Who Is Funding the Science That's Too Early for Venture Capital?
April 22, 2026
Washington University in St. Louis
#9 in Universities
09Institution Overview
Overall
Ranking
9
5
Rank in
Research Capabilities
3
Rank in
Entrepreneurial Readiness
19
Rank in
Market Translation
St Louis, MO
Washington University in St. Louis ranks ninth among the 243 universities in the Cure Innovation Index. Located in St. Louis, Missouri, it places fifth in Research Capabilities and third in Entrepreneurial Readiness, with strong performance in Market Translation. A Clinical and Translational Science Award and an MSTP (MD-PhD) program form the core of its clinical and research training infrastructure. An incubator, an entrepreneur-in-residence program, and a biomedical entrepreneurship curriculum available alongside an MD/MBA dual degree support a commercialization pipeline that ranks among the most developed of any university in the index. Faculty serve as principal investigators on clinical trials.
Ranking Metrics
Research Capabilities
Washington University in St. Louis 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, Washington University in St. Louis fared best in Funding Support.
Learn MoreEntrepreneurial Readiness
Washington University in St. Louis 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, Washington University in St. Louis fared best in Ecosystem Support.
Learn MoreMarket Translation
Washington University in St. Louis 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, Washington University in St. Louis 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.
