UNH Today

UNH has risen to the top echelon of research universities in the country as designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, which released the 2018 update to its classifications of the nation’s higher education institutions last month. UNH is now among the 130 doctoral-granting universities in the “very high research activity,” or R1, category.

“This is a powerful recognition of UNH as one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities,” says Jan Nisbet, senior vice provost for research at UNH. “It underscores our ongoing commitment to research and scholarship that improves the lives of people here in the Granite State and across the globe.” UNH was previously in the second tier — doctoral universities high research activity, or R2 — of Carnegie Classifications; ascending to the top level has been a focus of Nisbet’s for the past decade.

Designation as an R1 university will boost UNH efforts to attract talented undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, faculty and staff, Nisbet says. It also indicates to federal and state agencies, private foundations and philanthropists, and business and industry that UNH has the capacity to conduct high-quality research and education.

“This is a powerful recognition of UNH as one of the nation’s highest-performing research universities.”

“UNH’s classification as an R1 institution reflects the excellence of the innovative research that our faculty and students are pursuing across our campuses,” says UNH President James W. Dean Jr. “This confirms UNH’s growing reputation as a national leader, and as a great place for students to work side-by-side with our faculty mentors on cutting-edge research.”