The article presents the author's view on the development of youth entrepreneurship at a university based on the factor of cooperation with partners. The main objective of the study is to establish the methodological framework for the use of the potential of the partners of a university for the development of youth entrepreneurship. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to develop approaches to stimulate the development of youth entrepreneurship in Russia, including at universities. The article considers theoretical and methodological foundations of youth entrepreneurship. The authors defines the stimulatory and constraining factors, as well as endogenous (transformational and transactional) and exogenous conditions for the development of youth entrepreneurship. A comprehensive mechanism is proposed in the context of four main structural units and principles of entrepreneurship taking into account the interaction of the university with its partners - businesses, territorial, educational and scientific communities. The authors systematizes the specific experience of Russian universities in the framework of the functioning elements of an integrated mechanism for the development of youth entrepreneurship, considering interaction with their partners. Common features and differences in the intensity of the support and development of youth entrepreneurship have been identified. The significant role of partners at this stage of the functioning of universities is obvious. Interaction with partners of a university in the development of youth entrepreneurship has a significant potential, based on the relevance of entrepreneurship support as a whole, the need to intensify the development of business activities of individual companies and institutions through the implementation of entrepreneurial initiatives and the social importance of discovering entrepreneurial skills in young people. The universities that have been studied use opportunities to attract external projects that further the development of youth entrepreneurship. The results can be used for analysis of current activity and formation of strategic documents in the field of youth entrepreneurship development for universities, private companies, scientific organizations and public associations.