Hometown Glory
University of Houston is No. 1 in the country in ...
University of Houston's Melcher Hall, home of the Bauer College of BusinessPhoto by Brian Reading
Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University
It's not news that Houston is one of the top cities in the country for business — just ask Forbes. But the new rankings by Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine on the best business programs for entrepreneurs showed the commitment of two Houston schools to keeping our city awash in entrepreneurial spirit.
The University of Houston's Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship earned the top spot on the best undergraduate programs list, with 100 percent of the faculty also entrepreneurs and a combination of academics and outside-the-classroom learning opportunities, including partnerships, clubs, competitions and other activities.
It's the second time in four years that the UH program, part of the C.T. Bauer College of Business, has been ranked first in the country.
"It's a pat on the back for the fact that we have extended these types of programs to a very broad range of students, but also in an sense to community of Houston, which is now regularly ranked as the number one entrepreneurial city in the country," Bauer College of Business Dean Arthur Warga told KUHF.
In graduate programs, Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business also received high marks for its entrepreneurship program, coming in sixth on the list. It's the third time Rice has appeared on the list and its second time in the top 10.
With all faculty also working as entrepreneurs, the Jones School stands out with nearly $1.1 million awarded yearly in business plan competitions, a figure that dwarfs every other program on the list.
As Entrepreneur notes,
"The Rice Alliance program integrates business/science/engineering disciplines in the areas of new technology and entrepreneurship, such as nanotechnology, which is a strong discipline at the school. Among the numerous opportunities for entrepreneurial students is the Wright Fund, a student-run fund valued at more than $850,000."
Looks like business-minded folks can get the bestentrepreneurial education without leaving the city.
