4 Initial Steps for Climbing the Carnegie Classification® Ranks

Institutions say that there are numerous benefits associated with obtaining a higher Carnegie® research designation. Learn about four ways to climb the Carnegie Classification® ranks.

Fall is rankings and awards season in higher education. In that spirit, we wanted to share with you the answer the Ask EAB team provides for a common question: How can institutions climb the Carnegie Classification® ranks? Institutions cite numerous benefits associated with obtaining a higher Carnegie Classification® research designation. These include an enhanced institutional profile within their state and nationally, potentially greater state investment downstream, and the ability to attract and retain better faculty, students, donors, and partners. Here are the four initial steps we recommend to chief research officers (CROs) whose institutions are seeking to climb the Carnegie Classification® ranks. For those of you already focused on rising in the ranks, steps three and four include specific strategies and recommendations for future consideration. 1. Familiarize yourself with the Carnegie Classification® rankings methodology and your institution’s current classification. In order to be classified as Doctoral Universities, institutions must award a minimum of twenty research or scholarship degrees each year. Within the Doctoral Universities classification, institutions are then separated into three categories based on research activity metrics. R1: Doctoral Universities – Highest research activity R2: Doctoral Universities – Higher research activity R3: Doctoral Universities – Moderate research activity If your institution is currently classified as a Master’s college or university, determine how many more doctoral degree programs are needed to meet the minimum requirements to be classified as a Doctoral University. 2. Use the Carnegie Classification® data to determine where your institution currently stands compared to institutions at higher designations by identifying the particular research activity metrics where your institution is lagging behind. The following research…