University Of California Ranks First Among Universities Worldwide For Patents Granted

The University of California System again ranks first among the top 100 universities worldwide for the most U.S. patents granted for inventions in 2021. The rankings, released today, by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners (IPO) Association, are based on utility patents issued between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021.

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.

The Top 100 has been published annually by NAI and IPO since 2013, using data obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The ranking highlights the role patents play in translating university discoveries into useful technologies and new products.

The top 20 universities and the number of patents they were granted in 2021 are:

1.The Regents of the University of California 589

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 335

3. The University of Texas 203

4. King Abdulaziz University (Saudia Arabia) 187

5. Stanford University 181

6. Purdue Research Foundation/Purdue University 169

7. Harvard University 167

8. Arizona State University 153

9. (tie) California Institute of Technology and Tsinghua University 146

11. Johns Hopkins University 144

12. Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation/University of Wisconsin 143

13. University of Florida Research Foundation 136

14. University of Michigan 132

15. University of Pennsylvania 128

16. University of Minnesota 109

17. Cornell University 105

18. University of Pittsburgh 104

19. Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kaist) 102

20. University of Maryland 98

Of the top 20 universities worldwide, 17 are in the United States, and public universities account for 9 of those 17 institutions.

Patent activity is one important measure of a university’s capacity for creativity and innovation as institutional leaders of several highly ranked universities were quick to note. For example, University of Texas (UT) System Chancellor James B. Milliken offered this comment on the UT Systems’ high ranking: “UT institutions are committed to making discoveries, solving problems, supporting industry needs and creating opportunities for Texans through research and innovation. The patents produced across our system serve as a catalyst for positive change and opportunity and helped UT institutions generate $128 million in licensed technologies in 2021.”

Sally Morton, executive vice president of Arizona State University’s Knowledge Enterprise, said, “This important recognition honors the collaboration, dedication and excellence of Arizona State University’s faculty. Our collective mindset — to inspire and support research that benefits the public — is advancing discovery at an incredible pace.”

And at Purdue University, Brian Edelman, president of the Purdue Research Foundation, praised Purdue researchers for being “among the leading experts in numerous disciplines, so their research is at the forefront of what is possible. Their research will impact lives around the world once commercialization efforts bring them to the market.”