U of A Entrepreneurship Grad Program Ranked Top 25 by Princeton Review

Photo Submitted

The Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas has been ranked No. 22 by the Princeton Review's 2025 Top 50 Entrepreneurship Graduate Programs.                

This ranking moves the U of A up 10 spots from 2024. The university made its debut on Princeton’s list at No. 35 in 2023.

The graduate entrepreneurship program ranking is the result of a strong collaborative effort spanning multiple colleges and units on campus. The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation oversees the Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship program in conjunction with the Department of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Venture Innovation at the Walton College.

“Our graduate program thrives off of a foundation of experiential learning, which is made even stronger because of cross-campus partnerships, strong support from the Walton College, and a growing entrepreneurship ecosystem in Northwest Arkansas,” said Phil Shellhammer, executive director of the university’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Shellhammer teaches the New Venture Development courses at the heart of the graduate program alongside David Hinton, executive director of the Office of Technology Ventures.

According to the Princeton Review, the rankings, established in 2006, evaluate institutions based on their academic offerings, experiential learning opportunities and career outcomes.

The Princeton Review editorial team considered several factors when deciding rankings, including:

• The core courses of the U of A graduate program, New Venture Development I & II, which are integrated into multiple degree programs across campus, lending the program a unique interdisciplinary structure.
   
• The ability to provide multiple resources for student-founded companies, such as the Heartland Challenge Student Startup Competition, Startup Village, the Entrepreneurial Law Project and the Venture Mentoring Services program.
   
• A track record of alumni ventures — In the last three years, companies formed by students and recent alumni of the program include Hidalga, ProPika, CelluDot, Lapovations, LockStop, Pushkin, GammaVet and Horizon Health Solutions.

“Our faculty and staff, in partnership with the Office of Entrepreneurship & Innovation, have made significant investments in fostering a culture of entrepreneurial excellence at the Walton College, from our innovative curriculum to our strategic industry partnerships," said Brent Williams, dean of Walton College. “This recognition aligns with our ongoing commitment to preparing students for the evolving business landscape and driving economic growth in our region and beyond."

Mike Malone, U of A’s Vice Chancellor for Economic Development, described this ranking as indicative of the collaborative partnerships between the university, local businesses, and entrepreneurial support organizations.

"The University of Arkansas’s rise in the top 25 graduate entrepreneurship programs highlights the strength of our region’s startup environment, which fosters innovation and provides invaluable opportunities for students and entrepreneurs alike,” Malone said.

“The synergy between academia and the regional startup ecosystem is key to shaping the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs."

About the Sam M. Walton College of Business: Founded in 1926, the Sam M. Walton College of Business stands as one of the largest colleges at the University of Arkansas, serving over 9,800 students across undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programs. The college holds AACSB accreditation and consistently ranks among the top business schools in the United States. Walton College ranks 25th for its undergraduate business program among public colleges in the U.S. News & World Report's 2025 national rankings. Its undergraduate supply chain management program is recognized as the top program in North America by Gartner. In 2023, The Princeton Review included Walton’s M.B.A. program in its Best Business Schools list for On-Campus M.B.A. Programs.

About the U of A Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation: The Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation creates and curates innovation and entrepreneurship experiences for students across all disciplines. Through the Brewer Family Entrepreneurship Hub, McMillon Innovation Studio, Startup Village, and Greenhouse at the Bentonville Collaborative, OEI provides free workshops and programs — including social and corporate innovation design teams, venture internships, competitions and startup coaching. A unit of the Sam M. Walton College of Business and Division of Economic Development, OEI also offers on-demand support for students who will be innovators within existing organizations and entrepreneurs who start something new.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.