Seven Universities That Graduate the Most Unicorn Founders

Stanford Leads the Unicorn Founder List: Stanford University captures the top global spot, boasting 478 alumni-founded unicorns. According to Dealroom’s figures, the institution maintains a powerful tie to startup formation, putting it comfortably ahead of all other schools in total all-time numbers.

Harvard and MIT Follow Stanford: Securing second place is Harvard University with 320 alumni-established unicorns, whereas MIT claims third with 295. Together, these three schools comprise the premier tier in Dealroom’s worldwide university rankings based on alumni-created unicorns.

Tsinghua Brings China Into the Top Four: Tsinghua University lands in fourth place with 200 alumni-founded unicorns. Right behind is the University of California, Berkeley, featuring 190, which highlights the robust presence of both American and Chinese schools.

Penn and Cambridge Join the Top Seven: Registering 165 alumni-founded unicorns, the University of Pennsylvania takes sixth place. The University of Cambridge comes next with 140, securing its status as one of the premier non-US and non-Chinese institutions on the roster.

Tel Aviv and Peking Reach 130 Unicorns: Both Tel Aviv University and Peking University boast 130 alumni-founded unicorns apiece. Their standings underscore the importance of academic institutions in China and Israel within the worldwide startup landscape.

Technion and Oxford Continue the List: The Technion Israel Institute of Technology accounts for 120 alumni-founded unicorns. The University of Oxford trails with 95, tying INSEAD’s count of 95. Additionally, the standings feature several additional prominent international universities.

IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi Represent India: IIT Bombay accounts for 90 alumni-founded unicorns, while IIT Delhi holds 75 within the referenced Dealroom data. Additional schools rounding out the top 20 feature Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, and the University of Toronto.