Western University has been ranked among the top 50 entrepreneurship schools in the world for undergraduate and MBA students by PitchBook, a financial data company that tracks the progress of start-ups and venture capital-backed businesses.
PitchBook's annual university rankings compare schools based on the number of alumni entrepreneurs who have raised venture capital in the last decade. The rankings are powered by PitchBook data and are based on an analysis of more than 173,000 founders.
In the 2025 ranking, Western placed 40th in the world for undergraduate alumni entrepreneurs who have raised venture capital over the last 10 years. One of just seven Canadian universities on the list, Western placed above prestigious institutions around the world such as Oxford, Cambridge, Purdue, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown.
"Our success in PitchBook's ranking confirms what we've known for a long time - our alumni are highly successful leaders and innovators," said Western President Alan Shepard. "They drive solutions, create capital and inspire teams to turn challenges into opportunities. We're proud that many also pay it forward by mentoring students and young alumni as well as supporting their communities."
The ranking assessed the amount of funding secured by 407 alumni entrepreneurs over the last decade, including Western graduates such as 1Password founder David Teare, BSc 00, Wealthsimple CEO Michael Katchen, HBA 09 and Turnstone Biologics co-founder David Stojdl, BSc 92, MSc 94.
Western was also listed 30th in the world for producing female founders who have raised venture capital during the past decade. Entrepreneurs in this category include Arteria AI CEO Shelby Austin, LLB 05, TARA Biosystems co-founder Yimu Zhao, BESc 08, LVRG co-founder Shanna McEachern, BSc 13 and Oolu co-founder Nilmi Senaratna, BSc 11, MES 12.
PitchBook's MBA and graduate rankings placed Western 49th and 98th, respectively.
The MBA ranking included Andrew Waitman, MBA 92, chairman and former CEO of Assent Compliance, Flexiti founder Peter Kalen, HBA 95, MBA 01 and Mauricio Di Bartolomeo, HBA 07, MBA 10, founder of Ledn Cayman SEZC. Alumni cited from other Western graduate programs include Juvenescence co-founder Dr. Gregory Bailey, MD 81, and Substack co-founder Hamish McKenzie, MA 06.
"These rankings don't represent an overnight success. It shows the consistent impact our alumni entrepreneurs have been making across industries around the world," said Eric Morse, executive director of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey.
"What the rankings do show is that entrepreneurs come from every discipline, and at Western, we are committed to giving students from every faculty the opportunity to discover their entrepreneurial potential." - Eric Morse, executive director of the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey
Entrepreneurship's past and future
Entrepreneurship is a key priority for Western.
Last fall, the university opened the new Ronald D. Schmeichel Building for Entrepreneurship and Innovation last fall, bringing all of Western's signature entrepreneurship programs under one roof, including Morrissette's range of incubators, accelerator programs and networks.
The 2024 opening made Western one of the few global academic institutions to have a building dedicated to entrepreneurship, fully equipped with state-of-the-art makerspaces open to students from all faculties. These resources are supported by courses, certificate programs and extra-curricular programs available to students across campus, allowing them to build start-ups, receive mentorship and raise funding for their ventures.
It builds on a 30-year legacy of teaching entrepreneurship, first through the Ivey Business School and advanced thanks to the vision of faculty and alumni, including Pierre L. Morrissette, MBA 72, founder of Pelmorex Media (parent company of the Weather Network), who named the Pierre L. Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship (currently known as the Morrissette Institute for Entrepreneurship, Powered by Ivey).
"At Western, we are building one of the most comprehensive entrepreneurship programs in the world. A program that's supported by academic courses ranging from ideation to managing high-growth companies, access to makerspaces, close to $1 million in scholarships and awards, a network of 200 mentors, pitch competitions and other experiential programs - all supported by one of the largest entrepreneurship research faculty groups in the world," Morse said.
