UND ranks No. 9 among nation's top entrepreneurship programs "Entrepreneur" magazine and "The Princeton Review" released the fifth annual ranking of the top 50 graduate and undergraduate entrepreneurship programs in the nation, and the University of North Dakota ranks number nine on the top undergraduate programs list. A complete listing of the schools ranked, along with the analysis, appear in the November issue of "Entrepreneur" magazine, which hits newsstands Oct. 23. All 900 schools surveyed were evaluated based on key criteria in the areas of academics and requirements, students and faculty, and outside-the-classroom support and experiences. A total of 50 schools, 25 undergraduate and 25 graduate schools, made the list, with several others receiving honorable mentions. A nearly 30 percent increase in participating schools with this year's ranking underscores the growing number of entrepreneurial courses nationwide and the established mainstream appeal of business ownership. This is the third consecutive year UND has been ranked nationally for its entrepreneurial offerings, and the second time the undergraduate program in entrepreneurship has been rated in the top 10. “We are thrilled to be ranked, yet again, with this group of prestigious schools,” said Dennis Elbert, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at UND. “This continued recognition is a testament to the excellent program we have at UND and our comprehensive effort to support entrepreneurs at all levels –– from students to business start-ups to venture capitalists.” “I am not surprised that we continue to be in the top 10 schools in the country in undergraduate entrepreneurship education,” said President Charles Kupchella. “There is a very real entrepreneurial spirit that permeates this campus. There many excellent examples here, including, of course, the College of Business and Public Administration, which -- thanks to the generous help of alumni as well as the leadership of Dennis Elbert and his faculty and staff -- has truly embraced that entrepreneurial spirit to create a state-of-the-art school. The creation of the major in entrepreneurship is, itself, entrepreneurial.” The University has long been a leader in entrepreneurship, starting in 1984 with the Center for Innovation and later establishing the undergraduate program in 1999. The entrepreneur program at UND, housed in the College of Business and Public Administration, is now one of the fastest growing programs on campus. It includes one of the nation’s solely student-run venture capital invest fund, the Dakota Venture Group. "For years now schools have been responding to student demand for competitive entrepreneurial programs," says Rieva Lesonsky, senior vice president and editorial director of "Entrepreneur" magazine. "The newly emerging trends are in programs that focus on women-owned as well as environmentally and socially conscious businesses. Strong alumni networks, emphasis on feasibility studies and activities for engaging in the local business community continue to be key points among entrepreneurs looking for programs that fit their needs." The survey questions for the annual top colleges ranking are revisited each year to ensure that clear, concise and appropriate data are collected. Robert Franek of "The Princeton Review" says this year, "New questions allowed for more program-specific elements to come to the surface." This gives prospective students more of the essential information they need to start exploring programs that can prepare them for greater success in their business ventures. A complete listing of undergraduate schools ranked in this year’s results is posted below. Best Schools for Entrepreneurs: Top 25 Undergraduate Programs 1. Babson College, 2. University of Houston, 3. Drexel University, 4. The University of Arizona, 5. University of Dayton, 6. Chapman University, 7. DePaul University, 8. Temple University, 9. University of North Dakota, 10. Loyola Marymount University, 11. Wichita State University, 12. Syracuse University, 13. University of Notre Dame, 14. University of Maryland, 15. University of Oklahoma, 16. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 17. Xavier University, 18. The University of Alabama, 19. University of Southern California, 20. Ball State University, 21. The University of Iowa, 22. Brigham Young University, 23. Baylor University, 24. Northeastern University, 25. The Ohio State University.