Syracuse University Maintains R1 Classification

Syracuse University has once again been classified as a “Research 1: Very High Spending and Doctorate Production” institution by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Part of the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, the R1 designation goes to the top tier of doctoral research universities in the U.S. Syracuse is one of 187 institutions to hold the designation, which is based on a minimum annual research expenditure of $50 million and 70 or more research doctorates conferred per year.

The Carnegie Classifications, dating to 1973, are the industry standard for classifying schools by higher education researchers and others. The 2025 research activity designations involve an updated methodology “intended to better account for and reflect the multifaceted, wide-ranging research landscape of higher education institutions in America,” according to a press release on the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education website.