You may have seen posts saying that the United States has 187 R1 universities and that these universities are ideal targets for graduate study. The list is useful, but the real question is not simply "Which universities are R1?"

The better question

Which R1 universities actually match your profile?

Your academic background, research experience, publications, research interests, technical skills, degree level, English proficiency, funding needs, and faculty fit all matter.

01 · Understand the designation

What does R1 actually mean?

Carnegie's 2025 Research Activity Designation identifies 187 institutions as Research 1 institutions. The designation is intended to identify institutions with very high levels of research spending and research doctorate production.

R1

Research 1

Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production.

$50M+ research spending threshold 70+ research doctorates
Important: R1 is not a university ranking such as QS or THE. It also does not mean that every program at the university is equally strong or that admission will be easy.
02 · Start with yourself

Before looking at universities, analyze your profile

A common mistake is to start with a university list and then try to force your profile into it. A better approach is the opposite.

01

Academic background

Degree, major, CGPA, relevant coursework and academic consistency.

02

Research experience

Thesis, projects, laboratory work, RA experience, research internships and independent research.

03

Publications

Journal papers, conference papers, authorship position, venue quality and research contribution.

04

Research direction

Identify the actual topics you want to work on rather than simply choosing a broad field.

05

Technical skills

Programming, statistics, machine learning, laboratory methods, computational tools or discipline specific skills.

06

Funding requirement

Determine whether you need a fully funded PhD, assistantship, scholarship or another funding pathway.

03 · Profile matching

How should you match your profile?

Do not treat all 187 institutions as equally suitable. Build a university shortlist based on evidence.

01

Choose your field

Example: Computer Science, Data Science, Biology, Public Health, Engineering, Statistics or Economics.

02

Find relevant departments

An R1 university may be excellent overall while a particular department may not match your research goal.

03

Find faculty

Search faculty profiles, recent papers, laboratories, grants and current research projects.

04

Check program requirements

Check prerequisites, English requirements, application deadlines, GRE requirements where applicable and degree equivalency.

05

Investigate funding

Look for RA, TA, fellowship and departmental funding. Never assume that R1 automatically means full funding.

04 · Fit matters

R1 status is only one part of the decision

Good approach
  • Research interest matches faculty
  • Relevant academic background
  • Strong research evidence
  • Program accepts your degree background
  • Funding opportunities exist
  • Research group is actively publishing
Weak approach
  • Choosing only by university name
  • Assuming R1 means guaranteed funding
  • Ignoring faculty research
  • Applying without checking prerequisites
  • Choosing only highly famous universities
  • Ignoring realistic admission probability
05 · Application strategy

Build a balanced shortlist

Instead of applying to every famous university, divide your shortlist into different strategic groups.

Ambitious Reach

Excellent research fit, but highly competitive for your current profile.

Target Strong Fit

Good alignment between your profile, research interests and program requirements.

Strategic Safer Options

Strong research environment with comparatively better admission feasibility for your profile.

06 · Explore the list

The 187 U.S. R1 Universities

The following institutions are the 187 universities included in Carnegie's 2025 R1 Research Activity Designation. Click an institution to visit its official website.

How to use this list: Do not shortlist a university merely because it appears here. First identify your intended program, department, faculty fit, admission requirements and funding opportunities.
01American UniversityWashington, DC 02Arizona State UniversityTempe, AZ 03Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL 04Baylor College of MedicineHouston, TX 05Baylor UniversityWaco, TX 06Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY 07Boston CollegeChestnut Hill, MA 08Boston UniversityBoston, MA 09Brandeis UniversityWaltham, MA 10Brigham Young UniversityProvo, UT 11Brown UniversityProvidence, RI 12California Institute of TechnologyPasadena, CA 13Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh, PA 14Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OH 15Clemson UniversityClemson, SC 16Colorado School of MinesGolden, CO 17Colorado State University Fort CollinsFort Collins, CO 18Columbia UniversityNew York, NY 19Cornell UniversityIthaca, NY 20CUNY Graduate School and University CenterNew York, NY 21Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH 22Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia, PA 23Duke UniversityDurham, NC 24East Carolina UniversityGreenville, NC 25Emory UniversityAtlanta, GA 26Florida Atlantic UniversityBoca Raton, FL 27Florida International UniversityMiami, FL 28Florida State UniversityTallahassee, FL 29George Mason UniversityFairfax, VA 30George Washington UniversityWashington, DC 31Georgetown UniversityWashington, DC 32Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlanta, GA 33Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA 34Harvard UniversityCambridge, MA 35Howard UniversityWashington, DC 36Indiana University BloomingtonBloomington, IN 37Indiana University IndianapolisIndianapolis, IN 38Iowa State UniversityAmes, IA 39Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MD 40Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KS 41Kent State UniversityKent, OH 42Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA 43Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LA 44Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IL 45Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridge, MA 46Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, SC 47Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MI 48Michigan Technological UniversityHoughton, MI 49Mississippi State UniversityMississippi State, MS 50Missouri University of Science and TechnologyRolla, MO 51Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT 52New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNewark, NJ 53New Mexico State UniversityLas Cruces, NM 54New York UniversityNew York, NY 55North Carolina State UniversityRaleigh, NC 56North Dakota State UniversityFargo, ND 57Northeastern UniversityBoston, MA 58Northern Arizona UniversityFlagstaff, AZ 59Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL 60Nova Southeastern UniversityFort Lauderdale, FL 61The Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OH 62Ohio UniversityAthens, OH 63Oklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK 64Old Dominion UniversityNorfolk, VA 65Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR 66Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PA 67Princeton UniversityPrinceton, NJ 68Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN 69Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, NY 70Rice UniversityHouston, TX 71Rutgers University New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJ 72Saint Louis UniversitySt. Louis, MO 73San Diego State UniversitySan Diego, CA 74Southern Illinois University CarbondaleCarbondale, IL 75Southern Methodist UniversityDallas, TX 76Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 77Stony Brook UniversityStony Brook, NY 78Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, NY 79Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PA 80Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX 81Texas Tech UniversityLubbock, TX 82The Catholic University of AmericaWashington, DC 83The University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AL 84The University of MontanaMissoula, MT 85University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphis, TN 86University of Tennessee KnoxvilleKnoxville, TN 87University of Texas at ArlingtonArlington, TX 88University of Texas at AustinAustin, TX 89University of Texas at DallasRichardson, TX 90University of Texas at El PasoEl Paso, TX 91University of Texas at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX 92University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, TX 93University of Texas Health Science Center at San AntonioSan Antonio, TX 94Tufts UniversityMedford, MA 95Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LA 96University at AlbanyAlbany, NY 97University at BuffaloBuffalo, NY 98University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL 99University of ArizonaTucson, AZ 100University of ArkansasFayetteville, AR 101University of California BerkeleyBerkeley, CA 102University of California DavisDavis, CA 103University of California IrvineIrvine, CA 104University of California Los AngelesLos Angeles, CA 105University of California MercedMerced, CA 106University of California RiversideRiverside, CA 107University of California San DiegoSan Diego, CA 108University of California San FranciscoSan Francisco, CA 109University of California Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, CA 110University of California Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA 111University of Central FloridaOrlando, FL 112University of ChicagoChicago, IL 113University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OH 114University of Colorado BoulderBoulder, CO 115University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical CampusDenver, CO 116University of ConnecticutStorrs, CT 117University of DaytonDayton, OH 118University of DelawareNewark, DE 119University of DenverDenver, CO 120University of FloridaGainesville, FL 121University of GeorgiaAthens, GA 122University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaHonolulu, HI 123University of HoustonHouston, TX 124University of IdahoMoscow, ID 125University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL 126University of Illinois Urbana ChampaignChampaign, IL 127University of IowaIowa City, IA 128University of KansasLawrence, KS 129University of KentuckyLexington, KY 130University of Louisiana at LafayetteLafayette, LA 131University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY 132University of MaineOrono, ME 133University of Maryland BaltimoreBaltimore, MD 134University of Maryland College ParkCollege Park, MD 135University of Maryland Baltimore CountyBaltimore, MD 136University of Massachusetts AmherstAmherst, MA 137University of Massachusetts BostonBoston, MA 138University of Massachusetts LowellLowell, MA 139University of MemphisMemphis, TN 140University of MiamiCoral Gables, FL 141University of Michigan Ann ArborAnn Arbor, MI 142University of Minnesota Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MN 143University of MississippiOxford, MS 144University of Missouri ColumbiaColumbia, MO 145University of Missouri Kansas CityKansas City, MO 146University of Nebraska Medical CenterOmaha, NE 147University of Nebraska LincolnLincoln, NE 148University of Nevada Las VegasLas Vegas, NV 149University of Nevada RenoReno, NV 150University of New HampshireDurham, NH 151University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM 152University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, NC 153University of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotte, NC 154University of North DakotaGrand Forks, ND 155University of North TexasDenton, TX 156University of Notre DameNotre Dame, IN 157University of OklahomaNorman, OK 158University of OregonEugene, OR 159University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA 160University of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA 161University of Rhode IslandKingston, RI 162University of RochesterRochester, NY 163University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC 164University of South FloridaTampa, FL 165University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CA 166University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS 167University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallas, TX 168University of ToledoToledo, OH 169University of UtahSalt Lake City, UT 170University of VermontBurlington, VT 171University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA 172University of WashingtonSeattle, WA 173University of Wisconsin MadisonMadison, WI 174University of Wisconsin MilwaukeeMilwaukee, WI 175University of WyomingLaramie, WY 176Utah State UniversityLogan, UT 177Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TN 178Virginia Commonwealth UniversityRichmond, VA 179Virginia TechBlacksburg, VA 180Washington State UniversityPullman, WA 181Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, MO 182Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MI 183Weill Cornell MedicineNew York, NY 184West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, WV 185William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA 186Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MA 187Yale UniversityNew Haven, CT
07 · Your shortlist

Do not stop at the R1 list

The 187 universities are a starting dataset. Your actual application list should be much smaller and much more personalized.

Identify your intended degree and specialization.

Find 5 to 15 faculty members whose research genuinely matches yours.

Read their recent publications instead of relying only on profile keywords.

Check whether the department accepts your academic background.

Investigate RA, TA, fellowship and department funding.

Compare application deadlines and requirements.

Classify universities as ambitious, target and strategic options.

AMIR Academy

Your R1 shortlist should be profile driven.

A good application strategy is not about applying to the largest number of famous universities. It is about finding the right intersection between your profile, research interests, faculty, program and funding.

Discuss Your Profile
Source & verification

Verify before you apply

The R1 list in this article follows the 2025 Carnegie Research Activity Designation. Carnegie states that 187 institutions received the R1 designation in 2025.

View the official Carnegie R1 directory →