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USF Entrepreneurship Program in National Rankings

USF is the only Florida university included in Entrepreneur magazine's nationwide roster.

Tampa, Fla (September 19, 2013) - A nationwide survey funded by the Kauffman Foundation reveals that Millennials are enthusiastic about entrepreneurship: 54 percent of them either want to start a business or have already started one. And, according to rankings released today by Entrepreneur magazine and the Princeton Review, USF is the best place in the Southeast to study entrepreneurship.

USF's graduate program is the only Florida university included in the new rankings of the nation's best entrepreneurship education programs. The graduate program is ranked No. 17 overall, is the only university in the Southeast on the roster, is the ninth highest rated program among public universities, and has been ranked on the Top 25 list for the five consecutive years.

USF's Michael Fountain, who heads the Center for Entrepreneurship, said USF's program is exceptional because of its interdisciplinary program and hands-on learning opportunities. The center offers opportunities for graduate students in the fields of business, engineering, health sciences, and sustainability. More than 100 new ventures have been launched by graduates of USF's Center for Entrepreneurship, demonstrating the Kauffman survey's finding that Millennials embrace the concept of owning their own business.

While the program's mission is to equip students with the skills to become successful leaders in new businesses, Fountain said the program offers students who work in the corporate world opportunities to strengthen their performance, too.

"Entrepreneurship is not always about simply starting a business," he said. "We train students who want to work in the corporate world, too, and we help foster the kind of thinking that intrapreneurs — people who think like entrepreneurs but work for traditional businesses — need to thrive," Fountain said.

USF Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem noted that USF is among the youngest universities on Entrepreneur's 2013 roster. "We are keeping excellent company," he said, pointing out that Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of Virginia, and the University of Chicago were all highly ranked. "Fifteen long-established universities that are part of the prestigious American Association of Universities are included on the graduate programs roster," he said, adding, "USF ranked higher than 13 of them."

The Princeton Review, a leading provider of educational services, surveyed more than 2,000 institutions to compile the rankings. Schools were evaluated based on key criteria in the areas of academics and requirements, students and faculty, and outside-the-classroom experiences. The rankings will be published in Entrepreneur magazine's October issue, available on newsstands September 24. The top entrepreneurship program lists, information about survey methodology, and profiles for the top schools are posted on The Princeton Review's website at www.princetonreview.com/entrepreneur.