Montana State University has once again been recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education and the American Council on Education as one of the most productive research institutions in the United States.
MSU received R1 designation, which denotes very high research output and doctoral education – making it one of 187 institutions nationwide to earn the classification. The university was also recognized as having a “very high undergraduate” enrollment profile, denoting a high percentage of undergraduate students. MSU was among only four universities in the country to receive both distinctions, along with Brigham Young University; the University of California, Merced; and Utah State University.
“Exceptional research is a cornerstone of our land-grant mission at MSU, and this classification is a testament to the success of our faculty, staff and students in that area,” said Alison Harmon, MSU’s vice president for research and economic development. “We have seen outstanding growth in research over the past decade, and the Carnegie recognition affirms that we will continue to be a leader in scientific advancement.”
Last year, MSU once again set a record in research expenditures, with just shy of $258 million invested in research – the sixth year in a row that the university set such a record. At the same time, MSU has seen two consecutive years with all-time highs in enrollment. Last fall, MSU became the first institution in Montana history to enroll more than 17,000 students, and earlier this month the university recorded its highest-ever spring semester enrollment.
“The continued excellence in research at Montana State is due to the tremendous people – the faculty, researchers, students and industry partners – who drive science forward,” said MSU President Waded Cruzado. “As Montana’s leading university, we have a responsibility to build programs that benefit our people, places and communities, and with the many extraordinary minds at Montana State, we are lucky to see that happening in real time every day.”
The metrics recognized by the Carnegie classification are reflected in MSU’s strategic plan, “Choosing Promise,” which was adopted in 2018. The plan’s goals include increasing student retention, greater numbers of faculty and graduate students supported by grants and contracts and surpassing $200 million in total research expenditures. The university has made progress toward all three goals since the plan was adopted, setting retention records last fall and surpassing $200 million in research expenditures in 2022.
Released every three years, Carnegie classifications are designed to organize the nearly 4,000 higher education institutions in the U.S. into a single framework. To receive the R1 designation, an institution must surpass $50 million in total research expenditures and award at least 70 research doctorates during a given year.
MSU previously held R1 classification from 2006 to 2015. When the Carnegie classifications adjusted their metrics in 2016, MSU was designated R2, for “higher research activity.” In response, the university created task forces comprising many faculty members to find ways to strengthen research and graduate education. Consequently, the university returned to R1 in 2019, a designation it has held ever since.
The “very high undergraduate” enrollment profile highlights universities at which the student body is at least 90% undergraduates. To receive both R1 and very high undergraduate designations indicates that MSU is a university where undergraduates have daily access to exceptional research opportunities that benefit their academic careers, their scientific fields and their communities, Harmon said.
“Achieving R1 status and being recognized for very high undergraduate enrollment are testaments to the hard work, collaboration and intellectual rigor of our faculty,” said MSU Provost Bob Mokwa. “Their relentless pursuit of excellence is shaping the future of research and education at MSU, providing our students with unparalleled opportunities to contribute to and benefit from research that changes lives and improves society.”
MSU’s undergraduate students continue to record outstanding achievements. In the past decade alone, the university has produced 32 Goldwater Scholars, 18 Fulbright Scholars, nine Truman Scholars, nine Udall Scholars, five Schwartzman Scholars and three Rhodes Scholars. MSU is ranked ninth in the nation in all-time Goldwater Scholars, with 90 awardees.