In the magazine's annual ranking of the top specialty programs offered by business schools, Ball State's undergraduate entrepreneurship program is seventh, ahead of such notable business schools as University of Michigan, Indiana University, University of Maryland, University of Virginia and Case Western Reserve University.

It is the highest ranking of any Indiana college offering an undergraduate degree program in entrepreneurship.

Ball State's graduate entrepreneurship program was ranked 20th by the magazine when it released its survey of graduate programs in mid-August. The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University-Bloomington was the only other state school in the top 20 at 17th.

"These rankings demonstrate the prestige that our program has among the deans of the top business schools who are polled," said Donald F. Kuratko, the Stoops Distinguished Professor of Business and founding director of the Entrepreneurship Program. "It is extremely gratifying to see almost two decades of work be continually recognized by our peers as one of the best."

"The ranking for our entrepreneurship programs is a reflection of our most outstanding academic strengths," said Lynne Richardson, dean of the Ball State College of Business. "Entrepreneurship will continue to play a dominant role in America's economy. I am pleased the college is graduating outstanding future business leaders."

The magazine released its specialty rankings of undergraduate programs late Thursday on its Web site at www.usnews.com, listing only the top four or five universities. The magazine plans to add new categories and a more detailed list of rankings in the coming weeks.

The newsstand book, America's Best Colleges, which contains all of the U.S. News college rankings, is slated to go on sale Sept. 10. Many of the rankings and some of the articles from the book will be in the Sept. 17 issue of U.S. News & World Report, which also goes on sale Sept. 10.