Carnegie Classification Reaffirms A-State’s Designation as Research 2 Institution
JONESBORO – Arkansas State University’s status as a “Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production” institution, as designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, has been reaffirmed.
Also known in higher education circles as “R2,” the designation acknowledges Arkansas State’s status as one of the nation’s top research and teaching universities.
“Reaffirmation as an R2 university by the Carnegie Classification underscores Arkansas State University’s commitment to high-impact research and advanced education,” said Chancellor Todd Shields. “This designation highlights A-State’s role in driving innovation, supporting industry needs, and preparing graduates who will contribute meaningfully to Arkansas’ economy and beyond.”
A-State was recognized in the latest classification listings for averaging almost $8 million in research expenditures annually during academic years 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23.
“Our outstanding researchers and scientists are driving discoveries across disciplines, with several faculty members leading highly productive research initiatives funded by state and nationally competitive grants,” noted Dr. Calvin White Jr., executive vice chancellor and provost. “These dollars enhance our academic programs and create vital research opportunities for students, as well as support state-of-the-art facilities, and directly impact and enrich communities in our region and state.”
The new 2025 research designations were announced today by the Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education.
“The Research 2 designation demonstrates the commitment of A-State faculty to research, innovation and discovery, providing authentic opportunities and experiences to students to help them develop as independent thinkers and problem solvers,” said Dr. Travis Marsico, vice provost for research, innovation and discovery.
A-State was first elevated to R2 status during Carnegie’s 2018 evaluation and classification cycle.
“Part of the calculation of the new Carnegie ranking is the number of research doctoral degrees awarded, and the other part is federally reported research and development expenditures,” commented Marsico, who also is executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute at A-State.“
Additionally, research expenditures increased 50% in the most recent National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development report that A-State just submitted in January, compared with the previous fiscal year. This huge increase in the reported value is a result of improved reporting to better capture university funds in support of basic and applied research and experimental development.
“Even though this report for fiscal 2024 is not yet considered for the Carnegie Classification, it shows we are moving in the right direction for greater efforts on research,” Marsico added. “The report includes federal and state sources of research funding, along with university support of research endeavors, and this most recent report showed well over $10 million in research and development last year, higher than any other year since 2012."
Almost 4,000 American colleges and universities are categorized in the Carnegie classification system. Nationally, only 326 institutions qualify for the Very High Spending and Doctorate Production (R1) or High Spending and Doctorate Production (R2) research activity listings.
Arkansas State is among 139 universities in the R2 category, which also includes Sun Belt Conference peers Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, James Madison, and Texas State, as well as the Air Force Academy, Brigham Young University, Howard University, and the University of Toledo.
A-State is one of four research universities listed for the state of Arkansas, along with University of Arkansas (R1) and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (R2), and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (R2).
The three years of data on which the classifications are determined were submitted by the institutions to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
In late 2023, the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation) announced a series of changes, to become effective in 2025, to modernize the Carnegie Classifications, a framework used for five decades to classify American colleges and universities. They will publish new institutional classifications in April, grouping institutions by characteristics including the types of degrees awarded, the fields of study in which students receive their degree, and the institution’s size.
The new classifications were developed to revise the Basic Classification, which generally placed all U.S. institutions of higher education into groups based on the highest degree awarded, to new, multi-dimensional groups that more accurately describe each institution’s scope and additional aspects of their mission.
More information about the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is available online at https://carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/.
