The Commonwealth is now home to 11 R1 colleges and universities with WPI, UMass Lowell, and UMass Boston all earning the designation for the first time. The MLSC has invested more than $57 million in funding to these three institutions with nearly 1,100 internships for WPI, UMass Lowell, and UMass Boston students funded by the Center.
The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation) recently published the 2025 Research Activity Designations. R1, or Research 1, classification denotes very high spending and doctorate production, defined by a threshold of $50 million in total research spending and 70 research doctorates awarded annually.
Massachusetts is also fortunate to have several R2 institutions in addition to numerous colleges and universities known for their excellence in academic research, innovation, and launching of start-ups. In Massachusetts, the excellent public education system, strong regional community college programs, world-class colleges and universities, and state-of-the-art facilities all work together to support the advancement of science—with reliable, enthusiastic support from industry and government.
