The University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business is ranked No. 3 for undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurship education in the West in new rankings from the Princeton Review for 2025.
The rankings are the latest of many top rankings for entrepreneurship programs at the Eccles School.
“We are a top-ranked school for entrepreneurship because we provide unmatched opportunities to learn and experience it,” said Kurt Dirks, dean of the David Eccles School of Business. “Students at the University of Utah can choose from a broad variety of classes and degrees to study entrepreneurship. Then we help them apply those lessons through a wide-ranging variety of programs, including workshops, grant programs, mentor opportunities, and other startup resources.”
The entrepreneurship programs at the Eccles School are provided in partnership between the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy and the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Together, they support a growing and broad range of programs from grants and workshops to elective courses, a unique graduate program and a living-learning community.
The top rankings follow significant growth in programs offered at the University of Utah. The Eccles School and Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute provide opportunities for students of all majors and levels to learn about the mindset and skills needed to be an entrepreneur.
“Our program brings together renowned scholars and experienced leaders with impressive achievements in new ventures and business,” said Bill Hesterly, chair of the Department of Entrepreneurship & Strategy at the Eccles School. “By working closely with ambitious students, we create an environment where students gain the practical skills to launch their own businesses or apply entrepreneurial thinking within larger companies. This approach builds a foundation for students to drive innovation, whether as founders or leaders within established organizations.”
For undergraduate students, the Eccles School offers electives, a certificate, minor and major in entrepreneurship.
Outside the classroom, among many other opportunities, undergraduates can participate in the Lassonde+X experience program to add an entrepreneurial mindset to any major (the X) and earn a transcript designation for entrepreneurial activities.
Another unique extracurricular opportunity for undergraduates is Lassonde Founders, a residential community for students who are active entrepreneurs. Students receive scholarships and the opportunity to live and launch with an exceptional group of young entrepreneurs. All students are invited to apply to join this program.
For graduate students, the Eccles School offers an MBA with an emphasis in entrepreneurship and the award-winning Master of Business Creation (MBC). The MBC program launched in 2019 and helps founders grow their businesses through a high-value and affordable program, application-focused curriculum, personal mentors, access to grants and more.
The MBC program is available in two formats – the in-person, two-semester, MBC In-Person option, and the virtual, three-semester, MBC Online option. Both formats provide the same benefits and personal attention to each founder. The MBC program also offers a growing MBC Global opportunity for international residents to enroll from their home countries around the world. The application is now open to join the MBC program in spring and fall 2025.
To support alumni, the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute created the Lassonde for Life program. It welcomes all University of Utah alumni, from every major and college, to participate in a variety of activities and events to explore entrepreneurship and grow a product idea or business.
“No other school provides the same depth and variety of experiences for students and alumni who are interested in entrepreneurship,” said Troy D’Ambrosio, vice president for innovation at the University of Utah, executive director of the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute and an assistant dean at the Eccles School. “We encourage everyone to learn more and get involved. Students can apply for our programs, alumni can stay engaged, and community members are always needed as mentors.”
The Eccles School also provides many more options outside the classroom for all students on campus to experience entrepreneurship by launching companies and building products at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Opportunities there include workshops, mentoring, startup support, grants and meetups. Students can also “live, create, launch” at Lassonde Studios, a five-story building in the center of campus with an innovation space on the first floor and dorm space on the upper levels. Lassonde Studios has been featured by The New York Times and Architectural Digest and continues to attract international attention.
The new Princeton Review rankings are based on a summer 2024 survey conducted of nearly 300 schools with entrepreneurship offerings. The rankings were determined by considering more than 40 data points about the school programs, faculties, students and alumni.
The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur published the project’s ranking lists on their respective websites at princetonreview.com/entrepreneur and entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.
The ranking lists name the top 50 undergraduate and top 50 graduate schools for entrepreneurship studies for 2025. The project also names the undergraduate and graduate schools that ranked highest within seven regions: International, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South, Southwest and Western.
Learn more about entrepreneurship at the Eccles School and University of Utah at eccles.utah.edu/entrepreneur.
About the David Eccles School of Business
The Eccles experience provides a world-class business education with a unique, entrepreneurial focus on real-world scenarios where students put what they learn into practice long before graduation. Founded in 1917 and educating more than 6,000 students annually, the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business offers nine undergraduate majors, four MBAs, eight other graduate programs, a Ph.D. in five areas and executive education curricula. The School is also home to 12 institutes, centers and initiatives that deliver academic research and support an ecosystem of entrepreneurship and innovation. For more information, visit Eccles.Utah.edu or call 801-581-7676.
About the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute
The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute is a nationally ranked hub for student entrepreneurship and innovation at the University of Utah and an interdisciplinary division of the David Eccles School of Business. The first programs were offered in 2001, through the vision and support of Pierre Lassonde, an alumnus of the Eccles School and successful mining entrepreneur. The institute now provides opportunities for thousands of students to learn about entrepreneurship and innovation. Programs include workshops, networking events, business-plan competitions, startup support, innovation programs, graduate and alumni programs, scholarships, community outreach and more. All programs are open to students from any academic major or background. The Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute also manages Lassonde Studios, a five-story innovation space and housing facility for all students. Learn more at Lassonde.Utah.edu.
