Stanford Leads the Unicorn Founder List: Stanford University ranks first globally, with 478 unicorns founded by its alumni. Dealroom’s data shows the university has a strong connection with startup creation, placing it well ahead of other institutions in the all-time count.
Harvard and MIT Follow Stanford: Harvard University ranks second with 320 alumni-founded unicorns, while MIT takes third with 295. The three universities form the leading group in Dealroom’s global university ranking by alumni-founded unicorns.
Tsinghua Brings China Into the Top Four: Tsinghua University ranks fourth with 200 unicorns founded by alumni. It is followed by the University of California, Berkeley, with 190, showing strong representation from both Chinese and US universities.
Penn and Cambridge Join the Top Seven: The University of Pennsylvania records 165 alumni-founded unicorns and ranks sixth. The University of Cambridge follows with 140, making it one of the leading institutions outside the US and China in the list.
Tel Aviv and Peking Reach 130 Unicorns: Tel Aviv University and Peking University each have 130 alumni-founded unicorns. Their presence highlights the role of universities in Israel and China within the global startup ecosystem.
Technion and Oxford Continue the List: Technion Israel Institute of Technology has 120 alumni-founded unicorns. The University of Oxford follows with 95, matching INSEAD’s total of 95. The ranking also includes several other major global institutions.
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi Represent India: IIT Bombay records 90 alumni-founded unicorns, while IIT Delhi has 75 in the provided Dealroom ranking. Other institutions in the top 20 include Carnegie Mellon, Princeton, Yale, Columbia and the University of Toronto.