The World’s Top University for Startup Founders Isn’t Stanford or Harvard. Its ‘Secret Sauce’ Explains Why
UC Berkeley has held PitchBook’s No. 1 spot for four years. Its edge may come down to a dense network of programs, peers, and startup support.
University of California, Berkeley. Photo:
For the fourth year in a row, the University of California, Berkeley’s undergraduate alumni have founded more venture-backed startups than those of any other university in the world.
According to PitchBook’s 2026 ranking of the top 100 universities for entrepreneurs, which compares undergraduate and graduate programs by tallying up the number of alumni founders who have raised venture capital over the past decade, Berkeley topped the undergraduate list with 2,380 founders. Stanford University, Harvard University, Cornell University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the next four spots, respectively.
Companies founded by Berkeley alumni include Waymo, Uber,
Companies founded by Berkeley alumni include Waymo, Uber, Cerebras Systems, and DoorDash. Collectively, Berkeley’s 2,155 companies have raised $139.4 billion in capital.
Berkeley also took the top spot on PitchBook’s ranking of universities producing female startup founders, with 345 founders behind 342 companies.
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Darren Cooke, a professor of entrepreneurship and innovation at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, told Inc. that he increasingly hears from undergraduate and graduate students who say Berkeley’s entrepreneurial culture influenced their decision to attend.
Berkeley is on the map
“Berkeley is on the map. This is where they want to study and potentially even build a company,” Cooke said.
Berkeley’s entrepreneurship infrastructure
Toby Stuart, a professor of entrepreneurship, strategy, and innovation at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, told Inc. that Berkeley’s student selection, geography, and alumni networks help explain the school’s sustained lead in producing venture-backed founders.
Source: www.inc.com
