Iowa State University earned a No. 9 national ranking for undergraduate entrepreneurship this year, reflecting expanded real-world learning opportunities, open-to-all entrepreneurship courses and growing campuswide support.
The ranking, published by The Princeton Review in partnership with Entrepreneur magazine, highlights the top undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship nationwide.
Andreas Schwab, director of undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the Ivy College of Business, explained what factors contributed most to ISU’s rise to No. 9 in national undergraduate entrepreneurship rankings.
“ISU’s top-10 ranking highlights its unique approach to entrepreneurship, which is embedded across all seven colleges, making it accessible to nearly 27,000 undergraduates,” Schwab said. “This integration, along with extracurricular opportunities like accelerator programs and pitch competitions, fosters a distinctive environment for aspiring entrepreneurs.”
Judi Eyles, director of the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, explained in what ways ISU could further strengthen its entrepreneurship programs to continue climbing higher.
“One of the most important ways we can continue to climb is by increasing student participation in the entrepreneurship minor,” Eyles said. “It’s a 15-credit, cross-disciplinary minor with no prerequisites, designed to be easy for any student to complete regardless of major. Many students are already close to finishing it without realizing it, and enrolling more students helps strengthen our programs and our ranking.”
Schwab said the ranking reflects the effectiveness of ISU’s current entrepreneurship programs.
“This ranking validates the intentional design of our accessible, cross-college entrepreneurship programs,” Schwab said. “With experiential learning through the Pappajohn Center and the Student Innovation Center, we’re seeing the impact in our graduates’ success in startups, corporate innovation and technology commercialization.”
Eyles explained how the new ranking could open additional opportunities for students hoping to launch their own ventures while still in school.
“A ranking like this raises awareness of the opportunities available to student entrepreneurs,” Eyles said. “Beyond classes, there are extensive resources — from pitch competitions to free access to professional support in legal, accounting and intellectual property. It’s a great time for students to explore an idea or take the next step on something they’re already building.”
Schwab added his perspective on how the ranking may support students launching their own startups.
“This top-10 recognition attracts employers, mentors and startup supporters to ISU entrepreneurship students, who are ready to innovate in various sectors, from tech to nonprofits,” Schwab said. “To start your entrepreneurial journey at ISU, simply contact your advisor or submit a change of program form.”
Eyles described what reaching No. 9 nationally really means for ISU’s future vision for entrepreneurship education.
“We’ve been building entrepreneurship at Iowa State for decades, but President Wintersteen elevated it by championing the Innovate at Iowa State and Start Something initiatives,” Eyles said. “Reaching the top 10 validates that vision and shows the impact of uniting all colleges behind entrepreneurship. We hope future leadership continues that momentum, because this ranking underscores how important entrepreneurship is to the university and our land-grant mission.”
Other universities in the top 10 include the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, the University of Maryland and Michigan State University.
