Best MBA for Entrepreneurship – Again

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Elizabeth Atwater

Elizabeth Atwater is the former Associate Director of Content Strategy at Babson College. Her writing has appeared in print and online in a wide range of outlets including Forbes, The Atlantic, Reuters, Chief Learning Officer, BostInno, and Seventeen magazine. Her career includes a stint at a venture capital-backed technology startup, as well as a chapter working for a small, family-run public relations firm. Atwater earned her undergraduate degree at Northwestern University and MBA at Babson College.

March 17, 2020

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Babson MBA students are well acquainted with the acronym VUCAH. Professors use it as shorthand to describe a world that’s volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous, and hyperconnected. It’s a concept taught in classes across the Graduate School, and current events—from a global health outbreak to stock market fluctuations—underscore just how rapidly the landscape can change.

So, how should Babson students respond to such a landscape? With innovative problem solving. With a bias for action. With a belief that they can make any situation better, and improve the status quo. In short, with a make-it-happen mindset characteristic of great entrepreneurial leaders.

This entrepreneurial mindset is a core part of Babson’s DNA. It’s why, for the last 27 years, Babson has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report for having the best MBA for entrepreneurship in the country, and why we are again No. 1 in its most recent ranking.

Best MBA for Entrepreneurship

As part of its annual Best Graduate Schools ranking, U.S. News & World Report ranks the best business schools for entrepreneurship. It has consistently placed Babson’s F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business above the rest.

This year, Babson is joined in the top five by Stanford University (No. 2), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (No. 3), University of California – Berkeley (No. 4), and Harvard University (No. 5). In addition to being recognized in the entrepreneurship ranking, Babson also was in the top 100 for both part- and full-time programs overall.

“The current pandemic underscores the fact that entrepreneurial leadership is a required competency in 2020. Problems quickly take on a global perspective. Solutions create great social and economic value. Our graduates are meeting that challenge every day,” said Babson College President Stephen Spinelli Jr. MBA’92, PhD.

An MBA for Bold Futures

The College recently announced a major investment in its continued leadership with the Arthur M. Blank School for Entrepreneurial Leadership. This historic gift, funded by a $50 million grant from alumnus Arthur M. Blank ’63, H’98, makes possible scholarships, an endowed faculty position, experiential learning opportunities, research funding, and an “entrepreneurial village” that will transform the on-campus entrepreneurship ecosystem for students.

At the beginning of this academic year, Babson rolled out a fully redesigned MBA curriculum and has continued to add to the program.

Among the additions are two new STEM-designated concentrations: Business Analytics and Machine Learning, and Quantitative Finance. These STEM-designated academic paths offer international students the potential for an extended 36 months to work in the U.S. after graduation.

Babson also has expanded its classes offered online; more courses are available in more formats than ever before. As the lines between work and life shift, and agility and flexibility are a top priority, Babson students can now opt for a fully online MBA or fully online Master of Advanced Entrepreneurial Leadership degree.

Discover what makes the Babson College MBA #1.

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Best MBA for Career Progress

Earlier this year, Financial Times named the Babson MBA No. 3 worldwide for Career Progress.

Babson’s small size means that students, faculty, and career advisors have the flexibility to co-create a tailored experience to help students achieve their professional goals.

“Employers continually tell us that Babson graduate students are scrappy and can deal well with ambiguity,” said Cheri Paulson, senior director of Babson’s Graduate Center for Career Development. “What that means for the employer is that our students are not afraid to do whatever it takes to get the job done. They are motivated by making an impact … they dig in, and solve problems by taking action.”

“Being No. 1 in Entrepreneurship 27 years in a row is an impressive achievement unmatched in any other specialty ranking,” added Keith Rollag, dean of the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson. “Given our closest competitors each year are Stanford, MIT, and Harvard, we are proud to be the small school underdog that has built a world-class reputation around entrepreneurship. We are constantly innovating to not only improve how we study and teach entrepreneurship, but how we can help other institutions do the same. Our mission is to develop entrepreneurial leaders of all kinds who drive economic and social change everywhere, because entrepreneurship is one of the most powerful ways to make our world a better place.”