Entrepreneur Ranks Marriott School 12th Nationally

PROVO, Utah — Oct 03, 2006 — Entrepreneur magazine recently ranked Brigham Young University’s Marriott School 12th in the nation in its annual “Best Schools for Entrepreneurs” undergraduate program review.

The article, in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur, compiled rankings for both undergraduate and graduate programs, in cooperation with The Princeton Review. Ratings were based on the number of entrepreneurship courses offered; enrolled students and recent graduates who started their own businesses; entrepreneurs within the faculty; and scholarships offered. BYU was also ranked among the publication’s top-tier regional schools in 2005, 2004 and 2003.

Gary Rhoads, marketing professor and associate director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, says the center’s students and volunteers are what set the Marriott School apart from the majority of collegiate entrepreneurial programs.

“Our students are just naturally entrepreneurial,” Rhoads says. “We’re one of the national hotspots for patents, new ideas and new businesses. Our center is a response to the creativity that our students naturally show. We also have entrepreneurs who are highly dedicated to this program. They donate their time and services; how many places do you know that have people who would do that?”

The article states, “Schools that ranked high demonstrated a commitment to entrepreneurship both inside and outside the classroom and had faculty, students, and alumni actively involved and successful in entrepreneurial endeavors.”

The University of Arizona ranked first in the undergraduate program category, followed by Syracuse and DePaul Universities. Syracuse took the top spot in the graduate program category, followed by DePaul and Northwestern University.

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, organizational behavior and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.