The University of Virginia Darden School of Business has recently received two Top 10 rankings in entrepreneurship: 1) No. 7 overall in the Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine’s global ranking of graduate entrepreneurship programs (No. 5 for public school) and 2) No. 9 globally in Poets and Quants’ 2026 global rankings of MBA programs for entrepreneurship (No. 3 U.S. public school).
Darden’s general management MBA is uniquely suited to support entrepreneurially-minded students — whether through venture creation, entrepreneurship through acquisition or entrepreneurship and innovation frameworks.
We are proud to champion current and future entrepreneurs, who have resources and support at their fingertips through the funding opportunities and expert networks of the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology.
About the Batten Institute, a Darden Center of Excellence
The Batten Institute seeks to challenge every Darden student to fulfill their entrepreneurial potential through transformational learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom.
Student support includes scholarships, classes, workshops, competitions, internships, fellowships, funding for venture exploration and hands-on learning opportunities in entrepreneurship, innovation and technology.
The Batten Scholars Program
Also supported by the Batten Institute, the Batten Scholarship provides full tuition and fees for students admitted to Darden’s Full-Time MBA program in three distinct tracks: Entrepreneurial Scholars (venture founders/builders), Innovation Scholars (change-makers and creative leaders), and Technology Scholars (tech-driven innovators shaping the future).
Recently, Batten Institute’s Omar Garriott, executive director, and Anna Fife (MBA ‘14), senior director of strategic initiatives, hosted a webinar for prospective Full-Time MBA students. They highlighted the importance of an innovation mindset in today’s ever-changing world and previewed resources available to Darden students who are passionate about entrepreneurship, innovation and technology. We encourage you to watch the webinar recording to hear about details about Batten Scholars Program details, application requirements, how the application will be evaluated and more!
Click here to watch the webinar recording.
