Houston Universities Dominate Global Entrepreneurship Rankings for 7th Straight Year

If you have big dreams of starting your own business, two Houston universities have been named the best places in all of North America and Europe to get an education.

The Princeton Review's 20th Annual Rankings

The Princeton Review's 20th annual rankings named the top 50 undergraduate and top 50 graduate schools offering the best programs in entrepreneurship studies for 2026.

The University of Houston is #1 for undergraduate schools, while Rice University claimed the top spot for graduate schools.

"The colleges and universities that made our lists for 2026 are truly exceptional," said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review's editor in chief. "We strongly recommend these schools to students aspiring to become entrepreneurs."

This is the seventh straight year that UH and Rice have been at the top of the rankings.

"Their entrepreneurship studies programs have robust experiential components. Their faculties are outstanding. Their students have access to extraordinary mentors and networking contacts that will serve them well into their careers," Franek added.

Entrepreneur magazine has a 15-page article on the universities in its November-December issue.

UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship

The Princeton Review cited a variety of classes, affordability, research and academic opportunities, and a vast alumni network among the reasons the Wolff Center in UH's Bauer College of Business topped the list.

"Its location in the corporate center of Houston, where the opportunities that are provided are immense," the review said. "This built-in real-world experience is buoyed by the dedication and expertise of the career advisors at this institution, who have significantly contributed to students' success in navigating their professional paths."

The Wolff Center's continued success underscores its ability to transform students into service-minded entrepreneurial leaders.

"Entrepreneurs fuel job creation, innovations and community development, which makes this No. 1 ranking so impactful," said UH President Renu Khator. "We're not only graduating students from a prestigious program, we're elevating the city, state and beyond."

Founded in 1991, recent Wolff Center program highlights include:

• 89 majors enrolled last year
• 52 entrepreneurship-related undergraduate courses offered last year
• 670 mentors involved last year
• 1,121 businesses launched by entrepreneurial graduates from 2015-24
• $1 billion fundraised by program participants to jump-start their businesses over the past decade
• Over $25 million received from donors in the last decade

Rice Business School

Rice University credits its continuing success to the business school's "enduring commitment to innovation, venture creation and the cultivation of an entrepreneurial environment to build talent."

The private school cites these primary reasons behind the No. 1 ranking for the Rice Business School:

• Specialized curriculum: "Rice Business offers one of the country's most comprehensive entrepreneurship specializations within its MBA program, enabling students to focus deeply on venture creation, startup strategy and growth-oriented leadership."
• Robust entrepreneurial ecosystem: "The university's entrepreneurial ecosystem provides direct access to mentors, investor networks, seed funding and pitch competitions."
• Location advantage: "Rice students benefit from proximity to corporate headquarters, energy-technology hubs, venture capital activity and a vibrant startup scene — fueling live-deal experience and networking opportunities."
• Student-driven success: "Each graduating cohort leaves with not only a degree but exposure to launching, scaling or working in high-growth ventures. The interplay of coursework, experiential programs and community engagement fosters an entrepreneurial mindset."

"Earning this top ranking once is a milestone, but achieving it seven years straight is unprecedented and speaks volumes about our community, our curriculum, our programs, our faculty and our students," said Peter Rodriguez, dean of Rice Business.

"To continue the legacy we've created, we need to lean into our entrepreneurial mindset even more to push boundaries, support bold ideas and reinvent what's possible," added Yael Hochberg, head of the Rice Entrepreneurship Initiative. "Innovation is part of our DNA. It's the standard we hold ourselves to every single day."