Historically Black US universities chase top research ranking
Article Date: 23 February 2026
Article URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00366-6
Article Image: https://media.nature.com/lw767/magazine-assets/d41586-026-00366-6/d41586-026-00366-6_52079456.jpg
Summary
Howard University regained the Carnegie Classification’s R1 status (the highest US research designation) in early 2025, becoming the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to hold that title in the modern era. R1 requires substantial research spending (historically set at or above US$50 million) and a high rate of research doctorate conferrals (about 70 or more per year). The designation is already drawing more interest from funders, potential faculty and students.
Several other HBCUs are actively pursuing R1 status. North Carolina A&T State University (NCATSU) is close — it logged around $82 million in research spending in 2024 but missed the doctorate threshold by a small margin — while Morgan State has more than doubled its research expenditure since 2021 and put in place internal tracking, incentives and student support to accelerate PhD completions. Recent changes to the Carnegie metrics have broadened the pathway to R1, removing caps and adjusting thresholds, making ascent more achievable for institutions that expand spend and doctoral output.
Key Points
- Howard University regained R1 status, signalling ‘very high’ research activity under the Carnegie Classification.
- R1 status typically reflects significant research spending (around US$50M+) and high annual research doctorate conferrals (≈70+).
- Carnegie’s updated criteria (released recently) broaden the range of institutions eligible for R1, with no fixed cap on numbers.
- HBCUs historically receive far less federal and state research funding than predominantly white institutions, yet produce a disproportionate share of Black STEM graduates.
- NC A&T and Morgan State are close to R1: NC A&T had $82M research spend in 2024 but missed the doctorate count by three; Morgan State doubled spending to $56M and improved internal supports.
- Institutions pursuing R1 status use strategies such as adding PhD programmes, offering faculty grant incentives, building dashboards to track progress, and boosting support for doctoral completion.
- Attaining R1 can act like a ‘gravity well’, attracting more funding, partnerships and talent to universities that achieve it.
Context and relevance
This story sits at the intersection of higher-education policy, research funding equity and the US STEM talent pipeline. HBCUs have long punched above their weight in producing Black STEM graduates despite receiving a tiny share of research and development investment. Achieving R1 status can materially alter an HBCU’s ability to compete for multi‑year federal contracts, philanthropic dollars and research partnerships — with knock-on effects for faculty recruitment and student opportunities.
Carnegie’s metric changes and the visible success of Howard create momentum: other HBCUs are following structured, measurable approaches to increase research spend and doctorate output. For policymakers, funders and institutional leaders, the piece highlights how classification changes, targeted institutional strategies and investment can shift long-term equity in the US research landscape.
Why should I read this?
Short version: if you care about who gets research cash, where top STEM talent is trained, or whether US universities are becoming more equitable, this is worth two minutes. It shows Howard’s R1 win isn’t just a label — it’s already reshaping funding flows and ambitions at other HBCUs. We’ve done the digging so you don’t have to: R1 matters because it unlocks money, people and prestige.
Author style
Punchy — the article makes a clear, consequential point: Howard’s return to R1 is a potential tipping point for HBCUs. Read the details if you work in research policy, university leadership, funding or diversity in STEM; the practical measures universities are using here are instructive.