Carnegie Metrics

Since the launch of Illuminate in 2018 the University has aligned focus and dedicated resources to growing Baylor’s research enterprise. In 2019, the University officially announced its pursuit of Research 1 (R1) status, the highest research ranking awarded by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education (Carnegie). In December 2021, Baylor was officially recognized as an R1 institution. This designation was earned three years ahead of the anticipated timeline.

The Carnegie rankings are derived from the following measures of research activity:

research expenditures in both science and engineering and non-S&E fields,
research staff in science and engineering (S&E) (postdoctoral scholar and other non-faculty researchers with doctorates), and
research doctorates in humanities, social science, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, and in other/professional fields (e.g., business, education, social work).

Bar Chart of Total Research Expenditures

Research expenditures are one of the benchmarks used by Carnegie to measure research activity, including expenditures funded from both external sources (grants and contracts) and institutional sources designated for research purposes. The University’s overall research expenditures more than doubled from $31.9 million in 2018 to $66.4 million in 2022.

Research staff includes postdoctoral scholars and other non-faculty researchers with doctorates working in S&E fields. The latter category includes personnel working in research centers, institutes, and core facilities. The increase in research staff has been driven by the implementation of a three-year postdoctoral hiring program with some of the first cycle of new hires starting in the Fall 2020.

Bar Chart of Research Doctorates Awarded

Research Doctorates Research doctorate programs play a significant role in graduate education at the University and are also a factor in determining R1 status.

Research doctorates include Doctorates of Philosophy (PhDs) in STEM, Humanities, Social Sciences and in other professional areas like Curriculum and Teaching, Entrepreneurship, Health Services Research, Higher Education Studies and Leadership, and Social Work. Other research doctorates also include non-PhD professional programs such as the Doctor of Education (EdD), the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA), and the Doctor of Science (DSc).

The increase in research doctorates from 2021 to 2022 is primarily due to the full impact of the new online EdD in Learning and Organizational Change. (Data provided courtesy of the Graduate School.)