For the third consecutive year, the publication ranks the university's undergraduate entrepreneurship program among the top five in the country, this year fifth behind Babson College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Southern California and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Ball State is the only public university in the top five.

The news magazine also lists Ball State's campus-wide, interdisciplinary efforts to assist students with the transition from high school to college as a "program to look for" in the first-year experiences category.

The rankings may be found online at www.usnews.com and will be available on newsstands Aug. 22.                

Ball State President Jo Ann M. Gora said the ranking for the entrepreneurship program is a testament to the university's ability to assist small communities with economic development, engage in research and prepare highly talented students for careers in various business-related fields.

"Our entrepreneurship graduates are bringing a much-needed dynamic to the state's economy," she said. "And, working through our Building Better Communities initiative, faculty and current students are helping communities develop an entrepreneurial climate and small businesses overcome the challenges that impeded startup and growth."

Lynne Richardson, dean of the Miller College of Business, said the entrepreneurship ranking was a clear signal the program is highly respected and valued by peers on a national level.

The rankings are a result of a survey of deans and senior faculty at undergraduate business programs accredited by the Association to Advance College Schools of Business.

"We are delighted that business educators around the country continue to recognize the uniqueness and quality of our entrepreneurship program," Richardson said. "It is a tribute to the entire entrepreneurship team in the Miller College of Business."

Larry Cox, who recently joined the college to lead the entrepreneurship team, said the ranking affirms his decision to join the university as director of the Midwest Entrepreneurial Education Center and as a faculty member.

"The entrepreneurship team is thrilled that our program has once again been ranked among the top five undergraduate programs in the country," Cox said. "This recognition challenges us to continue building on an already successful foundation with new and innovative initiatives that will keep Ball State in this elite group.

"As my father used to tell me, 'success is never final,'" he said. "We will work very hard to maintain and improve upon this position going forward."

Ball State has a number of innovative and award-winning programs that help first-year students succeed at the college level. The majority of these programs were launched in 1997 through the combined efforts of Ball State's Student Affairs and Academic Affairs divisions. Lilly Endowment Inc. provided the initial funding for the programs with a $3 million grant targeted at increasing retention.

"The rankings by U.S. News & World Report certainly point to Ball State's strengths in key areas," Gora said. "Our programs that assist students in successfully making the transition to college set us apart from many of our peers. At the same time, these rankings send a message to parents and students that we are committed to helping our students achieve a high-quality education."

(Note to editors: Gora may be reached for interviews by contacting Glenn Augustine, associate director of university communications, at ggaugustine@bsu.edu or (765) 285-1560. Richardson may be reached at lrichardson@bsu.edu or (765) 285-8192. Cox may be contacted at lcox@bsu.edu or (765) 285-9002.)