Business Analytics
The world is increasingly revolving around analytics and people who can compile, analyse, and interpret this data are in demand. Businesses have data coming from every direction, whether it’s their retail location, manufacturing facility, supply chain, sales and marketing department, etc. Companies that can use this information, interpret it, and act on it are able to gain an advantage over the rest and stand out. Since you’ll have those skills yourself, you won’t have to rely on outside help. This also means that you’ll be much more involved and won’t have to share sensitive information with outside third parties. Besides, this will allow you to understand the inner workings of your business much better and make more informed decisions. You won’t have to rely on guesswork anymore and using data for making decisions will become second nature. You’ll be much better at forecasting, monitoring, and improving performance, and run an overall more efficient operation.Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is often one of the weakest points for most businesses and a large portion of them end up outsourcing this function. This eventually means that the company is now dependant on a third party for their online marketing, which may be their most important outlet. This also means that a third party has sensible information about your business and its marketing scheme that they could use against you at a certain point in time. Getting a degree in digital marketing would make you one of the select few who will truly understand perhaps the single most important form of marketing of the next few years.- You’ll be able to build more efficient and elaborate campaigns and know how to measure results.
- You’ll be able to maximise your ROI when using PPC marketing or running email marketing campaigns.
- You’ll also be able to constantly improve your online material and increase your conversion rates.
Accounting
Accountants have a definite edge when it comes to running a company. Accountants are often the first to know when something is wrong in a company and when it’s heading for trouble. You’ll be able to spot inefficiencies in your operation and know exactly where and how you can make adjustments. In addition, you’ll have a solid grasp of things such as cash flow management, profitability, and forecasting. Not only that but you’ll be able to draft and understand financial reports and won’t have to worry about tax compliance. You’ll know everything about the latest change of rules or schemes you could take advantage of. This alone will give you a serious advantage over the competition. You’ll be able to understand if your business should expand and if it can handle it. You’ll be able to see if a second or third location would be profitable and how much. Not only that, but you’ll also be much more credible when seeking financing. Financiers love working with accountants as they have a deep understanding of their business’s finances and tend to be much more sound in how they use money. Accountants are also very respected by venture capital investors. They will be more inclined to trust an accountant for the same reasons we mentioned earlier. This means that you won’t only be able to get more money but you’ll also get to keep control of your company as well. Not only that, but you’ll know exactly how much you need and how much equity you should be offering. In addition, you are less likely to come up with unrealistic valuations.Computer Science
This is one of the best non-business degrees for anyone thinking of becoming an entrepreneur in this day and age. IT plays a central role in a business, and if you don’t have a deep understanding of it, you are asking for trouble. Again, this means that you will have to give the reins of your IT department to a third party who will now have a lot of control over your operation. If something happens, you are completely dependent on their expertise. You can see how some could take advantage of this. Those with a computer science degree are able to run secure and more stable systems. They are less likely to deal with data or security breaches. They can run their own IT infrastructure and keep everything in-house. IT knowledge is also essential in a world where most ventures have at least something to do with technology. If your goal was to start your own little startup in 2021, these are some of the best degrees to consider. Look at all the options available and see which ones would give you the set of skills that you need.2026 Update: What I Would Tell Every Aspiring Entrepreneur Right Now
I wrote this post back in 2021 and, honestly, the core advice still holds up, but the world has shifted enough that I felt I owed you a proper update. The conversation around degrees for entrepreneurs has changed significantly over the past few years, and if I am being straight with you, the question is no longer simply “which degree?” but “do you even need a traditional degree at all, and if so, why?”
The biggest shift I have noticed working with entrepreneurs in 2026 is that AI tools have completely changed which skills are scarce. When I originally wrote this, a business or marketing degree gave you a genuine edge in understanding data, customer behaviour, and financial planning. Those things still matter, but the analytical grunt work that used to require years of training can now be handled faster with the right tools. What cannot be replicated easily is your judgement, your ability to read people, and your capacity to make decisions under pressure with incomplete information. Any degree worth considering in 2026 needs to be building those muscles, not just teaching you spreadsheets.
I have also seen a real split happening between founders who went the traditional university route and those who stacked short, focused credentials alongside real-world experience. Neither path is wrong. What I will say is that if you are choosing a degree specifically to become a better entrepreneur, you need to be brutal about whether the programme actually puts you in front of real business problems, real customers, and real failure. A degree that keeps you in a classroom for three years writing theoretical case studies is genuinely a weaker investment in 2026 than it was even five years ago.
Psychology has quietly become one of the most valuable areas of study for entrepreneurs right now, and I did not give it enough credit in the original post. Understanding how people make decisions, what builds trust, and how teams fall apart under stress is extraordinarily useful when you are building something from scratch. Combined with even a basic grounding in finance, it is a powerful combination.
My overall 2026 take is this: treat any degree as one component of your education, not the whole thing. The entrepreneurs I see thriving right now are learning constantly, testing ideas fast, and building real networks while they study, not waiting until they graduate to start. The degree opens some doors, but what you do alongside it is what will define you.
The short version: No single degree guarantees entrepreneurial success, but business administration, marketing, computer science, and finance consistently give founders the practical skills and networks that matter most. The right choice depends on the type of business you want to build, not on chasing prestige.
Frequently asked questions
Do entrepreneurs really need a degree?
No, plenty of successful founders never finished college. That said, a relevant degree can speed up learning, build a network, and teach skills like finance and marketing that otherwise get learned the hard way through costly mistakes.
Which degree is best for starting a tech company?
Computer science or a related technical degree tends to help most, since it lets founders build and understand their own product instead of depending entirely on hired developers.
Is an MBA worth it for entrepreneurs?
An MBA can be worth it for the network and structured business knowledge, but it’s a significant time and money investment. Many founders get similar value from business administration undergrad programs or focused courses.
What if my degree has nothing to do with business?
That’s fine. Many founders succeed with degrees in unrelated fields because they pair subject expertise with self-taught business skills. What matters more is a willingness to keep learning after graduation.
