Stanford, Berkeley, and Harvard rank among the 15 US colleges that produce the most startup founders

Stanford University has produced 1,427 founders who have raised venture capital.David Madison/Getty Images

• PitchBook released its annual ranking of the top 100 colleges for VC-backed startup founders.
• Many of the top schools are near tech hubs like San Francisco, Boston, New York City, and Austin.

Earning a degree from a prestigious college isn't a prerequisite for building a successful company, but it can certainly help. The academic programs and networks available at some of the country's top schools can give founders a leg up, especially when it comes to raising capital.

The research firm PitchBook released its annual ranking of 100 universities around the world that have produced the most startup founders. The list includes both undergraduate and graduate programs and is based on data from more than 144,000 founders whose companies received venture-capital funding between January 1, 2012, and October 21, 2022.

Unsurprisingly, all eight Ivy League schools appear on the list, and many of the highest-ranking schools are near America's biggest tech hubs, like San Francisco, Boston, New York City, and Austin, Texas.

Here are the 15 US colleges with undergraduate programs that have produced the most VC-backed startup founders.