Carnegie Is Changing How It Classifies R1 Institutions. Will Your University Make the Cut?

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is making changes to its most closely watched college labels. The American Council on Education, which helps manage the classifications, is making several revisions, effective in 2025. The one that will capture the most attention is its drastic simplification of the criteria that determine what caliber of research university an institution is. Carnegie Classification analysts have long used a complex formula, involving 10 factors and calculations that compare universities, to decide which ones will get the coveted “doctoral universities — very high research activity,” or “R1,” label. Now, just two factors distinguish that designation from the R2 level (“high research activity”): how much money an institution spends on research, and how many doctorates it awards in a year.