaching, ideation, venture creation support, incubators, early-stage funding, investment programs, e-labs and much more.

“At UB, we’re dedicated to shaping the future of our students by providing experiential learning opportunities that complement the curriculum and ignite the spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Hadar Borden, director of The CoLab. “Through these initiatives, we empower our students to cultivate their entrepreneurial skills as well as a mindset that propels them to build both companies and successful careers.”

“The schools that made our ranking lists for 2024 are standouts in many ways,” says Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor in chief. “Their faculties are outstanding, and their programs of study have robust experiential components. Their students also receive mentoring and networking support that will serve them well into their careers.”

The ranking methodology considers multiple criteria, including the percentage of faculty, students, and alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors; the number and reach of mentorship programs; scholarships and grants for entrepreneurial studies; and the level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions.