Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
University of Illinois at Chicago
#45 in Universities
45Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
45
65
Rank in
Research Capabilities
17
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
61
Rank in
Market Translation
Chicago, IL
The University of Illinois at Chicago ranks 45th among universities in the Cure Innovation Index. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the university's strongest domain is Entrepreneurial Readiness, where it ranks 17th, supported by an incubator, an entrepreneur-in-residence program, and biomedical entrepreneurship training. Research Capabilities and Market Translation both place in the upper tier. The university holds a Clinical and Translational Science Award and offers MD/MBA and MSTP dual-degree pathways. Its overall profile leans toward discovery, with commercial translation infrastructure that is notably well-developed relative to its overall position.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
University of Illinois at Chicago 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, University of Illinois at Chicago fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
University of Illinois at Chicago 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, University of Illinois at Chicago fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
University of Illinois at Chicago 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, University of Illinois at Chicago fared best in Health Impact.
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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.
