Where Famous Tech Founders Went to College (Infographic) Whether they dropped out or stuck it out, going to college more than paid off for today's top tech startup billionaires -- higher ed skeptic and Stanford alum Peter Thiel included.

By Kim Lachance Shandrow

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Peter Thiel take note: The high-tech BIZ Experiencesial dream is still alive and well in the Ivory Tower. Our nation's top colleges and universities aren't distractions from smash-hit startup endeavors. Many are the birthplace of them, and the Ivy League -- no surprise here -- is no exception.

Related: For the Startup-Minded, Debating the Pros and Cons of College

Famous billionaire college dropouts like Microsoft's Bill Gates (Harvard), Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg (Harvard) and WhatsApp's Jan Koum (San Jose State University) are anomalies in the startup realm. Most successful startup founders, plenty of billionaires among them, boast something these bigwigs don't -- a bachelor's degree.

From Berkeley to Cambridge, higher ed institutions continue to sharpen the minds of the best and brightest (and richest) in the tech startup world. Many offer degrees, courses and programs designed to cultivate BIZ Experiencesship, innovation and the indie startup spirit.

Related: College Is Worth the Price. Just Not This Price.

Stanford University -- the alma mater of Netflix's Reed Hastings, Snapchat's Evan Spiegel and Google's Larry Page -- offers StartX, a startup incubator, and the Business Association of Stanford BIZ Experiencesial Students (BASES). The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has Global Startup Labs and extends a host of electives focused on tech BIZ Experiencesship. Not far from MIT, Harvard University's Innovation Lab (i-lab) helps students expand their BIZ Experiencesial ventures at any stage of development across a variety of disciplines.

Which of America's colleges attract the most venture capital? Which are turning out the most successful BIZ Experiencess? Which breed the hottest tech startups? Find out in the infographic below, care of our friends at WhoIsHostingThis:

Click to Enlarge

Where Famous Tech Founders Went to College (Infographic)

Related: Peter Thiel on What You Can't Learn in College

Kim Lachance Shandrow

Former West Coast Editor

Kim Lachance Shandrow is the former West Coast editor at BIZ Experiences.com. Previously, she was a commerce columnist at Los Angeles CityBeat, a news producer at MSNBC and KNBC in Los Angeles and a frequent contributor to the Los Angeles Times. She has also written for Government Technology magazine, LA Yoga magazine, the Lowell Sun newspaper, HealthCentral.com, PsychCentral.com and the former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. C. Everett Coop. Follow her on Twitter at @Lashandrow. You can also follow her on Facebook here

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Growing a Business

Forget Investors and Co-Founders — Here's How I Built a Lean, Scalable Business on My Terms

You don't need a partner or investors to build something that lasts. You need vision, systems and the guts to go all in on yourself. Here's how I built alone — and why I still would, even now.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Side Hustle

This 26-Year-Old's Side Hustle Turned Full-Time Business Led to $100,000 in 2.5 Months and Is On Track for $2.5 Million in 2025

Ross Friedman's successful venture started with a "Teen Night" in Boston, Massachusetts.

Business News

How Much Does Apple Pay Its Employees? Here Are the Exact Salaries of Staff Jobs, Including Developers, Engineers, and Consultants.

New federal filings submitted by Apple reveal how much the tech giant pays its employees for a variety of roles.

Business News

Here's Why Meta's Earnings Were Better-Than-Expected, According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg

Meta stock reached a record high after the tech giant reported its second-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

Marketing

AI Won't Replace Marketers — But It Will Replace Lazy Ones Unless You Learn to Use It Strategically

Most marketers are using AI wrong — and it's not just wasting time, it's exposing who actually knows how to do the job.