Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
University of Rochester
#38 in Universities
38Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
38
68
Rank in
Research Capabilities
20
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
43
Rank in
Market Translation
Rochester, NY
The University of Rochester ranks 38th among universities in the Cure Innovation Index and is based in Rochester, New York. Entrepreneurial readiness is the university's strongest domain, where it places 20th, and its market translation performance also falls in the upper tier. Research capabilities are above average. Rochester supports physician-scientist training through an MSTP program and a Clinical and Translational Science Award, and maintains commercialization infrastructure including an incubator, an entrepreneur-in-residence program, and an MD/MBA dual degree pathway. This combination gives the university a profile oriented toward applied biomedical research.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
University of Rochester 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 Rochester fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
University of Rochester 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 Rochester fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
University of Rochester 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 Rochester 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.
