By Aaryn Richard
The Princeton Review announcement marks the third consecutive year of distinguished recognition
Contact(s): Aaryn Richard, Caroline Brooks
For the third straight year, Michigan State University’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is recognized as a leader in entrepreneurship education. The Princeton Review announced today its top 25 undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation, and Michigan State rises from #16 to #14.
The entrepreneurial ecosystem at Michigan State has received deep investments since its 2012 inception, fostering a culture of innovation where participants hone a mindset that attracts the attention of talented, motivated student and alumni venturers.
“Providing students with real-world opportunities to take action on their ideas is a serious undertaking,” said Lori Fischer, the Burgess Institute’s assistant director. “Since 2012, we’ve helped Spartans build the courage to take calculated risks and fortified those risks with tangible resources. Our programs are designed not only to assist students in launching successful ventures but also aid them in refining an entrepreneurial mindset.
MSU’s Minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation launched in 2016 and continues to be one of the fastest-growing minors in the university’s history. With more than 700 students currently enrolled, the minor welcomes undergraduates from all MSU disciplines.
“When we launched the undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and innovation, our vision homed in on cultivating a culture of entrepreneurship at MSU. Being recognized by the Princeton Review for a third straight year confirms we’re doing something right,” said Ken Szymusiak, the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation’s managing director of academic programs. “This recognition highlights the depth and breadth of what we offer students — from an undergraduate minor in entrepreneurship and innovation to a student incubator to a summer accelerator to a venture capital fund, we’re supported by participation from all undergraduate colleges.”
Year over year, participation in the Burgess Institute’s programming has seen exponential growth. In fact, over the last five years student venturers have launched 691 startups, a 38% increase since 2015.
Beyond the entrepreneurship and innovation minor and 50+ entrepreneurship-related undergraduate courses, MSU’s student offerings include participation in national startup competitions like SXSW (South by Southwest), mentoring opportunities with successful entrepreneurial alumni, student organizations and clubs, as well as dynamic spaces for students to create.
“We had nearly 4,500 students participate in our academic entrepreneurship courses last year, representing 129 unique majors across all colleges. This is what sets Michigan State apart,” Szymusiak said.
“The colleges on our list have truly superb entrepreneurship programs,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief. “Their faculties are genuinely engaged in entrepreneurism. Their courses are rich with in-class and out-of-class experiential components, and the financial and networking support their students receive via donors and alumni is extraordinary.”
To compile the 2020 ranking, The Princeton Review surveyed more than 300 schools offering entrepreneurial studies across data points related to scholarships and grants, successful alumni entrepreneurs, and faculty support.