Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
#216 in Universities
216Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
216
210
Rank in
Research Capabilities
202
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
205
Rank in
Market Translation
Carbondale, IL
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale ranks 216th among the 243 universities in the Cure Innovation Index. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, the university places in the lower range across Research Capabilities, Market Translation, and Entrepreneurial Readiness, with comparable standing in each domain. Activity is balanced between discovery and translation, with neither area significantly ahead of the other. An on-campus incubator provides infrastructure for connecting academic research with commercial development, a resource that supports the university's entrepreneurial activity.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 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, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale fared best in Cutting Edge Science.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 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, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 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, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale fared best in Experienced TTO.
Learn More
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.
