The University of South Florida Muma College of Business has one of the top entrepreneur programs in the country, according to a new report.
The University of South Florida’s entrepreneur program landed at No. 9 in the annual Princeton Review and Entrepreneur Magazine report. It was No. 5 for public schools and No. 1 in the South, according to the list.
“We are strong believers in the power of experiential learning. This is what sets us apart. This manifests itself in almost all the courses of our graduate program and certificate in entrepreneurship,” said Dirk Libaers, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Muma College of Business, in a statement. “In essence, this means extensive engagement of students with internships, startup simulations, small businesses, and startups in the Tampa Bay region,” he said.
The entrepreneur programs were judged on a 45-question survey sent to almost 300 schools with entrepreneur programs. The survey looked at a number of variables including the percentage of students, faculty and alumni involved in startups; scholarships and grants for entrepreneurial studies; number and reach of mentorship programs; and level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions.
“We strongly recommend these schools on our entrepreneurship studies lists for 2023," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief, in a statement. "Their faculties are outstanding. Their programs have robust mentoring components and their students receive networking support that will serve them for years to come."
USF was previously ranked No. 18 for its graduate program and has been in the ranking all 17 years the report has existed.
USF's program has 54 students enrolled full-time, according to the ranking, which does not include all the participants in USF's CONNECT incubator program. That program has produced more than 150 ventures since its founding in 2013.
