College towns are not just places to prepare for a career; they can also be places to build a business. GoDaddy's inaugural ranking of America's Most Entrepreneurial College Towns highlights small business growth in communities that do not always make national entrepreneurship headlines.

While Stanford University tops the list, the GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab found that smaller, lesser-known college towns are stepping into the spotlight as unexpected hotspots for entrepreneurship.

Warrensburg, Missouri, home to the University of Central Missouri, and Newark, Delaware, home to the University of Delaware, placed second and third, with year-over-year microbusiness growth of 16.1% and 16.0%, respectively. GoDaddy defines a microbusiness as a company that employs fewer than 10 people. They join communities including Elon, North Carolina; Martin, Tennessee; and Conway, South Carolina, in a top 10 where every town recorded double-digit growth.

The findings highlight college towns as great places to start a business, whether you're a student, professor or local resident, such as a coffee shop owner, dog walker or plumber.

"When we think about college towns, we often focus on the schools exclusively, but there's an entire small business economy anchored to the school," said Alexandra Rosen, GoDaddy's small business economist. "Entrepreneurship is accelerating across the country in communities of all sizes and demographics, and the microbusiness growth we're seeing in college towns is a testament to that. With our Most Entrepreneurial College Towns ranking, we see this ecosystem come alive as students, university faculty, and local residents build alongside one another, driving positive economic impact for the whole community."

What Stands Out

• Smaller communities deserve a bigger place in the entrepreneurship conversation.
• Entrepreneurship can be something students practice, not just study.
• Gen Z's entrepreneurial ambitions give college-town growth added relevance.
• College-town entrepreneurship is not exclusively a student story; it offers opportunity across the community and advances the broader local economy.

America's Most Entrepreneurial College Towns
The GoDaddy Small Business Research Lab ranked eligible college-town communities by their year-over-year microbusiness growth during the previous calendar year. The ranking measures growth in the geographical area including the college, not the performance solely of the university or its entrepreneurship programs. 

The Rise of Applied Entrepreneurship
Programs at several universities in the top-ranked communities illustrate how students can gain experience running a business while still in school. Growth takes root across an intertwined local ecosystem where higher education initiatives, local trade, and small business owners reinforce one another.

• University of Central Missouri - Warrensburg, No. 2: Students work with community partners to plan, launch and operate a small business as part of their degree requirements.
• University of Delaware - Newark, No. 3: The student-operated UDairy Creamery connects coursework with practical experience in product development, supply chain and storefront operations.
• Elon University - Elon, No. 4: Incubates student-founded ventures into active local vendors through targeted creativity and innovation centers.

These examples show how entrepreneurship education can extend beyond the classroom and into everyday business activity.

Gen Z Looks Beyond Traditional Career Paths
The growth of college-town microbusinesses comes as younger adults show interest in building businesses of their own as they explore their career options and the future of work. With Gen Z leading all generations in new business creation, up 66% year-over-year¹, college towns serve as testing grounds for aspiring entrepreneurs. According to recent data², 43% of current college-aged adults (Gen Z) plan to start or run a business before graduation, utilizing microbusinesses as an equity-building tool while still enrolled in school.

While GoDaddy's ranking does not identify business owners by generation or student status, it highlights growing business communities where students could explore those ambitions. For aspiring founders, a college town can be more than a place to earn a degree; it can be a place to be inspired, test an idea and launch a business of their own.

For local leaders, the ranking offers a starting point for conversations about supporting business owners both on and off campus. For residents considering a venture, it highlights business growth in places they may already call home. That community-wide perspective reflects what GoDaddy calls the "Empowerment Economy" - more people having more options in their lives and livelihoods, from supporting their household to pursuing passions, and having more freedom to define success on their own terms.

To learn more about the 2026 Most Entrepreneurial College Towns, including additional data, comprehensive interactive maps, or to get more information on GoDaddy's Small Business Research Lab, visit www.godaddy.com/research.