Tel Aviv University was ranked third worldwide among universities outside the United States in the number of graduates of research-oriented master’s programs, excluding MBA, who went on to found unicorn companies. With 12 unicorn founders, TAU ranks first among Israeli universities.

The ranking is based on data published by Prof. Ilya Strebulaev of Stanford University, whose research focuses on venture capital and innovation. According to the data, 12 founders of deep tech unicorn companies have completed their research-oriented master’s degrees at Tel Aviv University. The University of Cambridge tops the list with 19 founders, followed by the University of Oxford with 16 and Tel Aviv University with 12.

Israeli universities have a particularly strong presence near the top of the ranking. Tel Aviv University, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, are all among the top ten universities outside the United States in the number of graduates with research-oriented Master’s degrees who went on to establish unicorn companies in the United States.

Tel Aviv University ranks first among the Israeli institutions, followed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem with eight unicorn founders and the Technion with seven. Bar-Ilan University also appears on the list with four founders. All in all, Prof. Strebulaev’s study identified 347 graduates of research-oriented Master’s programs from 206 universities outside the United States who founded a total of 270 unicorn companies.

Prof. Moshe Zviran, Head of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at TAU, said: “This new study stands out for its focus on graduates of research-oriented Master’s programs who went on to found deep tech unicorn companies. It provides further evidence of TAU’s leading position among universities in Israel and around the world, as well as within the global entrepreneurial ecosystem. The findings place TAU in a select group of leading academic institutions and highlight the international impact of our graduates. Alongside excellence in research and teaching, TAU works to foster a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation, giving students and researchers the tools to turn knowledge and ideas into meaningful impact.”