In 2024, PitchBook, a global leader in capital market data, released an influential ranking of the top 100 universities worldwide based on the number of entrepreneurs they have produced. These rankings are categorized into undergraduate, graduate, and MBA programs.
While the undergraduate category includes universities for bachelor’s degrees, the graduate category covers all advanced degrees, including MBAs. The MBA category focuses solely on founders who earned an MBA from the institution.
In this article, we’ll focus on the undergraduate and graduate rankings!
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Top Universities With the Most Entrepreneurs (Undergraduate)
In the global ranking of the top ten undergraduate institutions, American universities dominate the list, taking up 90% of the spots!
Leading the rankings is the “Public Ivy” from California, the University of California, Berkeley, with data showing 1,811 founders originating from the institution.
Notable alumni from UC Berkeley include Tony Xu, co-founder and CEO of DoorDash, and Ryan Petersen, founder and CEO of Flexport, a leading supply chain management company.
Stanford University ranks second, with 1,547 founders.
Ivy League schools, such as Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell University, hold the 3rd, 4th, and 6th positions, respectively, showcasing strong performances.
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) ranks 5th, with 1,175 founders.
Interestingly, the only non-American university on the list is Israel’s largest public research university, Tel Aviv University, which ranks 7th.
Additionally, the University of Michigan, the University of Texas, and the University of Illinois, all public institutions, take the 8th, 9th, and 10th spots.
Top 10 Graduate Schools in the 2024 PitchBook Rankings by Number of Alumni Founders
In the graduate rankings, Stanford University leads with over 4,000 founders having attended its graduate programs.
Stanford, located in Silicon Valley, boasts recent alumni such as Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI, and Vladimir Tenev, co-founder of Robinhood.
The University of California, Berkeley, which ranked first for undergraduates, leads among public schools in the graduate category, placing fifth.
Both Stanford and UC Berkeley are located in the San Francisco Bay Area, which PitchBook has named the best city in the world for entrepreneurship!
Among the top 10 graduate schools, U.S. universities continue to dominate, taking 80% of the spots.
Harvard University ranks second, MIT third, Columbia University fourth, UC Berkeley fifth, and the University of Pennsylvania sixth. Northwestern University and New York University rank ninth and tenth, respectively.
The only two British universities in the top 10 graduate rankings are the University of Cambridge (seventh) and the University of Oxford (eighth).
Undergraduate vs. Graduate Data
By comparing the data from both top 10 lists, we found:
- Stanford’s Dominance: Stanford’s strong presence in both categories (ranked second for undergraduates and first for graduates) highlights the university’s comprehensive support for students at all stages.
- Continuity of Influence: Schools like Harvard and MIT consistently produce founders at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, showcasing a robust pipeline for nurturing entrepreneurial talent.
- A Broader Ecosystem: The rankings include not only private universities but also several public ones, indicating that entrepreneurial talent can emerge from a diverse range of educational institutions, enriching the startup ecosystem with greater diversity.
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For a complete look at the rankings, visit the official PitchBook page here:
This in-depth look at the universities that produce the most entrepreneurs offers valuable insights into where today’s business leaders are being shaped.
Note: All data and information come from the official PitchBook website. Please refer to their latest updates for any discrepancies.
