N.C. A&T Is Poised to Join the R1 Ranks:

At the fall faculty and staff convening that marks the start of each new school year, Chancellor James R. Martin II publicly recognized the leadership of the Graduate College at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University for its efforts in enhancing graduate education as the institution moves toward the Carnegie Classifications’ designation for “Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production (R1).”

North Carolina A&T is on track to join the elite ranks of R1 institutions during the first quarter of 2028, having exceeded the minimum thresholds for this classification for the past two years. Our university would become the first public historically Black college or university (HBCU) to hold the designation.

This journey toward a historic achievement in graduate education and HBCU excellence involves strategic planning, innovation and a focus on quality in graduate education. A&T is well-positioned to join Howard University as an R1 HBCU and to maintain this status for many years to come. Achieving this classification will enhance the reputation of the institution, making the university more attractive as a viable partner in conducting state-of-the-art research, supporting its mission to advance the human condition and foster economic growth in North Carolina and beyond.

The Path to R1: A&T’s Strategic Vision

In a memorandum dated Feb. 17, 2020, the university established a nine-member task force on university research rankings. The committee’s charge was to assess the potential for the institution to move from a Carnegie classification of R2 to R1. In May 2021, after more than a year of meetings, surveys and interviews with key university stakeholders, the task force submitted its recommendations.

The main recommendation was that A&T work toward joining the top 4.5% of universities in the United States and be recognized as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Foundation while also becoming the top research institution among HBCUs. Additional recommendations of the task force included developing a comprehensive plan and strategy to increase state and federal investments; creating a plan to expand the number and variety of doctoral programs; increasing faculty and research staffing; increasing research expenditures; increasing philanthropic support; and reinvesting in campus infrastructure to support future expansion of research activities.

Since the formula used to determine research classification considered research expenditures (STEM vs. non-STEM), research staff, doctoral degrees awarded (STEM vs. humanities vs. social sciences vs. other) and faculty with time commitments to research, the initial plan was to diversify the portfolio of Ph.D. programs by establishing new doctoral programs in the humanities and the social sciences, where they were lacking. Because of the time required for new doctoral degree program approval by the University of North Carolina System (approximately two years at that time), the task force reported it would take a minimum of six years to reach R1 status, with the expectation that A&T would achieve it by 2030 in alignment with the institution’s strategic plan, Preeminence 2030: North Carolina A&T Blueprint.

The Graduate College at A&T: A Hub of Innovation and Excellence

The Graduate College continues to introduce new strategies and innovative approaches to enhancing graduate education while building on a legacy of excellence at A&T. Graduate enrollment has reached record levels for two consecutive years (1,814 in 2024 and 2,018 in 2025).

Since 2018, Graduate College enrollment has increased by 33.64%. Over that same timespan, the university launched several new doctoral, master’s and graduate certificate programs in areas targeted for strategic enrollment growth. During the 2023-24 academic year, the UNC System granted A&T approval to establish three new doctoral degree programs. This was a university record and the most for any university in the system that year.

The Graduate College has gained national attention for using microcredentials as a pathway to expand access to graduate education through graduate certificates. Other examples of innovation include securing more than $16 million in grant funding to support graduate student success; being named the most affordable doctoral-granting research university by Money magazine three years in a row; improving national rankings by U.S. News & World Report for several graduate programs (Online MS in Information Technology - #9, MS in Mental Health Counseling - #18, MBA - #72, Online MBA - #50); implementing a new comprehensive graduate student funding model; and boosting funding from the university, the state, alumni and corporations.

A New Era of R1 HBCUs?

Howard University regained its R1 Carnegie classification in early 2025 following an update of classification criteria. As of Nov. 1, 2023, to achieve R1 status, an institution must exceed $50 million in annual research expenditures and award a minimum of 70 Ph.D. degrees. While A&T exceeded the minimum threshold for research expenditures, the university fell two short of the required 70 Ph.D. degrees during the 2022-23 academic year.

Since then, A&T exceeded the criteria for R1 in 2023-24 and 2024-25. As long as the Ph.D. degree requirement is not change during the next cycle, meeting the criteria for a third-consecutive year would bring A&T into alignment with the Carnegie Classifications’ final requirement. A policy brief from Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology earlier this year noted that while several HBCUs that currently hold Carnegie’s R2 designation are moving toward R1 (Jackson State, Morgan State, Tennessee State and Florida A&M), A&T is the only university “within striking distance” of reclassification.

Looking Ahead: Beyond R1 Status.

As Chancellor Martin II highlighted at the gathering to start this school year, A&T is on track to become an R1 institution during the next review in 2027, with an announcement expected in early 2028. While the timeline predicted by the 2020 task force was accurate, A&T must focus on maintaining that status and sustaining continued growth in graduate education and research well beyond 2028.

The journey toward R1 has been marked by diverse challenges, but A&T has persevered in a dynamic and changing higher education environment. A&T is developing a comprehensive, strategic vision for excellence in graduate education while innovating in programmatic creation, degree delivery and enrollment of outstanding students. Under the leadership of Chancellor James Martin II, we are advancing the institution, positioning A&T to become an R1 HBCU and creating a new understanding of what a 21^st century doctoral research land-grant HBCU can be.