Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
George Mason University
#187 in Universities
187Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
187
163
Rank in
Research Capabilities
188
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
168
Rank in
Market Translation
Fairfax, VA
George Mason University ranks 187th among universities in the Cure Innovation Index, based in Fairfax, Virginia. Across Research Capabilities, Market Translation, and Entrepreneurial Readiness, the university performs in the lower half of ranked universities, with each domain placing in a comparable range. The university maintains an incubator and accelerator. Situated in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan corridor, George Mason operates near a concentration of federal research agencies and policy institutions, a setting that informs both its research priorities and its translation environment.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
George Mason 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, George Mason University fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
George Mason 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, George Mason University fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
George Mason 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, George Mason University fared best in Industry Connections.
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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.
