These 12 schools produce the most venture capitalists

Venture capitalists spend their time finding, investing in and supporting high-growth and often high-risk companies. As the Harvard Business Review put it, "venture capitalists get paid well to lose money."

But how does one become one of these powerful investors?

According to a recent report from Crunchbase, the secret may lie in where you go to school. Crunchbase analyzed data from over 4,500 investors and found that 12 schools produced over 42 percent of all venture capitalists.

Here are the 12 universities that grant the most graduate and undergraduate degrees to venture capitalists:

Number of VC alumni: 61
In-state tuition and fees: $14,826 (2017-18)
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $47,476 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 44,718

Number of VC alumni: 63
Tuition and fees: $52,853 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 22,319

Number of VC alumni: 63
Tuition and fees: $47,140 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 8,181

Number of VC alumni: 79
Tuition and fees: $54,825 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 13,322

Number of VC alumni: 80
In-state tuition and fees: $14,098 (2017-18)
Out-of-state tuition and fees: $42,112 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 40,174

Number of VC alumni: 90
Tuition and fees: $52,950 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 6,409

Number of VC alumni: 90
Tuition and fees: $51,400 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 12,458

Number of VC alumni: 100
Tuition and fees: $57,208 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 25,084

Number of VC alumni: 148
Tuition and fees: $49,892 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 11,376

Number of VC alumni: 225
Tuition and fees: $53,534 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 21,826

Number of VC alumni: 426
Tuition and fees: $49,617 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 16,914

Number of VC alumni: 484
Tuition and fees: $48,949 (2017-18)
Total enrollment: 20,324

Elite and exclusive universities dominated Crunchbase's list. Seven of the eight Ivy League schools made it into the top 12 and collectively produced 1,115 venture capitalists. Harvard University produced a whopping 484 venture capitalists alone.

Almost three-quarters of the venture capitalists that Crunchbase studied earned an advanced degree and 51 percent earned an MBA.

One reason these prestigious schools produce so many venture capitalists is because of the networking and mentorship opportunities that they provide.

Ann Miura-Ko, co-founder of venture capital firm Floodgate, who is often described as "the most powerful woman in start-ups," says that a networking opportunity at Yale was crucial to her success in venture capital.

While at Yale, Miura-Ko worked as a student tour guide and ended up showing Lewis Platt, the CEO of Hewlett Packard from 1992 through 1999, around campus.

"He invited me to follow him and shadow him during my spring break," says Muira-Ko who also has a Ph.D. in mathematical modeling from Stanford. "When I returned back to my college campus, he had sent me two pictures. One was a picture of myself, sitting next to Lew, talking to him. The second picture was Bill Gates, who had visited that week. He was sitting exactly where I had sat."

Miura-Ko — and Bill Gates — are perfect examples of why and how prestigious institutions with abundant networking opportunities like Yale and Stanford are producing a huge number of venture capitalists.

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