The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation) published Thursday the 2025 Research Activity Designations, unveiling an updated methodology intended to better account for and reflect the multifaceted, wide-ranging research landscape of higher education institutions in America.
The University of Central Arkansas was included in the Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) category. This new designation identifies research happening at colleges and universities that historically have not been recognized for their research activity, including institutions that do not offer many or any doctoral degrees. This new designation includes any non-R1 or R2 institution that spends more than $2.5 million on research annually.
Michael Hargis
“We are proud to be recognized as a Regional Comprehensive University in the updated Carnegie Classification for Higher Education. This designation affirms our commitment to delivering a world-class educational experience while expanding our research and scholarship to serve our state and region. We look forward to building on this momentum, fostering innovation and strengthening our academic and research portfolio to meet the evolving needs of our students and communities,” said Executive Vice President and Provost Michael Hargis.
The two remaining categories for Research Activity Designations include the following:
- Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production, now defined by a clear threshold of $50 million in total research spending and 70 research doctorates awarded annually. In 2025, 187 institutions have been given a designation of R1.
- Research 2: High Spending and Doctorate Production, which continues the previous requirement of $5 million in research spending and 20 research doctorates awarded annually. This year, 139 institutions received a designation of R2.
More information about 2025 Research Activity Designations can be found here.
These changes are part of a series of updates to make the Carnegie Classifications more reflective of the wide range of higher education institutions across America and how they serve their students.
In April 2025, ACE and the Carnegie Foundation will publish the 2025 Institutional Classification. This is an update to the historic Basic Classification and will group institutions by characteristics including the types of degrees they award, the fields of study in which students receive their degree, and the size of the institution. Previously, the Research Activity Designations were part of the Basic Classification; however, the new Institutional Classification will not incorporate research in its methodology. For that reason, the 2025 Research Activity Designations have been published separately.
Until the new Institutional Classifications are published, the 2021 Basic Classifications are still applicable alongside the newly released 2025 Research Activity Designations.
Additionally, a new Student Access and Earnings Classification centering students’ access to higher education and their long-term economic success will also be published in April 2025.
To learn more about the updates to the Carnegie Classifications and the data methodology used for the 2025 Research Activity Designations, please visit our website.
About the American Council on Education
ACE unites and leads higher education institutions toward a shared vision for the future. With more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, ACE designs solutions for today’s challenges and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector. Learn more at www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (formerly Twitter) @ACEducation and LinkedIn american-council-on-education.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.
