Princeton Review, Entrepreneurship magazine again rank WashU in top 10 in entrepreneurship

Washington University in St. Louis again has been recognized as a top 10 entrepreneurial institution.

The Princeton Review with Entrepreneur magazine today released its annual ranking of top universities for entrepreneurship: WashU ranked #8 for undergraduate programs, the same as last year, and rose two spots to #4 for graduate programs.

“It makes it far easier to be a good coach when you have great players,” said Doug Villhard, WashU Olin professor of practice in entrepreneurship and academic director for entrepreneurship. “The students who are drawn to WashU are coming here with a focus on entrepreneurship, and it is their success that is really leading to these higher rankings.”

The new ranking comes on the heels of the news that—for the fifth consecutive year—WashU Olin was ranked first in Poets & Quants’ global ranking of MBA entrepreneurship programs, a clean sweep since the ranking began.

“It’s been fun in the last five years to see WashU Olin ranked highly now in multiple rankings,” Villhard said. “When that starts to happen, it means that our brand is getting more representative of innovation and entrepreneurship. Given that is a pillar of our school, that gives us great pride.”

At its core, entrepreneurship encourages and celebrates interdisciplinary collaboration, said II Luscri, assistant vice provost for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and managing director of the Skandalaris Center for Interdisciplinary Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We’re proud to support so many change-makers across campus as they share their diverse knowledge and skills while working to shape the future.”

Among all Danforth Campus schools, WashU provides more than 55 courses with entrepreneurship as the primary focus. To further complement the curriculum, experiential programs, such as the Skandalaris Venture Competition, offers an environment where students have the opportunity to explore and progress their ideas. 

“The fact that the fall cycle [of the competition] produced 95 independent ventures shows the hunger and drive of the Washington University community,” Luscri said. “These rankings through The Princeton Review and other publications matter. When looking at schools, students notice, because they’re arriving on campus, ready to get involved, day one, with innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Many interdisciplinary partners play a pivotal role in the ecosystem. “Whether it’s Doug Villhard encouraging teams to participate in IdeaBounce® through the Hatchery or students enrolling in Heather Cameron’s Social Entrepreneurship class, advancing entrepreneurship at WashU takes a village,” Luscri said.

The Princeton Review rankings are a result of a summer 2023 survey submission from administrators at nearly 300 schools offering undergraduate and graduate entrepreneurial studies. Data points from more than 40 questions are reviewed and analyzed to produce the rankings each year. Information about the methodology for the rankings is posted on The Princeton Review’s website.

Photo: WashU Olin’s Big IdeaBounce gives student entrepreneurs a chance to seek funding for their ideas.