March 25, 2005

The University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business has been named among the top 50 collegiate entrepreneurship programs in the United States by Entrepreneur magazine in its April issue. Among the top 100 “nationally prominent” colleges and universities, the University of South Carolina placed in the top tier, moving up from the second tier in last year’s rankings. This places USC ahead of such prestigious institutions as Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of Notre Dame, Stanford University, and Duke University.

In an article accompanying the rankings, David Newton, professor of entrepreneurial finance at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, said the University of South Carolina “has really been on the move the past several years in terms of expanding, upgrading and doing some innovative things in their entrepreneurship program.” Newton is founder and president of TechKnowledge Point Corp., the research firm that compiles and analyzes the data for the rankings.

The Moore School’s entrepreneurship program was founded in 1975 and was named the Faber Entrepreneurship Center in 1997 for benefactors Tim and Karen Faber, both USC graduates and successful entrepreneurs.

As part of its 2005 rankings, Entrepreneur asked program directors, faculty, and alumni across the country: Are those who study entrepreneurship more likely to become entrepreneurs, and will they be more successful than other business students?

A recent study conducted at the University of Arizona showed that entrepreneurship students start more companies, and they are also more successful. Sales and employment growth of companies owned by or employing entrepreneurship graduates was more than five times the rate of other firms. In addition, entrepreneurship graduates working in large firms earn, on average, $23,000 a year more than non-entrepreneurship business graduates.

Entrepreneur’s 3rd annual evaluation of the best entrepreneurship programs at U.S. colleges and universities is the most credible and comprehensive analysis of its kind. For the complete story and listing, pick up a copy of the April issue of Entrepreneur magazine, or read it on Entrepreneur.com at www.entrepreneur.com/topcolleges.