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Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

Alternative Business Schools As every entrepreneur knows, there are many routes to success beyond the traditional classroom.

By Ross McCammon

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The School of Hard Knocks
Concentrations: Finance, social policy, entrepreneurship
Total enrollment: The entire U.S. lower and middle classes
Annual tuition: Your dignity
Teacher-student ratio: 1 to 300 million
Students who graduate within four years: Very few
Rolling admission: Yes
Acceptance rate: 100 percent
Students receiving financial aid: 0 percent
Average starting salary after graduation: $7.25 an hour
Notable alumnus: Oprah Winfrey

Dropout U
Concentration: Information technology
Annual tuition: $0
Students who graduate within four years: 0
Students who graduate within six years: 0
Students who graduate, ever: 0
Degrees offered: 0
Extracurricular activities: Devising something world-changing in your basement
Notable alumni: Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates

The Streets
Concentrations: Pharmaceutical management, supply-chain management, human resources
Total enrollment: Your crew
Average age at entry: 14
Evening program: Yes
Part-time program: Hell, no
Notable alumnus: Jay-Z