A unique study released by PitchBook on September 26th ranks the top 50 universities worldwide for VC-backed entrepreneurs. California contributed six universities to the top 50 list, which is headlined by Stanford in the top position and UC Berkeley ranking second.

One interesting twist among these rankings further reinforces California's position: two more of the top 12 have actually opened campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area. Penn's Wharton School (ranked 5th) and Carnegie Mellon (ranked 12th) have established programs in the Bay Area to reach directly into the innovation economy.

This may represent the updated academic model of the 21st century. In addition to serving as the anchor of regional economies around the world, these leading universities also understand the full meaning of their brand and have mobility to go to remote markets that have strategic value. The campus has mobility.

For more on this study, visit the CTC Research page here.