Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
University of Southern Mississippi
#201 in Universities
201Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
201
157
Rank in
Research Capabilities
176
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
228
Rank in
Market Translation
Hattiesburg, MS
The University of Southern Mississippi ranks 201st among universities in the Cure Innovation Index, located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Research capabilities are its relative strength across the three domains, though the university sits in the middle of the field overall. Market translation trails more substantially, and entrepreneurial readiness falls in the lower-middle range of the ranking. An incubator and accelerator are part of its infrastructure. Southern Miss is a public university in the Gulf South known for programs in marine science, polymer science, and health professions, fields that inform its broader research identity.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
University of Southern Mississippi 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 Southern Mississippi fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
University of Southern Mississippi 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 Southern Mississippi fared best in Faculty Engagement.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
University of Southern Mississippi 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 Southern Mississippi 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.
