Continuing to Lead: No. 1 MBA in Entrepreneurship for 31 Years

For decades, Babson College has pioneered, championed, and evolved the field of entrepreneurship education. Its long-standing leadership in innovation has proven entrepreneurship to be an essential skill in demand throughout business and higher education.

That leadership in innovating entrepreneurship education has been validated once again, as Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business has been recognized as the Best MBA in Entrepreneurship, earning the No. 1 ranking from U.S. News & World Report for the 31st consecutive year. 

“This ranking is a continued assertion of Babson’s place as the global leader in business and entrepreneurship education,” President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD said. “To maintain such a high standard for more than three decades is commendable and underscores our community’s continued commitment to entrepreneurship. 

“This ranking is a continued assertion of Babson’s place as the global leader in business and entrepreneurship education.”

President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD

“When these rankings originated, many questioned if entrepreneurship could be taught and instead believed that the entrepreneurial mindset was a characteristic held by some, but not attainable by all,” Spinelli added. “As many debated, Babson College acted. We have long asserted that not only can entrepreneurship be taught, but it must be taught.”

U.S. News & World Report also ranked Babson tied for No. 22 in its Best International MBA Programs rankings, validating the growing global reach of Babson’s MBA programs. The latest rankings are just the latest testaments to the value of a Babson education, building on the College’s impressive rankings this year. Babson was named the top undergraduate school for entrepreneurship by U.S. News & World Report for the 27th consecutive time. And, Babson was named the 10th best college in the country by The Wall Street Journal, proving that the world is validating Babson’s standing across higher education.

Continuously Innovating 

The enduring success of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business is driven by a collective entrepreneurial spirit and mindset, which helps keep its MBA programs on the cutting edge to meet the emerging needs of students and the times. 

“Innovative and entrepreneurial behavior happens on all levels of the graduate school,” said Sebastian Fixson, the associate dean of graduate programs and innovation. That extends from faculty designing new learning experiences and developing new courses, to staff continuously rethinking and reinventing service processes, and to students reimagining many activities for their own entrepreneurial ventures and for their community with clubs and conferences. 

“While we maintain the core elements of our entrepreneurship education in all its facets, we are also expanding into adjacent areas of management such as growth and renewal,” added Fixson, who also holds the Marla M. Capozzi MBA’96 Term Chair in Design Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. “We are also continuously reinventing our curriculum by incorporating big themes such as digitalization, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.” 

As the No. 1 MBA in entrepreneurship, Babson remains uniquely positioned and motivated to lead the change that today’s environment demands, equipping entrepreneurial leaders with the skills and mindset necessary to create scalable solutions to complex global problems, lead with empathy, and innovate solutions. 

“The ethos of entrepreneurial leadership that permeates everything in our MBA program—in both curricular programming and co-curricular activities—prepares our students well for a world exhibiting increasing turbulence and uncertainty,” Fixson said. 

Babson’s graduate students grow to become leading problem solvers, tackling the world’s most complex challenges, including racial equity, climate change, and the use of emerging technologies.    

“Our distinctive entrepreneurial education prepares our learners to become ambitious, action-oriented innovators who create social and economic value for themselves and their communities around the world,” Spinelli said. “The education we provide pushes the traditional classroom boundaries, and challenges students to put their knowledge to practice and make impactful change in every community they’re a part of.” 

Carrying the Torch 

Educated to succeed and empowered to lead, Babson’s MBA graduates remain in high demand and continue to excel in the workplace. 

The latest outcomes from the full-time MBA Class of 2023 illustrate how quickly Babson graduates begin to make their mark. Within three months of graduation, 77% of full-time MBA Babson graduates from the Class of 2023 received job offers, and U.S.-based graduates earned an average salary of $117,627, plus an average $35,108 signing bonus. The results continue an impressive trend of the past few years, as the average full-time MBA salary has increased 39% since 2019. 

The world’s leading companies hired full-time 2023 MBA graduates across a range of industries, most notably in technology (18%), manufacturing (17%), and financial services (16%). The ratio of Babson MBA graduates entering manufacturing doubled from 8% in 2022 to 17% in 2023, reflecting an industry-wide trend highlighted in the latest U.S. report from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor.   

“The ethos of entrepreneurial leadership that permeates everything in our MBA program … prepares our students well for a world exhibiting increasing turbulence and uncertainty.”

Sebastian Fixson, the Marla M. Capozzi MBA’96 Term Chair in Design Thinking, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

“Today’s graduate students and recent alumni continue to carry the torch as the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders impacting change around the world,” Spinelli said. “These stellar outcomes support and affirm our place atop U.S. News & World Report’s entrepreneurship MBA rankings.” 

It’s a lofty position to maintain for 31 consecutive years. Earning the No. 1 ranking once again is a remarkable milestone to commemorate, and it continues to motivate the entire graduate school, and the College, to continue innovating and leading. 

“Being top ranked by your peers for over a generation is a special recognition,” Fixson said. “It’s a recognition that makes all of us—students, alumni, faculty, and staff—proud, but it’s also one that reminds us of our responsibility for continuing to push boundaries.” 

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Outcomes

Tagged Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Education, Graduate

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