Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Princeton University
#101 in Universities
101Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
101
54
Rank in
Research Capabilities
165
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
97
Rank in
Market Translation
Princeton, NJ
Princeton University ranks 101st among universities in the Cure Innovation Index, located in Princeton, New Jersey. Its research capabilities place it in the upper tier of the field, while market translation falls near the midpoint and entrepreneurial readiness is a developing area. The university maintains an incubator and accelerator, an entrepreneur-in-residence program, and a faculty base that engages in clinical trial leadership. The overall profile leans toward translational science, an orientation that distinguishes Princeton within the set of universities without a medical school.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Princeton University ranked above 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, Princeton University fared best in Cutting Edge Science.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Princeton 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, Princeton University fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Princeton University ranked above 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, Princeton University fared best in TTO Efficiency.
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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.
