Baylor University Again Recognized Among Nation’s Elite Research Universities with Research 1 Designation
University’s continued research growth elevates Baylor within new criteria from American Council on Education and Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
The Baylor Sciences Building houses multiple core research and service facilities and serves as home to six academic departments and over a dozen interdisciplinary centers, programs and institutes in the College of Arts & Sciences. (Matthew Minard/Baylor University)
Baylor University has again been recognized as a Research 1 (“R1”) university, a prestigious designation awarded to the nation’s top research universities by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. First recognized as a Research 1 university in 2021 – three years ahead of schedule – Baylor has continued to invest in research and doctoral education, both solidifying and elevating its unique status as a preeminent Christian research university.
Baylor is among 187 R1 institutions, just 52 of which are private universities. Texas now leads the nation with 16 top-tier research universities, surpassing California and New York.
“I am thrilled that Baylor University has been reaffirmed as a Research 1 institution in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications,” President Linda A. Livingstone, Ph.D., said. “Baylor holds a distinct place in higher education as a preeminent Christian Research 1 university that draws world-class faculty, students and staff seeking an institution where their faith and their research interests not only co-exist but thrive.
“Through our previous strategic plan Illuminate that guided our path to R1, the $1.5 billion Give Light philanthropic campaign that provided transformational resources and now our new strategic plan – Baylor in Deeds – Baylor University has charted a course for further growth and global impact. I am deeply grateful for our faculty, staff and students and our academic and research leadership, including the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, for their dedicated work that gives Baylor, as an R1 Christian university, a seat at the table to address some of the world’s most significant challenges,” President Livingstone said.
Every three years, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education releases a highly anticipated report classifying research universities based on research metrics and highest degrees awarded. Research 1 – defined as universities with “Very High Spending and Doctorate Production” – is the highest designation conferred.
In 2023, Carnegie and the American Council on Education announced significant changes to simplify the framework for determining R1 institutions. With these changes, a university’s R1 credentials are measured in two areas: research expenditures and research doctorates awarded. Baylor’s initial R1 classification came within the old framework in 2021, and the University’s current numbers greatly exceed the new standards for R1 institutions.
New Carnegie Standards
"Research 1 universities are recognized as the most productive and impactful in the nation, so it's meaningful to be a part of this elite group,” Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., said. “Baylor's focused efforts to grow our research enterprise have elevated key metrics far above minimum standards of both the old and new criteria from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, and we are now poised for greater impact through the implementation of Baylor in Deeds, the University’s new strategic plan. I'm grateful to our outstanding faculty, research staff and students whose commitment and skill have made this possible."
Under new criteria from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Learning, universities are now measured by just two benchmarks, instead of 10. To be classified as R1, universities must spend at least $50 million on research and develop and award at least 70 research doctorates.
For the FY 2023, which determined this year’s rankings, Baylor spent $82,074,000 in research expenditures and awarded 227 research doctorates. These numbers represent a continued upward trend for the University. Baylor’s investment in research has nearly tripled in the last seven years – from $29.4 million in 2016-17 to the current numbers – with research doctorates nearly doubling from 110 to 227 in that same time frame.
“Recognition like this requires everyone across campus working together, and I’m grateful to everyone who has played a role,” Kevin Chambliss, Ph.D., Vice Provost for Research, said. “Our faculty, research staff and students do outstanding work, and we’re blessed with great alignment here at Baylor as we grow our research enterprise to make a difference far beyond campus.”
Continued Growth
In 2018, Baylor launched its Illuminate strategic plan, which provided a framework, and the Give Light philanthropic campaign that accelerated the quest toward preeminence as a Christian research university. After attaining R1 recognition earlier than anticipated in 2021, Baylor administrators highlighted that the honor was not merely a finish line, but a benchmark on the way to greater research impact. Over the last five years, the University has welcomed 48 new endowed faculty positions, including 23 endowed chair positions, to attract outstanding research faculty drawn by the University’s Christian mission and research excellence. Commensurate to that growth has been increased investment in research infrastructure to support that work.
As Baylor looks ahead, the University’s new strategic plan, Baylor in Deeds, provides a roadmap to greater global impact through a commitment to broaden interdisciplinary research and impact in areas of societal need and across fields of institutional strength. The five-year plan runs through 2030.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.