Lincoln, Neb.--The University of Nebraska-Lincoln climbed seven spots to rank No. 35 globally in the 2026 Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine list of the Top 50 Undergraduate Entrepreneurship Programs. Nebraska remains the top-ranked university in the state and No. 10 in the Midwest.
The Princeton Review conducted a comprehensive survey in the summer of 2025, collecting data from nearly 300 schools in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. The ranking evaluated each school’s entrepreneurship programs, faculty, student experiences and alumni success using more than 40 data points.
“Jumping seven spots in the global rankings is evidence that our investment in students, faculty and cross-campus entrepreneurship is making a real impact,” said University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold. “At Nebraska, we don’t just teach entrepreneurship, we live it through hands-on innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration and a growing network that empowers students to lead boldly in any industry.”
For the second consecutive year, five programs joined forces to drive the university’s success: The Center for Entrepreneurship, Clifton Strengths Institute Builders Program, Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management and Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts. The Center for Entrepreneurship led the collaborative effort to submit data for the survey.
Over the past year, Nebraska saw a 15 percent increase in the number of students taking entrepreneurship courses, growing from 1,569 to 1,808. The number of entrepreneurship-related courses offered also increased by 11.5 percent, expanding opportunities for students across disciplines to engage in entrepreneurial thinking and practice. Students in entrepreneurship courses now represent 109 of the university’s 120 majors, and 74 percent of the faculty who teach them have started, run or bought a business, ensuring students learn directly from experienced entrepreneurs.
Megan Elliott, the Johnny Carson Endowed Director in Emerging Media Arts, noted how Nebraska students are redefining what can be built through entrepreneurship.
“Our students are working across disciplines from filmmaking to alternate reality games and extended reality to social impact and virtual production,” Elliott said. “At Nebraska, our students are not just launching businesses, they’re launching movements, cultural experiences and new forms of storytelling that shape how we engage with the world.”
For more on the ranking, visit https://go.unl.edu/zfy2.
