Impact of entrepreneurship education in colleges and universities on entrepreneurial entry and performance

This study aims to investigate the impact of three established approaches to entrepreneurship education, Theory, Competition and Incubation, on entrepreneurial entry and performance. Propensity score matching is used to compare three cohorts from the alumni of a business college in China who completed entrepreneurship courses with their respective matched sample of similar individuals who did not. The findings suggest that Incubation significantly increases the probability of new venture creation. Theory, and participation in entrepreneurial business plan Competition(s) positively affect only those students that are non-management majors. Analysis including multiple linear regression indicates that Incubation has a positive impact on new venture sales revenue, profit before tax and the number of employees. The effect of Theory and Competition on new venture performance is not significant. This study extends the current knowledge of entrepreneurship education by providing new empirical evidence for the proposition that entrepreneurship can be learned, and the relative impact of these three types of education. The findings have direct implications for policymakers, educational executives, researchers, and others interested in encouraging entrepreneurial activity.