Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
University of North Dakota
#219 in Universities
219Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
219
205
Rank in
Research Capabilities
213
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
208
Rank in
Market Translation
Grand Forks, ND
The University of North Dakota, ranked 219th among 243 universities in the Cure Innovation Index, is based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The university's performance across Research Capabilities, Market Translation, and Entrepreneurial Readiness is consistent, placing in the lower range of the ranked field across all three domains. An incubator and accelerator program provides a point of connection between the university's research activity and early-stage commercialization. The university's standing is balanced between discovery and translation, with no clear concentration in either direction.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
University of North Dakota 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, University of North Dakota fared best in Facilities/Equipment.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
University of North Dakota 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, University of North Dakota fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
University of North Dakota 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, University of North Dakota 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.
