MUNCIE, Ind. -- The College of Business graduate entrepreneurship program at Ball State University has been recognized as one of the best for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The August 1998 issue of "Success" magazine ranks Ball State's entrepreneurship program as the 17th best in the country. It is the fifth year in a row the program has been listed in the publication's top 25. No other college or university in Indiana or Mid-American Conference made the top 25 list.

"This is a tremendous honor for the program," said Donald F. Kuratko, founding director of the Entrepreneurship Program and the Stoops Distinguished Professor of Business. "We have worked hard to make it one of the best in the country.

"Our graduates should be proud that they have participated in a program that is nationally recognized," he said. "We can only strive to continue our national stature."

The University of Southern California is the magazine's top school, followed by DePaul, Pennsylvania, UCLA, Arizona, St. Louis, Louisville, Texas, Case Western Reserve, Maryland, Stanford and Northwestern.

Ball State finished ahead of MIT, Columbia, Brigham Young, Cornell, Colorado, San Diego State, Babson and Harvard.

"These are very impressive schools that we are being associated with," Kuratko said. "I believe this is an incredible feat for Ball State University to be ranked ahead of Harvard, MIT, and Cornell in one academic area.

"Now when people think about entrepreneurship, they talk about Ball State right up there with Harvard, MIT, USC and UCLA," he said. "When we started the program in 1984, only six similar programs were offered around the country. Today, there are more than 500. To be in the top 20 every year is a major accomplishment."

The magazine's experts evaluated schools in five areas, including quality of curriculum, strength of faculty, support for students, caliber of students and overall entrepreneurial muscle.

The survey was changed in 1998 with the addition of new questions and a new scoring system to give greater recognition to schools whose programs directly foster new business creation. Schools also scored additional points for programs that developed venture-capital funds to support student businesses or created business incubators.

The program focus at Ball State centers around the school's "New Venture Creation" course. Students must have a business plan approved by a group of financial experts. A passing grade means graduation with a diploma. If a student fails, they must retake the course the next year, or return to school for another major. Also, the publication listed the launching of a venture-capital fund at Ball State to assist student start-ups.

The magazine listed a "Wow Factor" for each of the top 20 schools with the Entrepreneurship Program receiving raves for broadcasting MBA courses to 71 locations via interactive television.

(NOTE TO EDITORS: For more information, contact Kuratko by E-mail at dkuratko@bsu.edu or by phone at 765-285-5327.)