Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Rice University
#84 in Universities
84Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
84
73
Rank in
Research Capabilities
79
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
110
Rank in
Market Translation
Houston, TX
Rice University ranks 84th among universities in the Cure Innovation Index, based in Houston, Texas. The university performs in the upper tier across Research Capabilities and Entrepreneurial Readiness, with Market Translation above the field's midpoint, yielding a profile that balances discovery and commercial application. Rice supports a Medical Scientist Training Program, an MD/MBA dual degree, and an incubator accelerator, with faculty active as principal investigators on clinical trials. Its location near the Texas Medical Center reinforces the connection between basic research and clinical development.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Rice 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, Rice University fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Rice 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, Rice University fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Rice 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, Rice 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.
