ASU MBA ranked No. 1 in the US for entrepreneurship

Poets & Quants ranked the W. P. Carey Full-time MBA top in the US, ahead of University of Michigan, Duke, and UCLA.

TEMPE, Ariz. (Nov. 12, 2024) — In the Poets & Quants 2025 Best MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship ranking, the ASU W. P. Carey School of Business was named No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in the world, ahead of University of Michigan, Duke University, and the University of California Los Angeles. This is a four-place jump from the school's No. 6 ranking the previous year.

"This top ranking is incredibly gratifying for the school," said Ohad Kadan, Charles J. Robel Dean and W. P. Carey Distinguished Chair in Business. "ASU is known for being No. 1 in innovation, and it follows that our business school should be deeply committed to entrepreneurship. The Poets & Quants ranking is an external marker of our ongoing commitment to developing an entrepreneurial mindset throughout our programs and operations."

Poets and Quants' methodology uses 16 data points collected via school surveys, including factors such as the percentage of MBA elective courses that are 100% focused on entrepreneurship and/or innovation; data looking at the number of members of the school's main entrepreneurship club; incubator or accelerator space available to MBAs; entrepreneurs in residence available to MBAs; the average percentage of MBAs launching businesses during B-school or immediately after; and startup award money available to MBAs.

The W. P. Carey Full-time MBA offers extensive support to students who are interested in starting a business. The entrepreneurship concentration includes a core course in entrepreneurship, combined with five required specialization courses and related electives. The curriculum helps students develop skills in idea generation, opportunity assessment, concept development, resource determination and acquisition, funding opportunities, managing growth, and harvesting the business.

"Our entrepreneurship courses put students in the shoes of an entrepreneur, helping them develop critical thinking to make business decisions in real-time with limited information," said Kate Eaton, associate dean for graduate programs at W. P. Carey. "From sponsored opportunities to access venture funding to mentorship from experienced business leaders and entrepreneurs, W. P. Carey MBA students are supported in pursuing their big ideas and turning them into successful businesses."

Mike Shufeldt (MBA '23) is the founder of Ignite Healthcare Solutions, a healthcare consulting company, and Xcellerant Ventures, a venture capital firm. Shufeldt cites the Executive Connections mentorship program, a unique opportunity available through the ASU Full-time MBA, as a life-changing experience. "I meet and talk to my mentor, a lifelong entrepreneur, to this day," he said. "He's been there for me to bounce ideas off and talk about business growth… I'm thankful for the lasting connections I made in the program."

Learn more about the W. P. Carey Full-time MBA.

About the W. P. Carey School of Business

The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is the largest and one of the top-ranked business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its research productivity and its distinguished faculty members. Students come from more than 100 countries and W. P. Carey is represented by alumni in over 160 countries. Visit wpcarey.asu.edu for more information.

For more information, contact:
Shay Moser, ASU
W. P. Carey School of Business
shay.moser@asu.edu