List of research universities in the United States
This is a list of universities in the United States classified among research universities in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. This defines research institutions as those that spend more than $2.5 million on research and development", and assigns these institutions to one of three research designations based on total research expenditures and production of research doctorates.
History
The 1994 edition of the Carnegie Classification defined Research I universities as those that:- Offer a full range of baccalaureate programs
- Are committed to graduate education through the doctorate
- Give high priority to research
- Award 50 or more doctoral degrees each year
- Receive annually $40 million or more in federal support
In their interim 2000 edition of the classification, the Carnegie Foundation renamed the category to Doctoral/research universities-extensive in order to avoid the inference that the categories signify quality differences." The foundation replaced their single classification system with a multiple classification system in their 2005 comprehensive overhaul of the classification framework so that the term "Research I university" was no longer valid, though many universities continued to use it.
In 2015, the Carnegie Classification System reinstated the "Research I university" designations along with "Research II" and "Research III." The system in use from 2018, included the following three categories for doctoral universities:
- R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity
- R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity
- D/PU: Doctoral/Professional Universities
- Research & development expenditures in science and engineering
- R&D expenditures in non-S&E fields
- S&E research staff
- Doctoral conferrals in humanities, social science, STEM fields, and in other fields
In the 2025 classification, all institutions with more than $2.5 million in research expenditure were classified into three "Research Activity Designations":
- Research 1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production
- Research 2: High Research Spending and Doctorate Production
- Research Colleges and Universities
Universities classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production"
There are 187 institutions that are classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research spending and doctorate production" in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as of the 2025 update.R1 universities spend at least $50 million a year on research and development and award at least 70 research doctorates.
Prior to the 2025 update, the R1 designation indicated that the university had a very high level of either aggregate research activity or per capita research activity.
| Name | City | State | Control |
| American University | Washington | DC | Private not-for-profit |
| Arizona State University | Tempe | AZ | Public |
| Auburn University | Auburn | AL | Public |
| Houston | TX | Private not-for-profit | |
| Waco | TX | Private not-for-profit | |
| Binghamton University | Binghamton | NY | Public |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Boston University | Boston | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Brandeis University | Waltham | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Brigham Young University | Provo | UT | Private not-for-profit |
| Brown University | Providence | RI | Private not-for-profit |
| Pasadena | CA | Private not-for-profit | |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh | PA | Private not-for-profit |
| Case Western Reserve University | Cleveland | OH | Private not-for-profit |
| Catholic University of America | Washington | DC | Private not-for-profit |
| Clemson University | Clemson | SC | Public |
| Golden | CO | Public | |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins | Fort Collins | CO | Public |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | New York | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| Cornell University | Ithaca | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| CUNY Graduate School and University Center | New York | NY | Public |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover | NH | Private not-for-profit |
| Drexel University | Philadelphia | PA | Private not-for-profit |
| Duke University | Durham | NC | Private not-for-profit |
| East Carolina University | Greenville | NC | Public |
| Emory University | Atlanta | GA | Private not-for-profit |
| Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton | FL | Public |
| Florida International University | Miami | FL | Public |
| Florida State University | Tallahassee | FL | Public |
| George Mason University | Fairfax | VA | Public |
| George Washington University | Washington | DC | Private not-for-profit |
| Georgetown University | Washington | DC | Private not-for-profit |
| Atlanta | GA | Public | |
| Georgia State University | Atlanta | GA | Public |
| Harvard University | Cambridge | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Howard University | Washington | DC | Private not-for-profit |
| Bloomington | IN | Public | |
| Indianapolis | IN | Public | |
| Iowa State University | Ames | IA | Public |
| Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore | MD | Private not-for-profit |
| Kansas State University | Manhattan | KS | Public |
| Kent State University at Kent | Kent | OH | Public |
| Lehigh University | Bethlehem | PA | Private not-for-profit |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College | Baton Rouge | LA | Public |
| Chicago | IL | Private not-for-profit | |
| Cambridge | MA | Private not-for-profit | |
| Medical University of South Carolina | Charleston | SC | Public |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing | MI | Public |
| Michigan Technological University | Houghton | MI | Public |
| Mississippi State University | Mississippi State | MS | Public |
| Rolla | MO | Public | |
| Montana State University | Bozeman | MT | Public |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark | NJ | Public |
| New Mexico State University-Main Campus | Las Cruces | NM | Public |
| New York University | New York | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | NC | Public |
| North Dakota State University-Main Campus | Fargo | ND | Public |
| Northeastern University | Boston | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Northern Arizona University | Flagstaff | AZ | Public |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | IL | Private not-for-profit |
| Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale | FL | Private not-for-profit |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | Columbus | OH | Public |
| Athens | OH | Public | |
| Oklahoma State University | Stillwater | OK | Public |
| Old Dominion University | Norfolk | VA | Public |
| Oregon State University | Corvallis | OR | Public |
| Princeton University | Princeton | NJ | Private not-for-profit |
| Purdue University | West Lafayette | IN | Public |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| Rice University | Houston | TX | Private not-for-profit |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick | New Brunswick | NJ | Public |
| Saint Louis University | MO | Private not-for-profit | |
| San Diego State University | San Diego | CA | Public |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | IL | Public |
| Southern Methodist University | Dallas | TX | Private not-for-profit |
| Stanford University | Stanford | CA | Private not-for-profit |
| Stony Brook University | Stony Brook | NY | Public |
| Syracuse University | Syracuse | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| Temple University | Philadelphia | PA | Public |
| Texas A & M University-College Station | College Station | TX | Public |
| Texas Tech University | Lubbock | TX | Public |
| University Park | PA | Public | |
| Tuscaloosa | AL | Public | |
| Missoula | MT | Public | |
| Memphis | TN | Public | |
| Knoxville | TN | Public | |
| Arlington | TX | Public | |
| Austin | TX | Public | |
| Richardson | TX | Public | |
| El Paso | TX | Public | |
| San Antonio | TX | Public | |
| Houston | TX | Public | |
| San Antonio | TX | Public | |
| Tufts University | Medford | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans | LA | Private not-for-profit |
| Albany | NY | Public | |
| Buffalo | NY | Public | |
| Birmingham | AL | Public | |
| Tucson | AZ | Public | |
| Fayetteville | AR | Public | |
| Berkeley | CA | Public | |
| Davis | CA | Public | |
| Irvine | CA | Public | |
| Los Angeles | CA | Public | |
| Merced | CA | Public | |
| Riverside | CA | Public | |
| La Jolla | CA | Public | |
| San Francisco | CA | Public | |
| Santa Barbara | CA | Public | |
| Santa Cruz | CA | Public | |
| Orlando | FL | Public | |
| Chicago | IL | Private not-for-profit | |
| Cincinnati | OH | Public | |
| Boulder | CO | Public | |
| Denver | CO | Public | |
| Storrs | CT | Public | |
| Dayton | OH | Private not-for-profit | |
| Newark | DE | Public | |
| Denver | CO | Private not-for-profit | |
| Gainesville | FL | Public | |
| Athens | GA | Public | |
| Honolulu | HI | Public | |
| Houston | TX | Public | |
| Moscow | ID | Public | |
| Chicago | IL | Public | |
| Champaign | IL | Public | |
| Iowa City | IA | Public | |
| Lawrence | KS | Public | |
| Lexington | KY | Public | |
| Lafayette | LA | Public | |
| Louisville | KY | Public | |
| Orono | ME | Public | |
| Catonsville | MD | Public | |
| College Park | MD | Public | |
| Baltimore | MD | Public | |
| Amherst | MA | Public | |
| Boston | MA | Public | |
| Lowell | MA | Public | |
| Memphis | TN | Public | |
| Coral Gables | FL | Private not-for-profit | |
| Ann Arbor | MI | Public | |
| Minneapolis | MN | Public | |
| University | MS | Public | |
| Columbia | MO | Public | |
| Kansas City | MO | Public | |
| Omaha | NE | Public | |
| Lincoln | NE | Public | |
| Las Vegas | NV | Public | |
| Reno | NV | Public | |
| Durham | NH | Public | |
| Albuquerque | NM | Public | |
| Chapel Hill | NC | Public | |
| Charlotte | NC | Public | |
| Grand Forks | ND | Public | |
| Denton | TX | Public | |
| Notre Dame | IN | Private not-for-profit | |
| Norman | OK | Public | |
| Eugene | OR | Public | |
| Philadelphia | PA | Private not-for-profit | |
| Pittsburgh | PA | Public | |
| Kingston | RI | Public | |
| Rochester | NY | Private not-for-profit | |
| Columbia | SC | Public | |
| Tampa | FL | Public | |
| Los Angeles | CA | Private not-for-profit | |
| Hattiesburg | MS | Public | |
| Dallas | TX | Public | |
| Toledo | OH | Public | |
| Salt Lake City | UT | Public | |
| Burlington | VT | Public | |
| Charlottesville | VA | Public | |
| Seattle | WA | Public | |
| Madison | WI | Public | |
| Milwaukee | WI | Public | |
| Laramie | WY | Public | |
| Utah State University | Logan | UT | Public |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | TN | Private not-for-profit |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | Richmond | VA | Public |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Blacksburg | VA | Public |
| Washington State University | Pullman | WA | Public |
| Washington University in St Louis | MO | Private not-for-profit | |
| Wayne State University | Detroit | MI | Public |
| Weill Cornell Medicine | New York | NY | Private not-for-profit |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown | WV | Public |
| Williamsburg | VA | Public | |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester | MA | Private not-for-profit |
| Yale University | New Haven | CT | Private not-for-profit |
Universities classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research spending and doctorate production"
There are 140 institutions that are classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research spending and doctorate production" in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as of the 2025 update.The R2 designation indicates that, on average, the university spends at least $5 million a year on research and development and awards at least 20 research doctorates.
Prior to the 2025 update, the R2 designation was assigned to universities with a high level of aggregate research activity or per capita research activity, but not a very high level in either.
Institutions classified among "Research Colleges and Universities"
As of the 2025 update, the Carnegie Foundation classifies 216 institutions as "Research Colleges and Universities". This new category requires institutions spend at least $2.5 million on research & development and are not included in the R1 or R2 categories.| Institution | Control | City | State |
| Alabama A&M University | Public | Huntsville | AL |
| Alabama State University | Public | Montgomery | AL |
| Public | Anchorage | AK | |
| Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Private non-profit | Albany | NY |
| Albany Medical College | Private non-profit | Albany | NY |
| Alcorn State University | Public | Alcorn State | MS |
| Alfred University | Private non-profit | Alfred | NY |
| Amherst College | Private non-profit | Amherst | MA |
| Public | Pine Bluff | AR | |
| Austin Peay State University | Public | Clarksville | TN |
| Public | Baltimore | MD | |
| Barnard College | Private non-profit | New York | NY |
| Public | New York | NY | |
| Biola University | Private non-profit | La Mirada | CA |
| Bowdoin College | Private non-profit | Brunswick | ME |
| Bowie State University | Public | Bowie | MD |
| Public | Brooklyn | NY | |
| Bryn Mawr College | Private non-profit | Bryn Mawr | PA |
| Bucknell University | Private non-profit | Lewisburg | PA |
| Public | Buffalo | NY | |
| Public | Arcata | CA | |
| Public | San Luis Obispo | CA | |
| Public | Bakersfield | CA | |
| Public | Camarillo | CA | |
| Public | Chico | CA | |
| Public | Carson | CA | |
| Public | Hayward | CA | |
| Public | Seaside | CA | |
| Public | Northridge | CA | |
| Public | San Bernardino | CA | |
| Public | San Marcos | CA | |
| Calvin University | Private non-profit | Grand Rapids | MI |
| Carleton College | Private non-profit | Northfield | MN |
| Public | Conway | AR | |
| Private non-profit | Bayamón | PR | |
| Public | Edmond | OK | |
| Central State University | Public | Wilberforce | OH |
| Central Washington University | Public | Ellensburg | WA |
| Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science | Private non-profit | Los Angeles | CA |
| Chicago State University | Public | Chicago | IL |
| Christopher Newport University | Public | Newport News | VA |
| Public | Charleston | SC | |
| Public | Bronx | NY | |
| Claremont McKenna College | Private non-profit | Claremont | CA |
| Coastal Carolina University | Public | Conway | SC |
| Colby College | Private non-profit | Waterville | ME |
| Colgate University | Private non-profit | Hamilton | NY |
| College of Charleston | Public | Charleston | SC |
| Colorado College | Private non-profit | Colorado Springs | CO |
| Colorado State University Pueblo | Public | Pueblo | CO |
| Dakota State University | Public | Madison | SD |
| Davidson College | Private non-profit | Davidson | NC |
| Des Moines University – Osteopathic Medical Center | Private non-profit | West Des Moines | IA |
| Private non-profit | Detroit | MI | |
| Diné College | Public, tribal | Tsaile | AZ |
| Public | Washington | DC | |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | Public | East Stroudsburg | PA |
| Eastern Washington University | Public | Cheney | WA |
| Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine | Private non-profit | Blacksburg | VA |
| Elon University | Private non-profit | Elon | NC |
| Fayetteville State University | Public | Fayetteville | NC |
| Fisk University | Private non-profit | Nashville | TN |
| Florida Gulf Coast University | Public | Fort Myers | FL |
| Fort Lewis College | Public | Durango | CO |
| Fort Valley State University | Public | Fort Valley | GA |
| Franklin & Marshall College | Private non-profit | Lancaster | PA |
| Gallaudet University | Private non-profit | Washington | DC |
| Grand Valley State University | Public | Allendale | MI |
| Grinnell College | Private non-profit | Grinnell | IA |
| Public | Mangilao | GU | |
| Hamilton College | Private non-profit | Clinton | NY |
| Harvey Mudd College | Private non-profit | Claremont | CA |
| Haverford College | Private non-profit | Haverford | PA |
| Public | Hilo | HI | |
| Hawaiʻi Pacific University | Private non-profit | Honolulu | HI |
| High Tech High Graduate School of Education | Public | San Diego | CA |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges | Private non-profit | Geneva | NY |
| Hope College | Private non-profit | Holland | MI |
| Public | Springfield | IL | |
| Public | New York | NY | |
| Keck Graduate Institute | Private non-profit | Claremont | CA |
| Kentucky State University | Public | Frankfort | KY |
| Lake Superior State University | Public | Sault Ste. Marie | MI |
| Langston University | Public | Langston | OK |
| Lawrence Technological University | Private non-profit | Southfield | MI |
| Public | Bronx | NY | |
| Lewis & Clark College | Private non-profit | Portland | OR |
| Lincoln University | Public | Jefferson City | MO |
| Public | Monroe | LA | |
| Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport | Public | Shreveport | LA |
| Marian University | Private non-profit | Indianapolis | IN |
| Public | Princess Anne | MD | |
| Marymount University | Private non-profit | Arlington | VA |
| Public | Houston | TX | |
| Meharry Medical College | Private non-profit | Nashville | TN |
| MGH Institute of Health Professions | Private non-profit | Boston | MA |
| Middlebury College | Private non-profit | Middlebury | VT |
| Midwestern University–Downers Grove | Private non-profit | Downers Grove | IL |
| Midwestern University–Glendale | Private non-profit | Glendale | AZ |
| Milwaukee School of Engineering | Private non-profit | Milwaukee | WI |
| Public | Duluth | MN | |
| Minnesota State University, Mankato | Public | Mankato | MN |
| Missouri State University–Springfield | Public | Springfield | MO |
| Monmouth University | Private non-profit | West Long Branch | NJ |
| Montana Technological University | Public | Butte | MT |
| Morehead State University | Public | Morehead | KY |
| Morehouse College | Private non-profit | Atlanta | GA |
| Morehouse School of Medicine | Private non-profit | Atlanta | GA |
| Mount Holyoke College | Private non-profit | South Hadley | MA |
| Murray State University | Public | Murray | KY |
| Naval Postgraduate School | Public | Monterey | CA |
| Public | Kearney | NE | |
| Private non-profit | West Haven | CT | |
| New Mexico Highlands University | Public | Las Vegas | NM |
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | Public | Socorro | NM |
| New York Institute of Technology | Private non-profit | Old Westbury | NY |
| New York Medical College | Private non-profit | Valhalla | NY |
| Norfolk State University | Public | Norfolk | VA |
| North Carolina Central University | Public | Durham | NC |
| Northeast Ohio Medical University | Public | Rootstown | OH |
| Public | Cedar Falls | IA | |
| Northern Kentucky University | Public | Highland Heights | KY |
| Northwest Indian College | Public, tribal | Bellingham | WA |
| Occidental College | Private non-profit | Los Angeles | CA |
| Oregon Institute of Technology | Public | Klamath Falls | OR |
| Pace University | Private non-profit | New York | NY |
| Pacific University | Private non-profit | Forest Grove | OR |
| Public | Erie | PA | |
| Public | Harrisburg | PA | |
| Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | Private non-profit | Philadelphia | PA |
| Pittsburg State University | Public | Pittsburg | KS |
| Pomona College | Private non-profit | Claremont | CA |
| Ponce Health Sciences University | Private non-profit | Ponce | PR |
| Providence College | Private non-profit | Providence | RI |
| Purdue University Fort Wayne | Public | Fort Wayne | IN |
| Purdue University Northwest | Public | Hammond | IN |
| Public | Queens | NY | |
| Reed College | Private non-profit | Portland | OR |
| Rhode Island College | Private non-profit | Providence | RI |
| Rhode Island School of Design | Private non-profit | Providence | RI |
| Private non-profit | Richmond | VA | |
| Roger Williams University | Private non-profit | Bristol | RI |
| Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science | Private non-profit | North Chicago | IL |
| Roseman University of Health Sciences | Private non-profit | Henderson | NV |
| Sacred Heart University | Private non-profit | Fairfield | CT |
| Saginaw Valley State University | Public | University Center | MI |
| Public | MN | ||
| Private non-profit | Austin | TX | |
| Private non-profit | Queens | NY | |
| Private non-profit | Saint Paul | MN | |
| Salisbury University | Public | Salisbury | MD |
| Santa Clara University | Private non-profit | Santa Clara | CA |
| Seattle University | Private non-profit | Seattle | WA |
| Smith College | Private non-profit | Northampton | MA |
| Sonoma State University | Public | Rohnert Park | CA |
| South Dakota School of Mines and Technology | Public | Rapid City | SD |
| Southeastern Louisiana University | Public | Hammond | LA |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | Edwardsville | IL |
| Public | Portland | ME | |
| Spelman College | Private non-profit | Atlanta | GA |
| Public | Staten Island | NY | |
| Stephen F. Austin State University | Public | Nacogdoches | TX |
| Suffolk University | Private non-profit | Boston | MA |
| Sul Ross State University | Public | Alpine | TX |
| Public | Cobleskill | NY | |
| Public | Brooklyn | NY | |
| Public | New York | NY | |
| Public | Utica | NY | |
| Swarthmore College | Private non-profit | Swarthmore | PA |
| Public | Ewing | NJ | |
| Texas A&M International University | Public | Laredo | TX |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso | Public | El Paso | TX |
| Tougaloo College | Private non-profit | Jackson | MS |
| Touro University | Private non-profit | New York | NY |
| Touro University California | Private non-profit | Vallejo | CA |
| Towson University | Public | Towson | MD |
| Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago | Private non-profit | Chicago | IL |
| Trinity College | Private non-profit | Hartford | CT |
| Trinity University | Private non-profit | San Antonio | TX |
| Troy University | Public | Troy | AL |
| Tuskegee University | Private non-profit | Tuskegee | AL |
| Private non-profit | MO | ||
| Public | Asheville | NC | |
| United States Air Force Academy | Public | USAF Academy | CO |
| United States Military Academy | Public | West Point | NY |
| United States Naval Academy | Public | Annapolis | MD |
| Public | Fort Worth | TX | |
| Public | San Juan | PR | |
| Public | Spartanburg | SC | |
| Public | Chattanooga | TN | |
| Public | Odessa | TX | |
| Vassar College | Private non-profit | Poughkeepsie | NY |
| Public | Charlotte Amalie | VI | |
| Public | Bothell | WA | |
| Public | Tacoma | WA | |
| Wellesley College | Private non-profit | Wellesley | MA |
| Wesleyan University | Private non-profit | Middletown | CT |
| West Texas A&M University | Public | Canyon | TX |
| West Virginia State University | Public | Institute | WV |
| Western Carolina University | Public | Cullowhee | NC |
| Western Illinois University | Public | Macomb | IL |
| Western Kentucky University | Public | Bowling Green | KY |
| Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine | Private non-profit | Kalamazoo | MI |
| Western University of Health Sciences | Private non-profit | Pomona | CA |
| Western Washington University | Public | Bellingham | WA |
| William Paterson University of New Jersey | Public | Wayne | NJ |
| Williams College | Private non-profit | Williamstown | MA |
| Winston-Salem State University | Public | Winston-Salem | NC |
| Winthrop University | Public | Rock Hill | SC |
| Public | Green Bay | WI | |
| Public | La Crosse | WI | |
| Public | River Falls | WI | |
| Public | Stevens Point | WI | |
| Public | Superior | WI | |
| Xavier University of Louisiana | Private non-profit | New Orleans | LA |
| Youngstown State University | Public | Youngstown | OH |