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ISU and UIowa named top entrepreneurship schools by Princeton Review

November 18, 2022

The Princeton Review announced this week the results of its annual ranking of undergraduate and graduate schools for entrepreneurship studies.

Iowa State University and the University of Iowa both made the list of top 50 undergraduate schools, ranking at no. 11 and no. 22, respectively.

Iowa State ranked 11th in the nation in The Princeton Review’s 2023 annual survey of undergraduate schools for entrepreneurship studies. It’s the third year Iowa State has maintained this spot after jumping from 26th in 2019.

“Iowa State undergraduate students have access to quality entrepreneurship courses and programs in every corner of our campus, and it is this collective variety of experiences that makes our program one of the best. We have worked incredibly hard to achieve this prestigious ranking, and we are thrilled to rank #11 in the country three years in a row,” said Judi Eyles, director of the ISU Pappajohn Center in a news release.

The University of Iowa ranked no. 22, jumping up six spots from 28th in 2021.

The results are based on a survey the education services company conducted in the summer of 2022 of nearly 300 schools with entrepreneurship offerings, The Princeton Review‘s ranking tallies took into account more than 40 data points about the schools. The 60-question survey included questions on: the percentage of faculty, students, and alumni actively and successfully involved in entrepreneurial endeavors; the number and reach of mentorship programs; scholarships and grants for entrepreneurial studies; and the level of support for school-sponsored business plan competitions.

This year, The Princeton Reviewalso tallied sub-lists that name the schools among the 100 overall that ranked highest within their regions: Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, West, and International.

Iowa State ranks no. 4 in the Midwest, with the University of Iowa ranking no. 7 in the Midwest.

ISU and UIowa named top entrepreneurship schools by Princeton Review | Clay & Milk

A central Iowa ag-tech accelerator has secured more backers and finally has a name. The Greater Des Moines Partnership first announced the accelerator last year, naming four initial investors. On Monday, the Partnership said the program will be called the "Iowa AgriTech Accelerator" and named three new investors. The new investors include Grinnell Mutual, Kent Corp. and Sukup Manufacturing, all Iowa companies. They join investors Deere & Co., Peoples Co., Farmers Mutual Hail Insurance Co. and DuPont Pioneer. Each investor has agreed to put up $100,000 for the first year of the accelerator. Startups entering the program will receive $40,000 in seed funding in exchange for 6 percent equity. Tej Dhawan, an angel investor and local startup mentor, is serving as interim director until the AgriTech Accelerator names a permanent leader. Dhawan held a similar role with the GIA before Brian Hemesath was named as managing director. As interim director, Dhawan said his main job includes hiring the accelerator's executive director, establishing a business structure and initial recruiting for the first cohort. The accelerator will place few filters, such as location and product, on the applicant pool, Dhawan said. "When you’re seeking innovation, innovation can come from every corner of the world so why restrict ourselves," he said. One area the the AgriTech Accelerator won't recruit from is biotech. For its first cohort, the AgriTech Accelerator will work out of the GIA's space in Des Moines' East Village, Dhawan said. A future, permanent home is still to be decided. The accelerator's program will host startups from mid-July through mid-October, ending with an event connected to the annual World Food Prize. The GIA, which the AgriTech Accelerator is based on, also ends with presentations at an industry event. The accelerator has also started lining up a mentor pool. The Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association have agreed to provide mentors, as has Iowa State University. While the AgriTech Accelerator is loosely based off of the GIA, it will differ in its business structure, Dhawan said. The GIA runs through a for-profit model for both operations and its investment fund. The AgriTech Accelerator will have a nonprofit model for its operations and a for-profit setup for its fund. Dhawan said the nonprofit model is being used so the accelerator can better work with other nonprofit partners, such as trade associations. "These are all organizations that are nonprofits and can be amazing stakeholders without ever having to be investors in the accelerator," he said. "It becomes easier to work with trade associations in their nonprofit role when we are also a nonprofit." When it's up and running, the AgriTech Accelerator would be one of a handful of ag-focused startup development programs in Iowa. Others include the Ag Startup Engine out of Iowa State University and the Rural Ventures Alliance from Iowa MicroLoan. Matthew Patane is the managing editor and co-founder of Clay & Milk. Send him an email at mpatane@clayandmilk.com.

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