2007 Top Colleges for Entrepreneurs

Several factors set Babson apart as a great training ground for entrepreneurship. The university boasts a business incubator as well as a required first-year course in new venture creation at the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship. Students receive up to $3,000 in startup capital to launch a real business and donate profits to charity. Those launching businesses can also apply to live in the E-Tower, a residential floor where students eat, breathe and sleep entrepreneurship.

Babson's incubator helped Reagan Pollack, a 2007 graduate, launch WorldMusicLink Corp., an online portal that connects music industry professionals with artists and provides tools to help artists better manage their own business affairs. A transfer student and musician himself, Pollack was attracted to Babson's curriculum as well as the strength of the alumni network. "I loved the fact that the professors spoke from their experience," says Pollack, 22, who recently moved to Carmel, California. Starting with subscription fees, Pollack hopes to build his company's following and then grow with advertising and rewards programs, pushing first-year projections to $2 million.

These successful entrepreneurs supercharged their businesses with the right training--and so can you. Finding the perfect program is the first step. Ask targeted questions, dream big and seek answers from those who've gone before you. For example, Solo-mon recommends you ask, "What does the program do? What is its major purpose? How does that translate into a useful experience?" "Teaching entrepreneurship gives you a pair of glasses so that you look at life differently," he says. "While other people see obstacles, you see opportunity."

While there are many familiar names on the 2007 list, 12 new graduate and nine new undergraduate programs grace our latest ranking. Robert Franek of The Princeton Review attributes this to the increase in the number of schools that participated in this year's survey. In addition, reader feedback and the suggestions from the new advisory board members (several universities' program directors), were considered in evaluating and refining the survey. "We revisit all survey questions each year to ensure that we collect clear, concise and appropriate data," he says. "New questions allowed for more program-specific elements to come to the surface." As we received more specific information on unique programs, says Franek, the list changed from last year. "With a quick look, students will find smaller private [schools] and larger public [schools]--a great cross section of schools throughout the country. Each of the schools on these lists is exceptional. By detailing their uniqueness we better help students find the program best suited for them." The end result is essential information prospective students can actively use as they research entrepreneurial programs. "A more important service," Franek adds, "would be difficult to match."

Franek advises using this list as a jumping-off point for when you meet admissions counselors, deans of business schools or current students at your target schools. "When you visit that campus, you will be a savvier shopper able to ask some substantive and pointed questions."

Honorable Mentions They may not have made the list, but these stellar schools are all standouts.

Harvard: A renowned business center, close to 50 percent of Harvard Business School alumni become entrepreneurs. Kennesaw State University:Students learn about running the family business at the Cox Family Enterprise Center. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis:Students receive up to $15,000 to launch a business, donating profits back to the university. Saint Louis University :One of the first 25 entrepreneurship centers in the country, it focuses on social entrepreneurship. Stanford: A focus on mentoring anchors this program. Noteworthy is the Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society, a global network of entrepreneurial students. Texas Christian University :Boasts one of the largest Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization chapters, with more than 350 members. University of Illinois , Chicago:Home of the first chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization University of Pennsylvania:Wharton lays claim to the Sol C. Snider Entrepreneurial Research Center, where researchers study economies in countries like China, South Africa and the U.S. Wake Forest University :The well-known Elevator Competition requires students to pitch VCs in two minutes. Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Entrepreneurs guide students in building their businesses within the Venture Mentoring Service.

Click here �for even more details about the top 50 colleges that made our list, plus information on unranked schools offering entrepreneurial programs.