Virginia Tech among top 100 universities by National Academy of Inventors

Shay Barnhart

29 Apr 2025

Jeff Reed turns a dial on a piece of lab equipment. — Professor Jeff Reed, a National Academy of Inventors fellow, holds 20 U.S. patents and six foreign patents in the wireless communications field and cybersecurity signal processing field. Photo by Ben Murphy for Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech earned the No. 73 spot on the National Academy of Inventors’ 2024 Top 100 Worldwide Universities List and rankedNo. 45 on the 2024 Top 100 U.S. Universities List.

Both lists rank the top 100 universities being granted U.S. utility patents.

The National Academy of Inventors maintains the annual ranking to highlight the important of research and innovation taking place within academic institutions. The list is compiled using calendar year patent data from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Virginia Tech’s issued patents grew from 32 in 2023 to 50 in 2024, an increase that highlights the university’s strong momentum in innovation, said Grant Brewer, president of Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties and executive director of LICENSE: Center for Technology Commercialization, part of Virginia Tech Innovation and Partnerships.

“This ranking highlights the increasing impact of Virginia Tech’s dedication to turning research into real-world innovation,” Brewer said. “Our faculty and researchers are driving breakthroughs that not only push the boundaries of science but also deliver tangible benefits to society.”

Ranked universities will be recognized at the academy’s annual conference in June.

Research is one of the tenets of Global Distinction, a presidential priority that aims to enhance impactful research, scholarship, and creative activity.

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization affiliated with more than 260 universities, governmental agencies, and nonprofit research institutes worldwide.

Jeff Reed elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors