These DC-area universities made a list for top entrepreneurial programs

Four local universities made an annual list of best higher education programs for entrepreneurs in 2020.

Each year, Entrepreneur magazine teams up with The Princeton Review to publish a list of the top 50 undergraduate programs and the top 25 graduate programs for entrepreneurs. The pair surveys 300 colleges and universities worldwide between June and August. This is the 14th edition of the annual list.

“The popularity of entrepreneurship has increased exponentially since we began publishing this annual ranking more than a decade ago,” said Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine, in a press release. “As more future leaders seek out paths to realizing their ambitions, this ranking is a valuable asset they can use in the discovery and exploration process.”

The University of Houston topped the list for best undergraduate program for entrepreneurs with 2,802 students enrolled in its 35 entrepreneurial courses. The survey reports that 83% of the university’s faculty has entrepreneurial experience.

More locally, the University of Maryland (UMD) ranked #7 on the undergraduate list, with 7,422 students represented in its 79 entrepreneurial courses. Only 62% of UMD’s faculty said that they have entrepreneurial experience, but the university reports that 318 startups have been launched by its graduates in the last five years.

American University (AU) came in at #49, with 259 students enrolled in its 20 entrepreneurial courses. AU reports that 75% of its faculty has entrepreneurial experience and 68 startups have been launched by its graduates in the last five years.

Rice University in Houston took the #1 spot for best graduate program for entrepreneurs. The university has 620 students enrolled in its 30 entrepreneurial courses, with 83% of faculty reporting that they are teaching with entrepreneurial experience. There have been 242 startups launched by Rice graduate students in the past five years.

The University of Virginia (UVA) made the top 10 on the graduate program list for entrepreneurs, coming in at #6. UVA has 626 students enrolled across its 29 graduate entrepreneurial courses. The university reports that all — yes, 100% — of its faculty members are teaching with entrepreneurial experience. There have been 122 startups launched out of this program in the last five years.

George Washington University (GW) ranked #25 on the list, with 1,445 graduate students enrolled across its eight entrepreneurial courses. GW reports that 80% of its faculty have entrepreneurial experience and 47 startups have been born out of its program in the last five years.