Why Is Babson No. 1 for Entrepreneurship? Here Are 30 Reasons
Babson College’s entrepreneurial roots trace all the way back to its creation and its founder, Roger Babson, an accomplished entrepreneur and economist.
Over the past 106 years, Babson has proven that entrepreneurs can be taught and developed, and the College has pioneered the field of entrepreneurship education. Babson offered its first entrepreneurship course at the graduate level in 1967, established the first Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in 1978, and created the first undergraduate entrepreneurship major in 1979.
Babson has continually innovated entrepreneurship education over the past half-century and has been ranked as the No. 1 undergraduate school and the No. 1 MBA for entrepreneurship over the past three decades.
Entrepreneurship is everywhere at Babson, woven into the College’s culture and stitched into every discipline by its world-class faculty, who bring real-world experiences and insights into the classroom. That entrepreneurial DNA is ingrained in every student and alumni.
So, why is Babson the No. 1 school for entrepreneurship? There are countless reasons, but here are just 30:
Entrepreneurial Thought & Action
At the heart of Babson’s entrepreneurial education is its Entrepreneurial Thought & Action® (ET&A™) methodology, which is woven throughout all of its curriculum and ethos.
Students Start Their Own Ventures
First-year undergraduate students take Babson’s signature Foundations of Management and Entrepreneurship (FME) course, in which they start and lead a business.
The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Landmark research by the College shows that the trials and struggles of FME, along with the support, mentorship, and reflection that the course offers, build resiliency and an entrepreneurial mindset in students.
Trailblazing Faculty
Babson’s world-renowned faculty have pioneered the field of entrepreneurship education over the past half-century, and they are continually recognized and rewarded for their trailblazing efforts to innovate how best to teach and develop entrepreneurs of all kinds.
Strongest Alumni Network in the Country
Babson was ranked as the No. 1 strongest alumni network in the country by LinkedIn, based on how well alumni are connected to their peers. Networking events, including the annual Babson Connect Worldwide, help to keep alumni engaged to the College and one another.
Largest Share of Alumni Founders or Entrepreneurs
Babson also was ranked No. 1 for the largest share of alumni who become founders or entrepreneurs by LinkedIn in its inaugural college rankings.
No. 1 Undergraduate School for Entrepreneurship
For the 29th consecutive time, Babson was ranked the No. 1 undergraduate school for entrepreneurship last year by U.S. News & World Report.
No. 1 MBA Program in Entrepreneurship
For the 32nd consecutive year, Babson was ranked the No. 1 MBA program in entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report
No. 2 Best College in the United States
For the second year in a row, The Wall Street Journal ranked Babson College the No. 2 Best College in the United States. This year, Babson cemented its position at No. 2, just behind Stanford and ahead of Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, which round out the top five.
The Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership
Launched in 2019, the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership enhances Babson’s entrepreneurial mindset beyond the classroom through specialized resources for learners across industries and career stages. It is also home to eight of the College’s world-renowned specialized centers and institutes.
Educating Entrepreneurship Educators
The Babson Academy for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurial Learning is the leading in teaching entrepreneurship to institutions and educators around the world. As one example, the Price-Babson Symposium for Entrepreneurship—a weeklong immersive experience—has taught higher education faculty and administrators for more than 30 years.
Hands-On Learning
Hands-on learning is fully integrated into the student experience and curriculum. Babson undergraduate and graduate students excel in experiential courses—such as Management Consulting Field Experience and the Babson College Fund—that put them in real-world opportunities with companies and professionals.
BETA-X
Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action Experience, or BETA-X, is a project in which MBA students work in teams to propose and refine entrepreneurial ventures. As they work on their projects, BETA-X teams incorporate insights from eight disciplines
The Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship
First established in 1978 as the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and named for Arthur M. Blank ‘63, H’98 in 1998, the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship, based at the Blank School, is the nerve center for entrepreneurial activity at Babson and home to several of the College’s signature entrepreneurship events, as well as the John E. and Alice L. Butler Launch Pad and Butler Institute for Free Enterprise Through Entrepreneurship
Rocket Pitch
At Babson’s signature annual Rocket Pitch, student and alumni entrepreneurs from Babson, Olin, and Wellesley colleges get three minutes and three slides to pitch their business ideas to an audience of entrepreneurs, investors, and startup enthusiasts.
B.E.T.A. Challenge
The annual B.E.T.A. (Babson Entrepreneurial Thought & Action®) Challenge is the College’s premier entrepreneurship competition for students and alumni.
Summer Accelerator
The Summer Venture Program is a 10-week intensive experience at the Babson Boston campus designed to accelerate the development of student and alumni entrepreneurial ventures.
Interdisciplinary Approach
Babson integrates the arts and huminites with core business courses to provide a wide-angle interdisciplinary approach to problem solving. For example, Socio-Ecological Systems courses, another undergraduate requirement, are co-taught by two professors: one from the natural sciences and the other from the humanities or social sciences.
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor
Co-founded by Babson 27 years ago, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), a global consortium of over 500 researchers, is the largest and most developed research program on entrepreneurship in the world, providing globally comparable data from 120+ economies.
Groundbreaking Faculty Research
Babson faculty specialize in entrepreneurship research across divisions, infusing their thought leadership into the curriculum while continually advancing the field of entrepreneurship education. Initiatives such as the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (above) and the Diana International Research Institute, at the Frank & Eileen™ Center for Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership, are global leaders in entrepreneurship research.
Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Program & Conference
Founded in 1981, the Babson College Entrepreneurship Research Program & Conference (BCERC) is the premier entrepreneurship research conference, where real-world practitioners link theory and practice.
The Weissman Foundry
The Weissman Foundry is an open-door prototyping hub and design studio, inspiring transdisciplinary innovative collaboration between Babson, Olin, and Wellesley colleges. Also, based at the Weissman Foundry, The Generator is Babson’s interdisciplinary AI lab, a hub of AI research, experimentation, programming, and partnerships.
Babson On Demand
As part of Babson’s expanded portfolio of Professional and Executive Education online, in-person, and customized offerings, Babson On-Demand™ is a collection of online and flexible courses with an emphasis on the entrepreneurial mindset, innovation, and practical, in-demand business skills.
Executive Lodge and Conference Center
The College has begun an historic capital plan to build a new Executive Lodge and Conference Center, a lodging and event space for its professional and executive learning programs. The transformative center is expected to open in 2027.
Babson Miami
In the heart of downtown Miami and its vibrant startup market, Babson Miami provides entrepreneurs with opportunities to launch or grow a venture or elevate their organizations to the next level with the Miami Blended Learning MBA, designed for professionals working full time.
Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village
The Herring Family Entrepreneurial Leadership Village (HELV), which opened in 2024, is a one-of-a-kind facility where Babson students, alumni, faculty, stakeholders, and staff collaborate and convene. All sections of FME are taught in the HELV.
Doctor of Business Administration
Babson launched its new Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program in 2024, drawing impressive interest. And, the inaugural cohort on entrepreneurial leaders began its three-year commitment last fall.
Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers
In 2024, Babson’s Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership hosted the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers Conference for the first time since 2002, one of only three schools to host multiple times.
Young Entrepreneurs Lead in Boston
A blockbuster roster of 12 Babson student and alumni entrepreneurs dominated BostInno’s 25 Under 25 list last year, highlighting innovative ventures such as a globally celebrated fashion line and a company showcasing early-stage founders across Greater Boston.
President Spinelli
President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD, a franchising leader who is the co-founder of Jiffy Lube and the current board chair of Planet Fitness, was named among the most influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine.
Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes
Latest Stories
Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes
Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership
