St. Edward’s University has been designated as a research university by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching after the organizations created a new designation this year.

How it happened

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education announced its 2025 Research Activity Designations on Feb. 13, according to a news release.

Along with including a list of 542 recognized institutions across America, officials with ACE and the Carnegie Foundation created a new classification: Research Colleges and Universities.

St. Edward’s received the recognition for the very first time, in addition to 215 other institutions, per the release.

“Earning research university status is a significant milestone for our university, reflecting the steadfast support of our faculty, staff and community partners who are devoted to opening doors for students to graduate education and pathways to success in an ever-evolving workforce,” St. Edward’s University President Montserrat Fuentes said in a campus news release.

The specifics

The new RCU designation identifies research occurring at institutions that historically have not been acknowledged for their research activity.

St. Edward’s received RCU classification for investing an average of at least $2.5 million annually in research and development opportunities, according to the campus news release.

According to an ACE and Carnegie Foundation fact sheet, RCU institutions already in Research 1 or Research 2 designations are not included in the RCU classification, which are defined as:

• Research 1: institutions spending $50 million in total research with 70 research doctorates are awarded annually
• Research 2: institutions spending $5 million in research with 20 research doctorates are awarded annually

The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education began developing a classification of colleges and universities to support its program of research and policy analysis in 1970, according to its website.

One more thing

As Research Activity Designations are updated every three years, St. Edward’s will retain research university status until the next evaluation in 2028, per the campus release.

“This landmark achievement is a testament to the exceptional talent and dedication of our faculty, their scholarship, creative endeavors and research,” Fuentes said in the release.

Remember this?

St. Edward’s officials celebrated the university’s recently opened School of Health Sciences with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Jan. 28, according to previous Community Impact reporting.