Duke and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked among the top 50 universities for the number of utility patents issued in 2014, according to the report on the top 100 worldwide universities granted U.S. utility patents. UNC-CH ranked 46, leading the NC universities, and Duke was right behind at 47. Wake Forest made the top 100 list at 93.
A utility patent is issued for the invention of a new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or a new and useful improvement of them.
The Unviersity of California topped the rankings , followed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tsinghua University, Stanford, and the University of Texas.
Georgia Tech came in at 25, and Emory at 58.
For the full rankings see: http://www.academyofinventors.com/pdf/NAI-IPO-Top-100-Universities-2014.pdf
