Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Tufts University
#46 in Universities
46Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
46
72
Rank in
Research Capabilities
41
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
24
Rank in
Market Translation
Medford, MA
Tufts University ranks 46th among universities in the Cure Innovation Index, located in Medford, Massachusetts. The university performs most strongly in market translation, placing 24th, and ranks 41st in entrepreneurial readiness. Research capabilities fall in the upper third at 72nd. Tufts supports commercial development through an incubator, an entrepreneur-in-residence program, and an MD/MBA dual degree. It holds a Clinical and Translational Science Award and offers an MSTP program, with faculty serving as principal investigators on clinical trials. This profile reflects a university where professional training and translational infrastructure carry particular weight.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Tufts 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, Tufts University fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Tufts University ranked above 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, Tufts University fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Tufts 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, Tufts University fared best in Health Impact.
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.
