The Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents List showcases schools that advance innovation nationally and internationally.
For the fourth straight year, the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) has named the Texas Tech University System to its Top 100 U.S. Universities Granted Utility Patents List.
A Sustaining Member of the NAI, Texas Tech first debuted on the list in 2022. Since then, the TTU System has improved to No. 70 for 2025, up three spots from the previous year. Collectively, the universities on the 2025 Top 100 U.S. list secured more than 6,700 patents during the 2025 calendar year.
“Our continued improvement in the annual NAI ranking reflects the innovative work of our researchers, who are translating research outcomes into technologies that benefit the public,” said Joseph Heppert, vice president for Research & Innovation at Texas Tech. “This achievement is a testament to the passion of our faculty and the dedication of the Research Commercialization team that helps inventors navigate the patent and technology licensure processes.”
Texas Tech University was granted 58% of the patents held by the TTU System in 2025. Of the 26 patents granted, Texas Tech researchers hold 15, with the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) earning nine patents and TTUHSC El Paso earning two.
“The Texas Tech University System is proving that world-changing innovation is increasingly stemming from West Texas,” said Brandon Creighton, chancellor of the TTU System. “This recognition by the National Academy of Inventors reflects the unmatched potential of our faculty and researchers, whose talent, determination and ingenuity are advancing discovery across our campuses. From West Texas to the world, they are turning bold ideas into solutions that improve lives and strengthen the future of our state and nation.”
The 15 Texas Tech faculty earning patents in 2025 came from the College of Arts & Sciences, the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering and the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources. Just last month, two faculty members at Texas Tech were named NAI Senior Members.
Texas Tech is widely recognized within the NAI. Since 2012, 13 current faculty members at Texas Tech have been named NAI Fellows, and nine have been named Senior Members. They hail from within Engineering, Arts & Sciences, the College of Health & Human Sciences and the Davis College.
“Our continued rise in the NAI rankings reflects the growing momentum of research and innovation throughout the Texas Tech University System,” said Jennifer Souter, senior managing director of the Research Commercialization office. “At Research Commercialization, we are proud to support our inventors by protecting their intellectual property and helping advance new, impactful technologies toward real-world application.”
NAI’s Top 100 lists are created using calendar-year data provided by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Top 100 placement includes all named assignees listed on the patent.
“These universities and their inventive faculty are at the forefront of driving national innovation and competitiveness,” said Paul R. Sanberg, president of the NAI. “By moving their ideas to market and protecting their IP with patents, these institutions are ensuring that the U.S. not only remains competitive on the global stage but directly shapes the future of innovation.”
About the NAI
The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities and governmental and nonprofit research institutes with more than 4,600 individual inventor members and Fellows spanning more than 260 institutions worldwide. It was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students and translate its members’ inventions to benefit society. The NAI has a close collaborative relationship with the USPTO and is one of three honorific organizations, along with the National Medals and National Inventors Hall of Fame, working closely with the USPTO on many discovery and innovation-support initiatives. The NAI publishes the multidisciplinary journal, Technology and Innovation.