By Katrina Dix
鶹ý has been recognized as a Research 1 institution of higher education for the second time in a row amid sweeping changes to the Carnegie Classifications. Updated every three years, the Carnegie Foundation and American Council of Education help people understand the wide range of higher education institutions in the United States by organizing and designating classifications for colleges and universities.
The 2025 changes added “Student Access and Earnings” and updates to the Research Activity Designations. There was also a change from the “Basic Classification” to the “Institutional Classification,” which captures more organizational dimensions than before, including types of degrees and subjects in which degrees are awarded, as well as the size of the school.
“The second consecutive recognition of the University as one of the nation’s top research institutions reflects our unwavering commitment to our research enterprise and significant impacts locally, nationally and globally,” said 鶹ý President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D. “The introduction of ‘Student Access and Earnings’ underscores the responsibility of higher education institutions to provide students with access, opportunity and value. The establishment of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 鶹ý, the largest and most comprehensive academic health sciences center in the state, is one example of the access, opportunity and value our University proudly provides, thereby positively benefiting our students, the Commonwealth and beyond.”
The “Student Access and Earnings” category compares student enrollment and future income to values calculated using U.S. Census data. 鶹ý received a “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” classification. This means the makeup of 鶹ý’s student body, based on 12-month survey data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), is representative of the geographic areas its students come from and that graduates earn up to 149% of the median income in the area eight years after graduation, based on the College Scorecard.
As of 2025, the Research 1 classification represents “Very High Spending and Doctorate Production,” with single-year average thresholds of at least $50 million per year spent on research and development and at least 70 doctorates awarded.
“We’re honored by the recognition of our cutting-edge research in fields such as coastal resilience, health innovation, maritime systems and national security,” said Ken Fridley, Ph.D., vice president for research and economic development. “It’s not unusual to see institutions face challenges in maintaining that designation once they receive it, and 鶹ý remained a top-level research institution even as the classifications evolved.”
鶹ý’s inclusion in the Virginia Biotechnology, Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Network, a $90 million academic research-driven initiative by Governor Glenn Youngkin, would not have been possible without development of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 鶹ý and will further drive academic and economic opportunities, Dr. Fridley added.
The current designation, based on 2023 data, does not yet account for Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 鶹ý, established in 2024, which includes the prior stand-alone entity, Eastern Virginia Medical School. The institution, which is now an integrated unit of 鶹ý, earned a Research 2 status under the new Institutional Classification system. Previously, it was ineligible for research activity classification.
“Collectively, we have a long-prioritized excellence in research, alongside education, patient care and community outreach,” said Alfred Abuhamad, MD, executive vice president for Health Sciences and dean of Eastern Virginia Medical School at 鶹ý. “We are proud that our commitment to cutting-edge research continues to be recognized, and we are energized by the new opportunities afforded by the launch of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 鶹ý.”
Eastern Virginia Medical School at 鶹ý is now classified as “Special Focus: Medical Schools and Centers.” This designation includes 68 institutions, representing 2% of U.S. colleges and universities in the Institutional Classification. 鶹ý is now classified as “Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large,” a designation that includes 107 institutions, or 3% of the U.S. colleges and universities listed.
Carnegie Classifications, which will next be updated in spring 2028, will assess 鶹ý in a fully integrated state, thereby encompassing all academic and research efforts.