In 2025, the American Council of Education simplified the qualifications for an institution to achieve the Research One (R1) Carnegie Classification. To earn an R1 designation, universities must award at least 70 research doctorates annually and spend at least $50 million in annual research and development expenditures.
This year, Howard University became the only HBCU to achieve R1 status as it spent approximately $85 million on research initiatives and awarded 96 doctorates in 2023. According to a new study led by Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, the updated R1 qualifications could lead to even more HBCUs achieving the prestigious designation.
Using information regarding the 11 HBCUs designated as R2 institutions in 2021, the study authors found that R2 HBCUs typically have low research funding compared to all R2 institutions. In 2021, R2 HBCUs had an average of $21.1 million in annual research expenditures, compared to an average of $41.9 million at all R2 universities. The largest disparity in research funding between R2 HBCUs and all R2 institutions was in regards to institutional funding. R2 HBCUs spent an average of $4.31 million on research using institutional funds, compared to an average of $12.3 million at all R2 universities.
Despite their lack of funding, R2 HBCUs awarded a median of 42 Ph.D.s in 2021, compared to a median of 56 Ph.D.s at all R2 institutions. This means that although R2 HBCUs make up about 4 percent of research expenditures at R2 institutions, they award 6.5 percent of all R2 research doctorates, suggesting HBCUs are promising institutions for research funding.
Looking at specific R2 HBCUs in 2021, the authors identified gaps where these institutions fall short of R1 status. In 2021, North Carolina A&T State University was near the threshold in both research expenditures and Ph.D. production. If the HBCU’s upward trend in research spending and doctorate production continues, NCA&T is on pace to achieve R1 status in the next classification cycle.
Several HBCUs – Jackson State University, Morgan State University, and Tennessee State University – met the necessary annual production of 70 research doctorates in 2021, but were far below the necessary threshold in research expenditures. Conversely, Florida A&M University did meet the research funding threshold in 2021, but fell short significantly in Ph.D. production.
In order for more HBCUs to achieve R1 status, the authors suggest federal policymakers and HBCU leadership should focus on expanding defense research capacities at these institutions and work together to define metrics aimed at evaluating progress and success. They also suggest more attention should be on closing funding gaps at HBCUs, particularly among the institutions who meet the required Ph.D. production but fall short in research spending. Additionally, they believe R2 HBCUs should work to increase their institutional funding and their share of awarded STEM research Ph.D. degrees to better align with the production at the country’s highest performing R1 universities.
