TLDR:
- UC Berkeley ranked No. 1 for generating startup founders, companies, and female entrepreneurs, according to the 2024 PitchBook university rankings.
- Berkeley’s graduates have founded more venture-backed companies than any other university in the world, with women from Berkeley leading the way in female entrepreneurship.
UC Berkeley has been recognized as the top university for producing startup founders, companies, and female entrepreneurs, according to the 2024 PitchBook university rankings. The data released on August 30, 2024, shows that Berkeley graduates have founded more venture-backed companies than any other university in the world. In addition to this, Berkeley also took the top spot for the number of undergraduate alumni who have founded companies.
The report highlighted the growing force of women in the startup landscape, with Berkeley coming in first for female graduates who started businesses, female-founded companies, and the amount of capital raised by women. Chancellor Rich Lyons expressed pride in the report’s findings, stating “Venture capital is clearly paying attention to Berkeley-generated companies, and we’re just getting started.”
Stanford University came in second in the overall rankings, with 264 fewer founders and 245 fewer companies than Berkeley. Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology rounded out the top five.
Berkeley’s dominance in the rankings is attributed to campus leaders strengthening connections and alumni updating their records. Laura Hassner, the executive director of UC Berkeley Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Berkeley Changemaker, emphasized the positive impact of the engaged alumni community on the world. She highlighted Berkeley’s inclusivity in leading the way in producing startup founders and companies.
Overall, UC Berkeley’s commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship has solidified its position as a leader in generating startup founders, companies, and female entrepreneurs on a global scale.
