Overall rank by patents
#241
Across all tracked assignees
USPTO 2015–2025 USPTO PatentsView US Corporation
Northwestern University
USPTO PatentsView assignee record — 1,734 granted patents across 276 technology areas, active 2015–2025. Filing-trend and competitive-moat analysis cross-referenced to USPTO Patent Public Search. Primary class: A61K (PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES).
1,734
Total patents granted
276
CPC technology areas
16.8
Avg claims per patent
+46%
5-year filing velocity
Portfolio overview
Northwestern University has been granted 1,734 US utility patents between 2015 and 2025, placing Northwestern University at rank #241 across all assignees tracked by PlainPatent. This portfolio spans 276 distinct Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) subclasses, averaging 16.8 claims per patent with primary concentration in A61K (PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES). As a US Corporation, Northwestern University is one of the broader-portfolio assignees in the PatentsView dataset. The composite Innovation Score of 67.5/100 blends portfolio volume, filing velocity, technology breadth, and claim depth into a single comparable measure drawn directly from USPTO PatentsView records.
Filing cadence tells the strategic story. Between 2020 and 2025 the company received 1,028 grants, compared with 706 in the 2015–2019 window — a +46% shift in five-year velocity. Steady filing volume suggests sustained innovation without dramatic pivots. The US Corporation classification further shapes interpretation, since corporate, government, and individual filers pursue patents for materially different reasons.
Claim depth and technology breadth together indicate competitive posture. Northwestern University's 16.8 average claims per patent sits within the typical range for solid legal coverage without excessive prosecution cost, while a diversified footprint across 100+ CPC subclasses spreads risk across many technology fronts. Combined with portfolio volume, these signals let analysts, investors, and licensing professionals benchmark Northwestern University against peers pursuing similar technology classes.
How does Northwestern compare?
Granted US patents 2015–2025 versus the largest corporate holders — this company marked ◀
- Samsung
SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
106,890 patents
- International Bus…
International Business Machines Corporation
72,926 patents
- Canon 34,378
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
34,378 patents
- LG 32,607
LG ELECTRONICS INC.
32,607 patents
- Taiwan Semiconduc… 31,041
TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
31,041 patents
- Apple 30,560
Apple Inc.
30,560 patents
- Qualcomm Incorpor… 30,354
QUALCOMM Incorporated
30,354 patents
- Intel 27,498
Intel Corporation
27,498 patents
- Northwestern Univ… ◀ 1,734
Northwestern University
1,734 patents
What this shows Northwestern holds 1,734 patents — placing it at rank #241 overall, well behind the volume leaders but ahead of the tens of thousands of smaller assignees in the dataset.
USPTO utility patent grants by year · 2015–2025
Grants by year
Teal-shaded recent years (2020–present) versus the 2015–2019 baseline. Full figures in the table below.
View data table
| Year | Patents Granted | Share of Period |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 122 | 7.0% |
| 2016 | 117 | 6.7% |
| 2017 | 147 | 8.5% |
| 2018 | 136 | 7.8% |
| 2019 | 184 | 10.6% |
| 2020 | 191 | 11.0% |
| 2021 | 146 | 8.4% |
| 2022 | 161 | 9.3% |
| 2023 | 154 | 8.9% |
| 2024 | 203 | 11.7% |
| 2025 | 173 | 10.0% |
Which technologies does Northwestern University patent most?
C07K— PEPTIDES 113
Top 15 of 276 technology areas
Patent Moat Analysis
Portfolio Volume Strong
Tech Breadth Diversified
Claim Depth Standard
Velocity Growing
Frequently Asked Questions
How many patents does Northwestern University hold?
Northwestern University holds 1,734 US granted patents filed between 2015 and 2025, spanning 276 technology areas.
What is Northwestern University's Innovation Score?
Northwestern University has an Innovation Score of 67.5 out of 100. This composite metric weighs portfolio volume (40%), filing velocity (20%), technology breadth (25%), and claim depth (15%).
What technology areas does Northwestern University focus on?
Northwestern University's top technology area is A61K (PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES) with 375 patents. The company has filed patents in 276 CPC subclasses total.
Is Northwestern University's patent filing rate increasing or decreasing?
Northwestern University's recent filing velocity is +46% compared to the prior five-year period. The company is maintaining or growing its patent output.
What does claim depth mean for Northwestern University's patents?
Northwestern University's patents average 16.8 claims each. This falls within the standard range, providing solid legal coverage.
How is the Northwestern University patent data sourced?
All patent data comes from USPTO PatentsView, a public research dataset maintained by the United States Patent and Trademark Office covering US granted utility patents from 2015 to 2025.
Learn More
Explore the patent dataset
A61K technology
Northwestern University's primary CPC class — all holders and yearly trends
Top 50 patent holders
See where Northwestern University ranks among the largest US patent assignees
All technology classes
Browse every CPC technology area by patent activity
How the score works
The four dimensions behind the Innovation Score
Related
Data sourced from USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. government patent data. See our methodology for computation details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPatent Editorial
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the USPTO PatentsView database. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- USPTO PatentsView — official U.S. Patent and Trademark Office bulk patent data. patentsview.org
- USPTO Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) — application status and file history. uspto.gov/patents/pair
- USPTO Bulk Data Storage System — comprehensive patent text + claims dataset. bulkdata.uspto.gov
- USPTO CPC Classification — Cooperative Patent Classification scheme for technology categorization. uspto.gov/cpc
- SEC EDGAR — public filings cross-reference for assignee corporate entity matching. sec.gov/edgar
- WIPO PATENTSCOPE — international patent context (related international filings). wipo.int/patentscope
