The Best Master's in Entrepreneurship in Florida for 2026
The best master's in entrepreneurship in Florida spans a wide cost range once you line up public and private options side by side. We analyzed 8 entrepreneurship programs across the state on graduation rate, admission selectivity, cost, and outcomes to build this ranking, and the spread is the first thing worth understanding before you pick one. In-state tuition among the ranked entrepreneurship programs runs from $4,191 to $37,500, and the cheapest strong-value option, Florida Gulf Coast University, charges $4,191 while still posting a graduation rate that beats several pricier private schools.
That range matters because a single "typical tuition" number would mislead you here. The ranked set mixes public universities charging a few thousand dollars a year against private entrepreneurship programs charging tens of thousands more, and the average graduation rate across all 8 entrepreneurship programs lands at 68 percent, a figure pulled down by some of the priciest schools on the list, not the cheapest ones. What follows breaks down how we scored these entrepreneurship programs, what a master's actually costs once you factor in that range, and how to read accreditation, format, and career outcomes before you apply.
Key Takeaways on the Best Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida
- We ranked 8 entrepreneurship programs in Florida on graduation rate, selectivity, cost, and outcomes to find the best master's in entrepreneurship in Florida.
- In-state tuition among the ranked programs spans $4,191 to $37,500, an almost 9x gap between the cheapest and priciest options.
- Florida Gulf Coast University is the cheapest strong-value pick at $4,191 in-state tuition among the entrepreneurship programs we scored.
- The average graduation rate across the 8 ranked entrepreneurship programs is 68%, with a high of 91% and a low of 44%.
- Public entrepreneurship programs in this ranking cluster under $4,700 in-state tuition; private options range from roughly $20,900 to $37,500.
- Top executives and managers, the closest BLS-tracked occupation for many entrepreneurship graduates, report a national median salary of $123,835.
Each school's Hakia Score is built from four weighted factors, graduation rate, admission selectivity, net cost, and post-graduation outcomes, pulled from U.S. Dept. of Education IPEDS institutional data and cross-checked against BLS wage data for the occupations entrepreneurship graduates most often enter, so the ranking reflects verifiable outcomes rather than reputation alone.
The 8 Best Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida, Ranked for 2026
| # | Program | Type | In-state tuition | Grad rate | Admit rate | Hakia Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL · online option | Public | $4,640 | 86% | 24% | 96.2 |
| 2 | University of FloridaGainesville, FL | Public | $4,477 | 91% | 24% | 91.6 |
| 3 | University of South FloridaTampa, FL | Public | $4,559 | 77% | 43% | 85.0 |
| 4 | The University of TampaTampa, FL | Nonprofit | $32,096 | 64% | 40% | 79.9 |
| 5 | Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL | Nonprofit | $37,500 | 63% | 73% | 72.3 |
| 6 | Florida Gulf Coast UniversityFort Myers, FL | Public | $4,191 | 57% | 63% | 71.0 |
| 7 | Everglades UniversityBoca Raton, FL · online option | Nonprofit | $20,880 | 61% | 81% | 66.0 |
| 8 | Full Sail UniversityWinter Park, FL · online option | For-profit | $26,906 | 44% | Open | 60.1 |
Open — open-admission school: it admits every qualified applicant, so IPEDS collects no admit rate.
Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida, Compared by Score
Each program scores 0 to 100 on the Hakia Score, a composite of graduation rate, cost, selectivity, and outcomes. Longer bars rank higher.
A Closer Look at the Top Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public · online option
- Grad rate
- 86%
- Admit rate
- 24%
- In-state
- $4,640
- Out-of-state
- $19,084
FSU's Jim Moran College leads Florida's entrepreneurship master's programs with a Hakia Score of 96.2, an 86% graduation rate, and in-state tuition of just $4,640 across four specialized MS majors.
- 86% graduation rate
- $4,640 in-state tuition
- Hakia Score 96.2
- 4 specialized MS majors, 2 offered online part-time
FSU's Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship offers a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship split across four majors: Product Development, Creative Arts, Hospitality, and Social and Sustainable Enterprises. The Creative Arts and Hospitality majors run online and part-time, built for working artists, musicians, and hospitality professionals who want to build a business around the work they already do. A separate MS in Fashion, Merchandising, and Product Development covers Textile and Apparel Entrepreneurship, and a Graduate Certificate in Entrepreneurship lets students from any college on campus add entrepreneurial coursework to their own degree. Admission requires a bachelor's or graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution and an upper-division GPA of 3.0.
The program tops Florida's entrepreneurship master's rankings with a Hakia Score of 96.2, built on an 86% graduation rate and a 24% admit rate, tying UF as the most selective option on this list. In-state tuition runs $4,640 a year; out-of-state students pay $19,084, more than four times as much. That gap makes FSU the clear pick for Florida residents, and even its out-of-state rate beats UF's out-of-state tuition of $25,694 and Tampa's flat $32,096. With online, part-time formats in two of its four majors, the program fits working professionals in creative or hospitality fields as well as full-time students.
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
- Grad rate
- 91%
- Admit rate
- 24%
- In-state
- $4,477
- Out-of-state
- $25,694
UF's Warrington College posts the highest graduation rate in Florida's entrepreneurship master's field at 91%, with in-state tuition of $4,477 and no GMAT or GRE required.
- 91% graduation rate, highest of the 8 programs here
- $4,477 in-state tuition
- Hakia Score 91.6
- no GMAT/GRE required, 1-year full-time option
UF's Warrington College of Business runs the Thomas S. Johnson Master of Science in Entrepreneurship as an on-campus, immersive program built around 7-week modules in fall and spring and 6-week modules in summer. The degree takes 32 credit hours: one year full-time or two years part-time. No GMAT or GRE is required to apply. Students travel to Silicon Valley, Austin, or Boulder over spring or fall break to meet founders and venture capitalists and get hands-on exposure to pitching, with additional access to on-campus incubators, faculty mentors, and startup competitions. The school reports a #26 national ranking, #8 among public programs, for graduate entrepreneurship from U.S. News & World Report's 2024 rankings.
UF posts a Hakia Score of 91.6, second in Florida, built on the strongest graduation rate of all 8 programs here at 91%, alongside a 24% admit rate that ties FSU as the most selective option. In-state tuition is $4,477 a year, the lowest among Florida's top three public research universities in this ranking; out-of-state tuition is $25,694, nearly six times that rate. The one-year full-time timeline and no-test-score requirement make this a fast, low-barrier path for Florida residents who want to launch a venture or move into startup work without taking a year off to study for the GMAT.
University of South Florida
Tampa, FL · Public
- Grad rate
- 77%
- Admit rate
- 43%
- In-state
- $4,559
- Out-of-state
- $15,473
USF's Nault Center is the most accessible top program in Florida, admitting 43% of applicants into a 30 credit-hour, AACSB-accredited degree that stacks with the MBA.
- 77% graduation rate
- 43% admit rate, most accessible of Florida's top three public universities here
- $4,559 in-state tuition
- AACSB-accredited, dual-degree option with the MBA
USF's Nault Center for Entrepreneurship offers a 30 credit-hour Master of Science in Entrepreneurship in Applied Technologies, with evening classes on the Tampa campus and some sections offered online. Most students finish in one to two years, though the program can be completed in a concentrated 12 months with the right advising. It can be paired as a dual degree with the MBA or with programs in biomedical engineering, biotechnology, and global sustainability. The program is accredited by AACSB and by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Two graduate certificates, Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship and Life Science Entrepreneurship, stack directly into the degree.
USF carries a Hakia Score of 85, third in Florida, with a 77% graduation rate and a 43% admit rate, the most accessible among Florida's top three public research universities in this ranking. In-state tuition is $4,559 a year; out-of-state tuition is $15,473, about 3.4 times as much but still the lowest out-of-state rate on this list. The evening schedule and dual-degree options make this the fit for working professionals, especially engineers and scientists who want to commercialize technology, or for anyone who wants an MBA and an entrepreneurship credential without taking on two separate degrees.
The University of Tampa
Tampa, FL · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 64%
- Admit rate
- 40%
- In-state
- $32,096
- Out-of-state
- $32,096
The University of Tampa's Lowth Center charges a flat $32,096 regardless of residency, nearly seven times FSU's in-state rate, for direct access to its own incubator and accelerator.
- 64% graduation rate
- $32,096 flat tuition, same in-state or out-of-state
- Hakia Score 79.9
- direct access to UT's incubator and accelerator programs
The University of Tampa's Lowth Entrepreneurship Center houses the Sykes College of Business's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship, an experiential program built around eight core courses: Preparing for the Entrepreneurial Journey, Creativity and Innovation for Entrepreneurs, Selecting and Developing a Business Model, New Venture Finance, Entrepreneurial Marketing, Legal Environment of Entrepreneurial Ventures, Leading and Managing New Ventures, and Communicating with Investors and Partners. Students work on their own ventures or team up with early-stage companies through UT's incubator and accelerator programs, with a faculty advisor customizing the path to each student's goals, building toward a real pitch to investors.
UT posts a Hakia Score of 79.9, fourth in Florida, with a 64% graduation rate, the lowest among the top four programs in this ranking, and a 40% admit rate. Tuition is flat at $32,096 whether you live in Florida or out of state, since UT is a private nonprofit with no in-state discount. That is nearly seven times FSU's in-state rate of $4,640 and about $6,400 more than UF's out-of-state rate of $25,694. The tradeoff for that price is direct, hands-on access to a private university's own incubator and accelerator and a customized curriculum, a fit for students who want a small, private program over the lower cost of a public one.
Nova Southeastern University
Fort Lauderdale, FL · Nonprofit
- Grad rate
- 63%
- Admit rate
- 73%
- In-state
- $37,500
- Out-of-state
- $37,500
Nova Southeastern calls itself the only business school in Florida with entrepreneurship in its name, and its 36-45 credit MBA backs that with a 63% graduation rate and five start dates a year.
- Hakia Score 72.3
- 63% graduation rate
- $37,500 flat tuition, no in-state discount
- 36-45 credit MBA with weeknight and synchronous online formats
Nova Southeastern's Entrepreneurship MBA runs through the College of Business and Entrepreneurship as a 36 to 45 credit program, the exact count depending on the undergraduate coursework a student brings in. Classes meet weeknights at the Fort Lauderdale/Davie campus or synchronously online, and the program admits five times a year: August, October, January, March and May. Coursework blends traditional MBA courses with entrepreneurship-specific ones built around feasibility studies, business plans and consulting assignments, taught partly by guest lecturers the school says have run their own successful companies. Nova Southeastern describes itself as the only business school in Florida, and one of the few in the country, with entrepreneurship in its name, and the school reports the program has been ranked among the nation's best by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine.
Nova Southeastern posts a 63% graduation rate and admits 73% of applicants, a relatively open door for this field. As a private university, tuition runs a flat $37,500 whether a student lives in Florida or arrives from out of state, so there is no residency discount to weigh. That mix, a wide-open admit rate, a completion rate in the low 60s and flat five-figure tuition, produces a Hakia Score of 72.3, the highest among the bottom four programs in this ranking. It fits a working South Florida professional who wants evening or synchronous online classes, five entry points a year, and a curriculum taught partly by practicing entrepreneurs rather than a purely academic faculty.
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL · Public
- Grad rate
- 57%
- Admit rate
- 63%
- In-state
- $4,191
- Out-of-state
- $22,328
FGCU's 30-credit MS in Entrepreneurship waives the GMAT for a 3.0 GPA and charges Florida residents $4,191 a year, $18,137 less than the $22,328 out-of-state rate.
- Hakia Score 71
- $4,191 in-state tuition vs. $22,328 out-of-state, an $18,137 gap
- GMAT waived with a 3.0 GPA (last 60 credit hours)
- 30 credit hours, finishable in under 2 years
Florida Gulf Coast University's Master of Science in Entrepreneurship is a 30 credit-hour, interdisciplinary degree that lets students pull graduate coursework from other FGCU departments to build industry-specific knowledge alongside core innovation and venture-building skills. The program waives the GMAT for applicants with a 3.0 GPA across their last 60 credit hours, offers night classes for working students, and is built to finish in under two years. FGCU houses the program in Lucas Hall, home to the Runway Program's mentorship space, the FineMark National Bank Incubator, and the Rist Family Foundation Makerspace, giving students dedicated workspace to build a venture rather than just study one.
FGCU posts a 57% graduation rate and admits 63% of applicants. The bigger number for Florida residents is tuition: $4,191 a year in-state against $22,328 out-of-state, an $18,137 gap for the same 30-credit degree. That mix earns a Hakia Score of 71, just behind Nova Southeastern on this page. It fits a Florida resident who wants a GMAT-free, hands-on program with dedicated incubator space and can finish in under two years; an out-of-state applicant pays more than five times the resident rate for the identical degree.
Everglades University
Boca Raton, FL · Nonprofit · online option
- Grad rate
- 61%
- Admit rate
- 81%
- In-state
- $20,880
- Out-of-state
- $20,880
Everglades University admits 81% of applicants to its online-or-campus Master's in Entrepreneurship, the most accessible published admit rate in this ranking, for a flat $20,880.
- Hakia Score 66
- 81% admit rate, the highest published rate in this ranking
- $20,880 flat tuition, online or on campus
- Online plus five Florida campuses (Boca Raton, Orlando, Miami, Sarasota, Tampa)
Everglades University offers its Master's in Entrepreneurship online or in person, with campuses in Boca Raton, Orlando, Miami, Sarasota and Tampa alongside a dedicated online division. The school positions the degree against the traditional MBA, arguing entrepreneurship graduates learn to work through uncertainty using what it calls effectual reasoning rather than the causal planning an MBA emphasizes. Graduates go on to roles the school lists as small business owner, business manager, administrative manager, HR entrepreneur and marketing lead, among others, spanning well beyond starting a company.
Everglades posts a 61% graduation rate and admits 81% of applicants, the highest admit rate of any program in this ranking that publishes one. Tuition is a flat $20,880 regardless of residency or whether a student studies online or on one of the school's five Florida campuses. That combination gives Everglades a Hakia Score of 66. It fits an applicant who wants the widest choice of format and location in the state, online or in person across five cities, and whose profile might not clear the tighter admissions bar at a more selective public program like FGCU.
Full Sail University
Winter Park, FL · For-profit · online option
- Grad rate
- 44%
- Admit rate
- Open
- In-state
- $26,906
- Out-of-state
- $26,906
Full Sail's fully online Innovation and Entrepreneurship master's opens a new start date roughly every four weeks but graduates just 44% of its students, the lowest completion rate of the 8 Florida programs here.
- Hakia Score 60.1
- 44% graduation rate, the lowest of the 8 programs here
- $26,906 flat tuition
- Fully online MS with rolling start dates and the Project LaunchBox platform
Full Sail University's Innovation and Entrepreneurship master's is a fully online Master of Science built around turning a product idea into a real venture. Coursework covers Creativity and Innovation, Product Design and Development, and Business Model Development, and students work inside Full Sail's Project LaunchBox, a platform that keeps files, multimedia work and coursework accessible around the clock. The program runs on a rolling calendar with start dates roughly every four weeks, and Full Sail notes it received an HR.com LEAD Education Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2021.
Full Sail posts a 44% graduation rate, the lowest of the 8 programs on this page, and the school does not publish an admit rate for this program. Tuition runs a flat $26,906 whether a student lives in Florida or elsewhere, on a campus that enrolls 27,169 students across all Full Sail programs. That completion rate weighs down the program's Hakia Score of 60.1, the lowest of the 8 programs here. It fits someone who wants a fully online, self-paced entry point with frequent start dates and can accept that fewer than half of students who start the program finish it.
What the Best Master's in Entrepreneurship Programs Cost
Cost is where the best master's in entrepreneurship in Florida diverges most sharply. In-state tuition across the 8 ranked entrepreneurship programs runs from $4,191 at Florida Gulf Coast University to $37,500 at Nova Southeastern University, a gap of $33,309 for what is nominally the same credential. Florida State University, the top-ranked entrepreneurship program in this analysis, charges $4,640, and the University of Florida charges $4,477, both public schools posting graduation rates above 85%. That combination, low cost and high completion, is why public options anchor the top of this ranking.
Do the math on the private side and the gap gets harder to ignore. Nova Southeastern's $37,500 in-state tuition is roughly 9x Florida Gulf Coast's $4,191, yet the national median salary for management occupations, the field most entrepreneurship graduates land in, is the same $123,835 regardless of which school's diploma is on the wall. If a two-year master's costs $8,382 in total tuition at Florida Gulf Coast versus $75,000 at Nova Southeastern, the cheaper degree pays for itself in under a month of gross pay at that national median salary, while the pricier one needs roughly seven months of gross pay just to cover tuition. That's not a knock on any single school, it's a reason to read the full ranking before assuming a bigger price tag buys a better outcome.
Do You Need a License to Work in Entrepreneurship?
Unlike accounting or law, there's no board exam or state license required to start or run a business, and none of the entrepreneurship programs in this ranking are built around one. What signals competence instead is the degree itself, the school's accreditation, and a track record of graduates who go on to found, buy, or run companies. Employers hiring entrepreneurship program graduates into management tracks are evaluating coursework, internships, and often a capstone venture plan, not a licensure credential.
Where formal credentials do show up is downstream, in the roles entrepreneurship graduates move into. Someone who becomes a controller still needs a CPA license from their state board; someone who moves into wealth management may sit for the CFA exam. But for the entrepreneurship master's itself, the BLS Occupational Outlook for Top Executives, an occupation category many entrepreneurship graduates enter, confirms this: the credential that matters at hiring time is the degree and the accreditation behind it, not a licensing exam.
Why Accreditation Matters for Master's in Entrepreneurship Programs
AACSB accreditation is the standard worth checking for the best master's in entrepreneurship in Florida. AACSB Accreditation is held by fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide, and it signals that a school's entrepreneurship programs meet standards for faculty qualifications, curriculum rigor, and continuous improvement that unaccredited programs don't have to clear. Florida State, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida, the top three in this ranking, are all large public research universities with established AACSB-accredited business schools.
Accreditation status is one of the fastest ways to screen entrepreneurship programs before you apply. It won't tell you whether a program's specific entrepreneurship track fits your goals, but it does confirm the institution has been externally reviewed against a common standard, something a glossy admissions page can't substitute for. When you're comparing programs that differ in price by tens of thousands of dollars, accreditation is a baseline check, not the whole decision.
Master's vs. Other Entrepreneurship Credentials
This ranking focuses on the master's level because that's where entrepreneurship programs concentrate the coursework employers and investors actually weight, venture finance, growth strategy, and applied venture plans, beyond what an undergraduate business degree covers. A bachelor's in entrepreneurship or a general business degree gets you fundamentals; the master's adds depth in areas like new venture funding and scaling operations that most bachelor's programs only touch briefly.
Some schools also offer entrepreneurship certificates or concentrations bolted onto an MBA rather than a standalone entrepreneurial studies degree. Those can be a faster, cheaper way to add an entrepreneurship focus if you already hold a business master's, but they don't carry the same weight as a dedicated master's on a resume or in an investor pitch. We ranked standalone master's programs here because they're the credential most directly comparable across the 8 schools on cost, graduation rate, and outcomes.
Online and Accelerated Master's in Entrepreneurship Programs
Format flexibility varies a lot across these programs. Larger public schools like Florida State and the University of Florida tend to run traditional cohort-based formats alongside part-time options, while some of the private schools in this ranking, including Full Sail University, are built around accelerated and online-first delivery. If you're working full time while building a venture, an accelerated format can shave a year or more off a traditional two-year timeline.
Online entrepreneurship programs fit people who already have a business idea and need the credential without relocating or leaving a job, but the tradeoff shows up in the numbers. Full Sail's graduation rate of 44% is the lowest of the 8 programs we scored, a reminder that accelerated and online formats demand real self-discipline even when the coursework itself is strong. Weigh the convenience of an online entrepreneurship program against a school's actual completion track record, not just its marketing.
Salary and Job Outlook After an Entrepreneurship Master's Degree
An entrepreneurship degree doesn't lead to one job title, it leads to a range of paths: founding a company, joining a family business, working in corporate innovation, or moving into general management. The closest tracked category is BLS Management Occupations, where the national median salary is $123,835. That figure is the same across every school in this ranking, since it's a national BLS number, not a school-specific outcome, so treat it as context for the field, not a promise tied to any one entrepreneurship program.
What does vary by school is what you pay to get there. Someone earning that $123,835 median salary after graduating from Florida Gulf Coast has recovered their $4,191 in-state tuition in under two weeks of gross pay. The same graduate from Nova Southeastern needs closer to three and a half months of that salary just to cover the $37,500 tuition bill. Both paths can lead to the same title and the same national salary figure; they don't cost the same to get there, which is exactly why the cost section of this ranking matters as much as the outcomes section.
Common Questions About Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida
How long does a master's in entrepreneurship take to complete?
Is an online master's in entrepreneurship respected by employers?
How much do master's in entrepreneurship programs cost in Florida?
Do I need a license or certification to work in entrepreneurship?
What accreditation should I look for in an entrepreneurship program?
What's a good graduation rate for an entrepreneurship program?
What can you do with a master's in entrepreneurship?
Is a master's in entrepreneurship worth the cost?
Our Methodology for Ranking Entrepreneurship Master's Programs in Florida
Every program earns a Hakia Score from 0 to 100, built only from federal data (IPEDS, the U.S. Department of Education, and BLS) and scored against its true peers: programs in the same field at the same degree level. No reputation surveys, no pay-to-play. Here is how the score is weighted:
- Outcomes44%
Graduation rate (26%) and real per-school graduate earnings (18%). Does the program get students to the finish line, and where do they land?
- Selectivity & academics38%
Admissions selectivity (24%) and the academic profile of admitted students (14%).
- Scale & value18%
Enrollment (7%), cost-to-earnings value (6%), and the number of graduates a program produces (5%).
Weights renormalize over the data each program actually reports, so a school missing a metric (many open-access colleges do not publish entrance scores or earnings) is never penalized for it. Scores are percentiles within the peer group, curved to a 0-to-100 scale. What the score does not measure: individual instructor quality, specific course content, or campus culture. Verify those directly with the program.