Florida State University ranks No. 60 nationally for U.S. utility patents, bolstering global innovation standing

Florida State University has been named one of the top 100 universities in the nation for securing U.S. utility patents, according to the latest rankings released by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI).

Coming in at No. 60 on the list, FSU continues to solidify its reputation as a powerhouse of research and commercialization, successfully translating academic discovery into real-world solutions. The rankings reflect the 2025 calendar year.

The Top 100 U.S. Universities ranking celebrates academic institutions that play a pivotal role in advancing national competitiveness. By securing intellectual property through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, FSU enables the transition of faculty-led inventions from the lab to the marketplace, driving both economic growth and societal impact.

“This ranking is more than just a number; it represents the relentless ingenuity of our faculty and their commitment to solving the most pressing challenges of our time,” said Vice President for Research Stacey S. Patterson. “A patent is often the bridge between an idea or breakthrough and a commercial product or service that improves lives, creates jobs, and drives our economy forward. This achievement is a credit to our world-class researchers and a signal to our partners that FSU is a premier destination for high-impact discovery and innovation.”

FSU’s climb in the rankings is driven by a diverse portfolio of breakthroughs across engineering, medicine, and materials science. This year’s ranking reflects the university’s commitment to high-impact research and includes a wide range of patents, including:

• A neutron detector developed by Associate Professor of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering Zhibin Yu
• A water-air drone hybrid by Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Christian Hubicki

• An antifibrotic drug by Professor of Medicine Branko Stefanovic

• A photo-plastic that can move in different ways with different wavelengths by Professor of Chemistry Ken Hanson

“What makes Florida State’s patent portfolio truly remarkable is its incredible diversity,” said Associate Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Innovation Valerie McDevitt. “Our ranking isn’t just a win for one department. It’s a reflection of a campus-wide culture of discovery. From groundbreaking advancements in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory to innovative tools in education and the health sciences, we are proving that FSU’s expertise spans the entire spectrum of human inquiry.”

The NAI has published a worldwide ranking since 2013 but introduced the focused U.S. Universities list in 2023 to better highlight the specific contributions of the American academic landscape. Collectively, the universities on the 2025 Top 100 U.S. list secured over 6,700 patents during the previous calendar year.

This recognition follows a banner year for FSU’s research enterprise, which recently surpassed $488 million in annual research expenditures. The university was also ranked the No. 1 university in Florida for innovation and economic impact in TIME’S inaugural World’s Top Universities 2026 rankings.