R2 Research institutions in the United States
R2 universities are doctoral institutions with high research activity, the second Carnegie research tier. This dataset includes 133 U.S. institutions classified as R2 Research under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, maintained by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, enrolling about 1,993,648 students in total.
Of these, 93 are public and 40 private. The largest by enrollment include ASUDI, Kennesaw State, and CSU. Among institutions that report the figure, the median graduation rate is 61% and the median average net price is $16,697.
R1 vs R2 vs Doctoral/Professional
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, maintained by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation, sorts doctoral universities into these research tiers.
| Tier | Research activity | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| R1 | Very high research activity | Doctoral universities with the highest level of research activity, the top Carnegie research tier (e.g. Harvard, MIT, most flagship state universities). |
| R2 | High research activity | Doctoral universities with high research activity, the second Carnegie research tier, below R1 but above the doctoral/professional category. |
| Doctoral/Professional | Doctoral or professional-practice degrees | Universities that award research or professional-practice doctorates but fall below the research-activity thresholds for R1 or R2. |
133 institutions
Page 1 of 3Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management
Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio
American University
Washington, District of Columbia
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, Arizona
Arkansas State University
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Augusta University
Augusta, Georgia
Azusa Pacific University
Azusa, California
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
Boise State University
Boise, Idaho
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Bowling Green, Ohio
Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah
California State University - East Bay
Hayward, California
California State University - Fresno
Fresno, California
California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, California
California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, California
California State University - San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Chapman University
Orange, California
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, California
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia
Clark University
Worcester, Massachusetts
Clarkson University
Potsdam, New York
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, Ohio
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska
CUNY City College
New York, New York
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
Tallahassee, Florida
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, Florida
Fordham University
Bronx, New York
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia
Howard University
Washington, District of Columbia
Idaho State University
Pocatello, Idaho
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, Illinois
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus
Indiana, Pennsylvania
Indiana University - Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Jackson State University
Jackson, Mississippi
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, Georgia
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California
Long Island University
Brookville, New York
Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, Louisiana
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California
Frequently asked questions
- What is a R2 Research institution under the Carnegie Classification?
- R2 universities are doctoral institutions with high research activity, the second Carnegie research tier. This dataset tracks 133 of them in the United States.
- Is Harvard a R1 or R2 university?
- Harvard University is classified R1: a doctoral university with very high research activity, the top Carnegie research tier. R1 and R2 are assigned by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation, not self-declared by institutions.
- What are the largest R2 Research in the U.S.?
- By total enrollment, the largest are ASUDI, Kennesaw State, CSU, CSUB, and San Diego State.
- What is the typical graduation rate and net price for these institutions?
- The median graduation rate among institutions that report one is 61%, and the median average net price is $16,697. Figures come from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
Related categories
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Data: IPEDS Fall 2025–26 provisional · College Scorecard (June 2026 release). All sources & release dates →
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