US schools retain top three spots in entrepreneurship MBA rating

The US’s leading lights underline their dominance in the QS MBA specialization ranking for entrepreneurship as three US schools retain the top spots for the second year running, writes Nicole Willson.

US schools dominate entrepreneurship MBA rating

The top three spots for this year’s entrepreneurship rating are occupied by names that will be well known to any prospective MBA student:  Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton.

The three have a reputation for producing innovative business leaders over many decades. This year’s ranking confirms that they have lost none of their prestige in the eyes of the world’s employers, despite continued economic volatility.

The high regard in which employers hold entrepreneurial MBA graduates from the three schools is backed up by their earning power. The top three entrepreneurship schools are also the top three North American schools for graduate salary: Harvard (US$122,000), Stanford (US$127,000) and Wharton (US$118,000).

In addition to being represented in the top three spots, the US also dominates the entrepreneurship specialization ranking overall. There are 13 countries represented in this year’s entrepreneurship specialization rating, but 24 of the 50 schools are from the US.

Babson is one the most noteworthy performers in the entrepreneurship specialization ranking since it is rated 7th, despite the fact that it is in the Elite Regional category overall.

The importance of entrepreneurship in today’s economy

As governments put more emphasis on startups and small businesses as ways to kick-start private sector growth, entrepreneurship has developed a higher profile at many Global Elite Business Schools.

Dennis Hanno is the MBA dean at Babson College. He feels that more business schools are incorporating entrepreneurship into their curricula, because “they have come to the realization that innovation is the driver needed to get our economy back on track.”

An entrepreneurship curriculum isn’t just for potential small business owners. For example, Babson’s curriculum focuses on a method of entrepreneurial thought and action, which can be used to achieve outcomes other than starting a business. In fact, Hanno states that the majority of Babson graduates choose to work in existing organizations instead of starting their own business.

Hanno also states that MBA recruiters are looking for students who have the type of problem-solving skillset that is fostered in an entrepreneurship MBA program. “More than ever, organizations need managers who will challenge the status quo and who look at problems as opportunities”, he states.

Hanno continues: “Our experience is that just about every organization today - large or small, domestic or international, nonprofit or profit - is interested in graduates who are innovative problem solvers. An emphasis on entrepreneurship in the curriculum, such as that which we have here at Babson, creates students with these skills.”

To see the top 50 MBA programs for entrepreneurship, download the