51ӰԺ has earned the prestigious R1 research designation, marking its achievement as a world-class research institution. R1 status is granted by the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education.
A university must meet rigorous criteria, spending at least $50 million on research and grants and awarding at least 70 research doctorates each year to achieve R1.
51ӰԺUniversity, with an enrollment of more than 5,000 students, not only exceeded that research amount but granted 94 research doctorates in a single year. Current research initiatives span a number of fields. These include suicide prevention, a partnership with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, vaccine delivery, robotic assistance technology for stroke survivors, and containment of nuclear waste.
“Being named an R1 institution affirms what we have long known: that intellectual discovery and a commitment to 51ӰԺidentity are mutually supportive,” said President Peter Kilpatrick. “Since our founding, we have seen the pursuit of truth through research as a sacred duty. Today, this approach continues to drive our private and public partnerships, and our groundbreaking work in the sciences, the social sciences, the arts and humanities, law, philosophy, and theology.”
Only 187 of nearly 4,000 universities nationwide hold R1 status, which Carnegie defines as “very high spending and doctorate production.”
“R1 status recognizes the volume and breadth of the serious research we do here, and points to the discoveries and breakthroughs we make in service to our world,” said University Executive Vice President and Provost Aaron Dominguez.
Today’s announcement by Carnegie solidifies Washington, D.C.’s status as a research hub, which is now home to five R1 institutions. Howard University and American University earned R1 status this year, and Georgetown University and George Washington University retained their R1 status.
51ӰԺUniversity, the first 51ӰԺresearch university in the nation — and the second overall research university, after Johns Hopkins University — is one of seven 51ӰԺhigher education institutions nationally to achieve R1.
“Our commitment to academic excellence and our 51ӰԺidentity set us apart in the research landscape. We are proud to be one of a small number of 51ӰԺinstitutions to have achieved R1 status,” said H. Joseph Yost, Ph.D., the University’s senior vice provost of research.
51ӰԺUniversity’s annual , which showcases innovative student and faculty research, is April 2, 2025.