Top Entrepreneur Producers
Updated October 2021
Measuring the undergraduate institutions that produce the most successful entrepreneurs is not easy to execute with any degree of validity. Unlike measuring schools that produce the most future PhDs or medical school attendees, there is no clear-cut way to assess which colleges are producing the most innovative, industrious, and entrepreneurial graduates. Fortunately, thanks to Pitchbook, a leading financial data and software company, there is now a way to at least get a reasonable approximation of exactly that. By tracing the founders of companies that received a first round of venture capital funding between 2006 and 2020, the folks at Pitchbook were able to identify the alma mater of each VC-receiving founder in that timeframe. As a further measure, they were able to compute the total amount of capital raised by alumni of particular schools. Together, these data points present an imperfect, but still quite valuable look at which undergraduate institutions churn out the most successful entrepreneurs.
| University | Rank | Founder Count | Company Count | Capital Raised (millions, USD) | Top Companies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | 1 | 1,448 | 1,258 | 47,838.93 | Snap ($2622.76); DoorDash ($2471.7); Robinhood ($1711.93); Opendoor ($1345.06); Samsara ($1230) | |
| University of California, Berkeley | 2 | 1,365 | 1,225 | 36,294.90 | DoorDash ($2471.7); GRAIL ($2001.66); Flexport ($1201.9); Cloudera ($1041.91); Zynga ($1031.1) | UCB |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology | 3 | 1,125 | 985 | 33,411.69 | Oscar ($1503.92); Indigo Agriculture ($1116.63); Toast (Boston) ($897.25); Ginkgo Bioworks ($797.33); Dropbox ($627.25) | MIT |
| Harvard University | 4 | 1,100 | 988 | 41,238.64 | Coupang ($3964.43); Affirm ($1498.5); Cloudera ($1041.91); Peloton ($993.74); BabyTree ($813.02) | |
| University of Pennsylvania | 5 | 1,021 | 932 | 22,640.00 | Snapdeal ($1581.39); Fuze ($489.31); Wheels Up ($449.6); Ninja Van ($398); Thrasio ($396.46) | UPenn |
| Cornell University | 6 | 888 | 824 | 28,593.93 | Lyft ($4912.36); Compass (New York) ($1683.24); Rappi ($1620.17); Samsara ($1230); ChargePoint ($671.9) | |
| University of Michigan | 7 | 835 | 760 | 19,133.75 | Groupon ($1138); 23andMe ($790.68); Carta ($692); QuarterSpot ($634.59); Tempus Labs ($570) | UMich |
| Tel Aviv University | 8 | 807 | 673 | 16,115.53 | Generate Capital ($1252.1); Houzz ($613.6); BlueVine ($426.29); Varo ($419.33); Exaware ($401.54) | |
| University of Texas at Austin | 9 | 749 | 686 | 10,239.85 | Niantic ($480); Zalora ($379.24); Acorns ($281.01); Apollo Endosurgery ($179.31); Icertis ($171.5) | UT Austin |
| University of Illinois | 10 | 621 | 575 | 16,412.26 | GRAIL ($2001.66); Affirm ($1498.5); Generate Capital ($1252.1); Avant (Online Lending Firm) ($654.23); Farmers Business Network ($619.3) | UIUC |
| Yale University | 11 | 616 | 560 | 15,565.26 | 23andMe ($790.68); Convoy ($668.01); Dataminr ($572.37); One Medical ($532.66); Thumbtack ($423.85) | |
| Technion - Israel Institute of Technology | 12 | 602 | 509 | 12,373.53 | Better Place ($851.36); Gusto ($521.25); BlueVine ($426.29); Tango (Social/Platform Software) ($371.18); Gong ($333) | |
| Princeton University | 13 | 593 | 560 | 19,541.05 | Quibi ($1750); Nubank ($1028.64); Databricks ($897.36); Jet ($690); Cabify ($405.9) | |
| University of California, Los Angeles | 14 | 588 | 554 | 14,977.76 | Chime ($1492.75); BabyTree ($813.02); BrightSource Energy ($651.38); Vir (Biotechnology) ($493.1); Lalamove ($461.5) | UCLA |
| Columbia University | 15 | 546 | 510 | 15,283.07 | Compass (New York) ($1683.24); DraftKings ($1173.46); Zymergen ($892.44); Celularity ($582.7); Human Longevity ($568.06) | |
| Brown University | 16 | 542 | 496 | 20,579.33 | Gojek ($6250.96); Chime ($1492.75); CommonBond ($562.06); Warby Parker ($536.19); Scopely ($458.5) | |
| University of Wisconsin | 17 | 539 | 480 | 8,832.06 | Databricks ($897.36); Automation Anywhere ($840); Bird Rides ($776); Vindex ($380); OneRoof Energy ($194.5) | |
| University of Southern California | 18 | 520 | 480 | 17,848.99 | Gojek ($6250.96); Instacart ($2233.82); Careem ($784.6); Convoy ($668.01); ServiceTitan ($399.78) | USC |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 19 | 506 | 447 | 13,616.57 | Affirm ($1498.5); Sea ($722); RigUp ($517.5); Collective Health ($469); Lalamove ($461.5) | CMU |
| Duke University | 20 | 484 | 461 | 10,953.80 | Radiology Partners ($541.62); Coinbase ($525.31); Harry's ($474.75); Scopely ($458.5); Zalora ($379.24) | |
| Brigham Young University | 21 | 475 | 378 | 8,188.31 | Qualtrics ($400); Health Catalyst ($391.35); Lendio ($356.5); Xant.ai ($274.58); Pluralsight ($238.4) | BYU |
| University of Waterloo | 22 | 474 | 375 | 12,907.52 | Instacart ($2233.82); Wish ($1800.33); Databricks ($897.36); Netskope ($744.3); Kuaidi Dache ($700) | |
| New York University | 23 | 465 | 431 | 9,221.13 | DoorDash ($2471.7); Future Finance ($403.39); Kaminario ($262.72); Hike ($261); Thrive Market ($216.11) | NYU |
| University of Washington | 24 | 456 | 403 | 8,433.44 | Cloudera ($1041.91); Gogoro ($480); Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners ($400); HashiCorp ($349.54); Outreach ($289.44) | UW |
| Dartmouth College | 25 | 438 | 400 | 11,287.74 | Generate Capital ($1252.1); Freenome ($508.35); Remitly ($481.88); Funding Circle ($381.15); Lyra Health ($282.03) | |
| Northwestern University | 26 | 434 | 405 | 11,434.84 | Deliveroo ($1556.24); REEF Technology ($900); Outcome Health ($497.48); Turo ($496); C2FO ($403) | |
| University of California, San Diego | 27 | 419 | 400 | 8,690.16 | Getaround ($672.85); Human Longevity ($568.06); Kinestral ($337.57); Color Genomics ($265.44); KeepTruckin ($229.3) | UCSD |
| University of Maryland | 28 | 405 | 378 | 6,731.50 | LivingSocial ($929.91); Wheels Up ($449.6); QuantumScape ($396.28); Thrive Earlier Detection ($367); Tala ($217.1) | UMD |
| University of Colorado | 28 | 405 | 379 | 7,223.11 | AvidXchange ($1144.07); Gogoro ($480); Cylance ($327); HYLA ($325.94); Pacific Control Systems ($272.32) | CU Boulder |
| McGill University | 30 | 403 | 373 | 10,710.25 | Indigo Agriculture ($1116.63); Sana Biotechnology ($865.56); VICE Media ($500); Fuze ($489.31); AppDirect ($460.72) | |
| University of Virginia | 30 | 403 | 380 | 6,988.42 | Reddit ($550.66); Revolution Medicines ($226); MediaMath ($222.93); Forma Therapeutics ($217.51); MakeSpace ($160.59) | UVA |
| Hebrew University | 32 | 401 | 353 | 7,908.06 | Via (Automotive) ($586.88); Coursera ($463.27); Cybereason ($388.38); Insightec ($309.26); Fundbox ($307.5) | |
| University of Toronto | 33 | 392 | 353 | 10,305.45 | Moderna Therapeutics ($1722.9); Compass (New York) ($1683.24); Databricks ($897.36); TouchBistro ($209.73); Astute Medical ($189.6) | |
| Pennsylvania State University | 34 | 390 | 358 | 7,770.48 | Knock (Atlanta) ($597); Radiology Partners ($541.62); Virgin Hyperloop ($459.21); Iora Health ($382.32); Ro (Other Healthcare Technology Systems) ($376.1) | Penn State; PSU |
| Boston University | 35 | 379 | 365 | 13,694.18 | Gojek ($6250.96); ClassPass ($555.7); Prysm ($518.57); Credit Karma ($370.27); FuboTV (Acquired in 2020) ($326.6) | BU |
| Purdue University | 36 | 351 | 326 | 5,981.65 | Zymergen ($892.44); Traveloka ($670); Harvest Power ($259.24); MoneyLion ($221.29); Agora.io ($179) | |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 37 | 350 | 310 | 7,035.69 | Peloton ($993.74); Glovo ($511.53); CrowdStrike ($481.15); AppDirect ($460.72); Credit Karma ($370.27) | Georgia Tech |
| Georgetown University | 38 | 324 | 312 | 7,564.89 | AvidXchange ($1144.07); LivingSocial ($929.91); CommonBond ($562.06); Sweetgreen ($533.19); Anduril ($385.1) | |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | 39 | 320 | 297 | 4,556.33 | Zalora ($379.24); Sungevity ($287.67); Looker ($280.5); AeroFarms ($214.48); Ncino ($205.11) | UNC |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 40 | 306 | 287 | 9,328.66 | Lyft ($4912.36); 10x Genomics ($317.6); The Honest Company ($297); HouseCanary ($205.74); 4DMT ($184) | UCSB |
| Indiana University | 41 | 301 | 285 | 4,435.26 | Elevance Renewable Sciences ($461.32); Industrious ($236); AirWatch ($225); Gigabit Squared ($202); Light (Electronic Equipment and Instruments) ($185.7) | IU |
| Tsinghua University | 42 | 296 | 263 | 24,318.68 | Meituan-Dianping ($8800); SenseTime ($2866.56); Royole ($1352); Face++ ($1258); Meituan ($1070) | |
| University of California, Davis | 43 | 290 | 277 | 5,091.75 | Joby Aviation ($718.3); Conga ($329.25); Enovix ($219.28); Practice Fusion ($205.19); Kinnate Biopharma ($194.5) | UC Davis |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | 44 | 288 | 275 | 5,231.20 | Auris ($738.15); DataRobot ($431); Enchi ($196.61); 128 Technology ($152.68); MC10 ($129.31) | UMass Amherst |
| Tufts University | 45 | 286 | 273 | 5,661.80 | Warby Parker ($536.19); Perfect Day ($361.45); InVision (Multimedia and Design Software) ($349.19); ONE Championship ($336); Ascend Wellness Holdings ($208.63) | |
| Ben Gurion University | 46 | 285 | 251 | 4,463.56 | Exaware ($401.54); Innoviz Technologies ($264); JFrog ($228); Vayyar ($188); Valens ($164) | |
| State University of New York (all campuses) | 47 | 284 | 280 | 4,947.68 | Illumio ($332.5); ACV Auctions ($295); PMV Pharma ($238.7); DispatchHealth ($203.2); VTS ($177.7) | SUNY |
| University of Florida | 48 | 280 | 255 | 3,204.86 | Apeel Sciences ($385); Fanatics ($365); JetSmarter ($131.15); LendStreet ($124); Molekule ($119.35) | UF |
| Trinity College | 49 | 277 | 254 | 4,780.42 | 23andMe ($790.68); Cloudflare ($404.3); CapitalSpring ($291.27); Intercom ($240.5); Blu Homes ($217.05) | |
| University of British Columbia | 50 | 269 | 227 | 2,641.74 | CRISPR Therapeutics ($160); 17 Media ($159.5); Loji Logistics ($126.81); AbCellera ($115); Satellogic ($101) | UBC |
Pitchbook Universities: 2020. (2020) Retrieved from http://pitchbook.com/news/articles/pitchbook-universities-2020
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