HOUSTON – (Nov. 7, 2023) – For the fifth consecutive year, Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business has been ranked No. 1 for graduate entrepreneurship programs by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.
Announced today, the list identifies 50 undergraduate and 50 graduate schools that offer the best programs in entrepreneurship studies from Princeton Review’s survey of more than 300 institutions. The rankings are based on academic offerings, experiential learning opportunities and career outcomes.
The MBA entrepreneurship program was also recently ranked No. 3 globally by Poets&Quants and No. 5 by Bloomberg Businessweek.
Rice Business is one of the few MBA programs in the country with a dedicated entrepreneurship concentration, and entrepreneurship students have the opportunity to engage with an array of industries in novel ways. In courses like the Technology Commercialization Lab, Rice Business students gain first-hand entrepreneurship experience by collaborating with Rice scientists to create commercialization plans for new technologies developed in university research labs.
The Rice entrepreneurship ecosystem combines academic courses and co-curricular programs led by the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) with regional, national programs and co-curricular programs led by the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship.
“Our students are learning about entrepreneurship at every step of their Rice Business journey,” Yael Hochberg, head of the Rice University Entrepreneurship Initiative and Ralph S. O’Connor Professor in Entrepreneurship – Finance said. “Innovation is embedded in coursework and ideas are valued and supported financially through a network of innovative thinkers and business plan competitions.”
Rice Business not only offers multiple programs, competitions and startup accelerators, but depends on a solid relationship with the business community of Houston.
“Our close ties to Houston as well as national startup ecosystems give our students unique opportunities to pitch to and connect with angel investors, venture capitalists and corporations,” Brad Burke, managing director of the Rice Alliance said. “These connections allow for mentorship, as well as launch points for new ideas, not only for our students but also for the city and surrounding communities.”
Rice Business has doubled its student population in the past five years, but maintained a small student-faculty ratio to ensure entrepreneurial business students receive hands-on programming and instruction. All courses are taught by leading professors and practitioners — 89% of Rice’s entrepreneurship faculty have started, bought or run a business.
“Our students are able to learn inside and outside of the classroom with Rice Business thanks to our connections in Houston and beyond,” Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez said. “Our class sizes are small, and our programs are tailored to guarantee students leave with both the skillset and mindset not only to pursue new ideas but to navigate the rapidly changing world of business.”
Learn more about Rice Business’ entrepreneurship mindset here.