• IP, Intellectual Property Patent Concept

The University of California System ranks first again among the top 100 universities in the nation for the most U.S. patents granted for inventions in 2023. The list of the Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents was released today by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)

The list uses calendar-year data from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to rank schools on the number of utility patents awarded throughout the year. Since 2013, NAI has annually published the Top 100 Worldwide Universities list, on which the UC system has been a perennial leader. The Top 100 U.S. Universities list “is meant to provide a more focused view of the national innovation landscape and the contributions made by U.S. academic institutions.”

A utility patent – sometimes called a “patent for invention” – is a patent that covers the creation of a new or improved product, process, or machine. The number of utility patents granted to a university or its research foundation is a key indicator of the degree to which its research activity has unique commercial potential for which the institution is seeking legal protection.

  1. Regents of The University of California 546
  2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 365
  3. The University of Texas System 235
  4. Purdue University 201
  5. Stanford University 199
  6. Harvard university 186
  7. Arizona State University 170
  8. California Institute of Technology 156
  9. Johns Hopkins University 142
  10. University of Florida Research Foundation 142
  11. University of Michigan 136
  12. University of Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation 134
  13. University of Pennsylvania 119
  14. University of Pittsburgh 114
  15. Northwestern University 108
  16. University System of Maryland 108
  17. University of Minnesota System 96
  18. Cornell University 94
  19. Duke University 92
  20. University of Washington 92
  21. University of Chicago 91
  22. University of Colorado 91
  23. University of Illinois 89
  24. University of South Florida 88
  25. (tie ) Georgia Institute of Technology and the Ohio State University 87

The full list of top 100 U.S. universities can be found here.

“As we look at the current and future state of innovation in our nation, we need to ensure that the U.S. is remaining competitive in the international innovation ecosystem,” said Paul R. Sanberg, FNAI, President of the NAI, in a news release. “Protecting intellectual property is a key component to this, and the Top 100 U.S. Universities list allows us to recognize and celebrate universities and their faculty, staff, and students who are not only innovating at high levels, but taking the additional step of protecting their IP through patenting.”