Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Delaware State University
#242 in Universities
242Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
242
238
Rank in
Research Capabilities
235
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
240
Rank in
Market Translation
Dover, DE
Delaware State University ranks 242nd among the 243 universities assessed in the Cure Innovation Index. Located in Dover, Delaware, this public historically Black university records developing performance across all three domains. Research Capabilities, Market Translation, and Entrepreneurial Readiness each place among the lower-ranked in the university cohort, with Entrepreneurial Readiness representing the institution's strongest relative position among the three. The institution maintains a balanced profile between discovery and translation activities and serves a distinct research mission within Delaware's higher education landscape.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Delaware State University ranked below average for Research Capabilities, a measure of the foundational infrastructure and resources that enable an institution to conduct high-quality, innovative science. Out of the factors in this category, Delaware State University fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Delaware State University ranked below average for Entrepreneurial Readiness, a measure of whether the institution has built a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and whether faculty are engaged in and incentivized toward commercial activity. Out of the factors in this category, Delaware State University fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Delaware State University ranked below average for Market Translation, a measure of how effectively a research institution moves scientific discovery out of the lab and into real-world clinical and commercial applications. Out of the factors in this category, Delaware State University fared best in Health Impact.
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Cure Innovation Index Methodology
From a pool of more than 6,000 institutions, the top 303 were ranked using two dozen indicators — from scientific foundation and lab infrastructure to patents, products, and partnerships — drawn from more than a dozen federal and commercial databases, an original audit of all institutions, and surveys of more than 3,300+ scientists, industry leaders, and biomedical experts.
Insights From the Cure Innovation Index
Explore by Category
Innovation isn't a single moment — it's an entire ecosystem. The Index evaluates institutions across two dozen indicators, grouped in three core domains that reveal the full picture of what it takes to turn groundbreaking science into real-world impact.
