2025’s Top MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship
Are you itching to start your own company and wondering which business schools would best help you achieve that dream? Entrepreneurship is a top career choice for many MBA students in today’s dynamic business world. Poets & Quants 2025 ranking of the top MBA programs for entrepreneurship highlights the best programs for aspiring founders. Four schools in the top ten are in Europe—including the #1 program, France’s EDHEC Business School—and two elite U.S. MBA programs made the list: UVA Darden and Michigan Ross School of Business.
These schools are well-equipped to support students’ startup ambitions, offering venture funding, accelerators, and mentorship resources. The goal is to enable students to bring their ideas to life through a comprehensive support network.
Programs with a strong entrepreneurial focus give students the confidence to explore uncharted waters.
The academic frameworks at these schools go beyond traditional MBA curricula. As SBC consultant Pauline points out, programs that “develop the skills and confidence students need to start and scale a business” provide essential mentorship and real-world challenges.
Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school for entrepreneurship? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Leading MBA Programs for Entrepreneurship
Granted, the best programs acknowledge that they don’t actually create entrepreneurs—they merely nurture innate ability. Approximately 20-30% of MBA graduates eventually pursue entrepreneurship, although the percentage varies by school and graduating class.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast Episode #204: Stacy Blackman on Entrepreneurship
An MBA offers budding entrepreneurs skills that can prove invaluable. Business schools teach strategic thinking, leadership, finance, and operational management—essential competencies when building and scaling a startup. Plus, MBA students gain practical experience through courses in lean startup methodology, product development, and market research, all of which help them validate ideas, plan effectively, and pivot when necessary.
P&Q’s Top 10 Entrepreneurship Programs for MBAs
Poets & Quants highlights the following programs, which offer a broad range of courses in entrepreneurship and significant opportunities for networking with established entrepreneurs, launching start-ups, and developing the skills needed to start successful businesses.
- EDHEC Business School
- W.P. Carey School of Business (University of Arizona)
- Olin School of Business (Washington University in St. Louis)
- IE Business School
- Michigan Ross School of Business
- Lundquist College of Business (University of Oregon)
- Esade Business School
- ESMT Berlin
- Rady School of Management (UC San Diego)
- UVA Darden School of Business
“It was an incredibly close ranking result for 2025 – with just over 1 point separating the top three programs in the raw total,” Poets & Quants reveals.
Building a Network That Opens Doors
In addition to academic training, these MBA programs create robust ecosystems for future founders. Top MBA programs offer access to experienced mentors, successful alums, and peer entrepreneurs. The relationships students build can become critical as they launch, providing them with advice and potential partnerships, investors, and customers. Many programs even have “founders’ clubs,” like this one at Stanford, and networking events to connect students with startup veterans and industry insiders.
The best MBA programs also integrate hands-on opportunities that bring real-world challenges to the classroom. Many top-ranked schools feature startup incubators, competitions, and entrepreneurship labs where students can test their business ideas. Poets & Quants notes that students at these schools benefit from experiences that help bridge the gap between theory and practice, which is invaluable for actual business-building.
Securing Capital and Resources
Access to capital is another crucial benefit of an MBA in entrepreneurship. Many top programs have deep-rooted connections with venture capital firms and angel investors, and some even provide direct funding opportunities for promising student ventures. Schools often hold pitch events, allowing students to present their ideas to potential investors and receive feedback. This exposure to investment channels and the chance to secure early-stage funding can be a game-changer.
Choosing the Right Program for You
If you’re considering an MBA with an entrepreneurial focus, it’s essential to think about which resources are most relevant to your goals. Poets & Quants suggests prospective students look at each program’s unique offerings, alumni success stories, and funding opportunities. Some schools excel in tech entrepreneurship, while others may have strengths in social enterprise or family business. Evaluating program strengths in areas that matter most to your vision can help you choose the right fit.
For aspiring entrepreneurs, the top MBA programs for 2025 are more than just academic institutions—they are launchpads. With access to mentorship, funding, and a network of like-minded innovators, these programs provide the skills and connections needed to bring bold ideas to life. In an age where innovation and agility are crucial to success, these MBA programs cultivate the next generation of business leaders.
Visit Poets & Quants to see the full list of top-ranked MBA programs for entrepreneurship and to understand their ranking methodology.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs. From our All-In Partnership to interview prep, essay editing, resume review, and much more, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
