In a lot of cases, a higher education can mean a higher salary or even a better job. That's why we found out the best colleges for entrepreneurs. We based this list on these metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of students working, ratio of working vs. non-working students 10 years after admission, average cost of attendance and median debt for graduates.
Best Colleges And Majors For Entrepreneurs
Best Colleges For Entrepreneurs
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-State Tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
9. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
10. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
Entrepreneur Education Requirements
There are several education requirements to become an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs usually study business, marketing or accounting. 62% of entrepreneurs hold a bachelor's degree and 14% hold a associate degree. We found these by analyzing 13,407 entrepreneur resumes to investigate the topic of entrepreneur education more precisely.
The most common colleges for students to pursue their goal of becoming an entrepreneur are University of Phoenix and New York University.
For those who would rather stay in your pajamas during the day, we prepared some online courses that can help in entrepreneur education paths.
We prepared a list of an entrepreneur certifications that you should consider. The necessary certifications that entrepreneurs must have to succeed are Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Sales Professional (CSP).
What Education Do You Need To Become an Entrepreneur?
What degree do you need to be an Entrepreneur?
The most common degree for entrepreneurs is bachelor's degree 62% of entrepreneurs earn that degree. A close second is associate degree with 14% and rounding it off is master's degree with 11%.
- Bachelors, 62%
- Associate, 14%
- Masters, 11%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What Should I Major in to Become an Entrepreneur?
Most entrepreneurs, 32% to be exact, major in business. Some other common majors for an entrepreneur include marketing and accounting majors.
- Business, 32%
- Marketing, 7%
- Accounting, 6%
- Finance, 5%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most Common Colleges For Entrepreneurs
Here are the most common colleges for an entrepreneur career in the US based on their resumes. Advocates often get their degree in University of Phoenix, New York University, and Brigham Young University .
| Entrepreneur Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.08% |
| New York University | 6.53% |
| Brigham Young University | 6.53% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 5.38% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 5.25% |
Best Majors For Entrepreneurs
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 31.6% |
| 2 | Marketing | 7.1% |
| 3 | Accounting | 6.0% |
| 4 | Finance | 5.3% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.3% |
20 Best Online Courses for Entrepreneurs
Advertising Disclosure
1. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience
Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...
2. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives
Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...
3. Entrepreneurship and Business Life Coach Certification
Entrepreneurship Coach Certification: Coach Entrepreneurs to Quantum Leap Their Business with Real-World MBA Training...
4. Customer Service
How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...
5. Start Improving Customer Service
Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...
6. Customer Service: Keep 'em coming back!
How to give the best customer service in your industry and keep those customers raving about your business...
7. Real Estate Photography Masterclass
A Guide to Equipment, Technique and Workflow for Real Estate Photography...
8. Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate 2023
Learn Facebook Ads Copywriting & Facebook Ads for Real Estate Fast & Fun! Enjoy Quizzes, Animations & Screen Recordings!...
9. Customer Service Training Keys To Satisfy Your Customers
An introduction to customer service and its importance in any business...
10. Facebook Marketing for Real Estate Agents
A proven STEP-BY-STEP course to utilize Facebook to promote your real estate business...
11. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer
Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...
12. Canva Graphic Design for Entrepreneurs - Design 11 Projects
Learn Canva from scratch. Create 11 graphic design projects with Canva specifically for entrepreneurs...
13. Mastering Architecture and Real Estate Photography
Start a business photographing real estate photography jobs for architects, builders, and real estate agents...
14. Intro to Entrepreneurship: Get started as an Entrepreneur
Learn everything you need to know to become an Entrepreneur. Master the concepts and coming up with great business ideas...
15. Outstanding Customer Service - The Ultimate Guide!
Unlocking the Powerful Secrets of OUTSTANDING Customer Service - Transform Your Business!...
16. Customer Service: How to sell more without advertising
Learn how to create a customer experience that earns you customer loyalty and creates word of mouth advertising...
17. Brilliant Customer Service: How to Impress your Customers!
Enhance your customer support and truly differentiate yourself from your competition!...
18. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service
Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...
19. Real Estate Photography: How To Get Started
Discover the secrets to starting a highly profitable real estate photo business. Taking Photos, Editing, Delivery etc...
20. The Customer: Build a Customer Service Strategy (BITE SIZE)
For you and your team to be successful in providing great customer service, start by putting your customer first...
Top 10 Affordable Universities For Entrepreneurs
If those top 10 were a bit out of your price range, you might want to check these schools instead. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price and mean earnings after 6 years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for entrepreneurs.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,886
Cost of Attendance
17,645
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,821
Cost of Attendance
19,849
10. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
Top 10 Hardest Universities To Get Into For Entrepreneurs
Some people like a challenge. Well, we challenge you to get into one of these schools. It's not going to be easy. We know this based on these institutions' admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted and mean earnings of students 6 years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
19%
SAT Average
1,466
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
32%
SAT Average
1,365
9. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,380
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions Rate
42%
SAT Average
1,380
Top 10 Easier To Apply Universities For Entrepreneurs
Why make getting a job harder on yourself than it has to be? With these colleges, you're sure to be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores and average salary of students 6 years after graduation in order to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions Rate
91%
SAT Average
1,006
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
6. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
88%
SAT Average
1,044
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
8. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
9. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions Rate
86%
SAT Average
991
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
Average Entrepreneur Salary by Education Level
Entrepreneurs with a Masters degree earn more than those without, at $96,623 annually. With a Doctorate degree, entrepreneurs earn a median annual income of $92,351 compared to $80,742 for entrepreneurs with an Bachelors degree.
| Entrepreneur Education Level | Entrepreneur Salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $63,192 |
| Master's Degree | $96,623 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $80,742 |
| Doctorate Degree | $92,351 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $65,544 |