Entrepreneurship & Innovation
What you'll do in college
Entrepreneurship programs teach you how to spot opportunities, build products, raise money, and grow a company from zero. Coursework mixes core business classes with new-venture creation, design thinking, innovation strategy, and venture finance.
Many programs are built around pitch competitions, incubators, and the chance to launch a real startup as a senior project. Expect heavy mentorship from alumni founders and investors, and plenty of iteration on business models that don't survive first contact with customers.
What you'll do after college
Some grads launch businesses straight out of college; others join startups as early employees, work at venture capital firms, or spend years learning inside a large company before going entrepreneurial. Common early roles include founder, product manager, business development, and operations at small teams.
Early pay can be low and risky, but the upside for founders and early employees at successful startups is significant. The skills—selling, building, recruiting—transfer well if the first venture doesn't work out.
Famous graduates
- Mark Cuban — Entrepreneur and investor; B.S. in Business Administration from Indiana University
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurship & Innovation | 263 | 3,842 | 59% / 41% | 5% | $65,422 |
| Entrepreneurship | 225 | 3,445 | 61% / 39% | 5% | $63,987 |
| Nonprofit Management | 24 | 100 | 29% / 71% | 7% | $80,906 |
| Small Business Management | 8 | 61 | 44% / 56% | 5% | $44,743 |
| Technological Entrepreneurship and Management | 1 | 59 | 85% / 15% | 5% | |
| Small Business Administration/Management | 3 | 37 | 43% / 57% | 3% | |
| Social Entrepreneurship | 4 | 32 | 19% / 81% | 3% | $78,745 |
| Community Entrepreneurship | 1 | 22 | 82% / 18% | 18% | |
| Entrepreneurship and Innovation | 1 | 17 | 41% / 59% | 0% | $243,976 |
| Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 1 | 15 | 73% / 27% | 20% | |
| Nonprofit Administration | 1 | 12 | 8% / 92% | 0% | $81,724 |
| Nonprofit Leadership and Management | 1 | 11 | 9% / 91% | 0% | $106,642 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management | 2 | 8 | 12% / 88% | 12% | $101,476 |
| Entrepreneurial Studies | 1 | 8 | 25% / 75% | 12% | $60,030 |
| Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations | 1 | 5 | 80% / 20% | 0% | $117,387 |
| Nonprofit Leadership | 1 | 5 | 0% / 100% | 0% | $73,364 |
| Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations | 3 | 3 | 100% / 0% | 0% | |
| Small Business | 1 | 2 | 50% / 50% | 0% |