Very High Research Universities

Very High Research Universities is the Carnegie Class for a very specific type of research university. Generally, a research university is a university that awards at least 20 research doctorates each year. If the research university also spends a very large amount of money on research in comparison to other research universities, Carnegie calls the university a Very High Research University.

Michigan State University, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and Wayne State University each spend a very high dollar amount on research, and award at least 20 research doctorates making them Very High Research Universities.

The dashboard uses four categories of metrics, listed below.

Click on one of these categories, or scroll down the page, to see the metrics (charts and tables) for the category. These metrics compare Michigan public universities with their public peers (universities from the same Carnegie Class) across the nation.

Click on a chart or table to enlarge it, or click “download PDF” to download a PDF for the category. For a PDF of all categories within this Carnegie Class, click “download PDF” directly below. To download the original data used to generate these charts and tables, click “download spreadsheet” directly below.

download / download spreadsheet

Quality:

Michigan’s public universities serve the state’s residents by educating students and pursuing knowledge (i.e. research). A quality institution is one that fulfills its purpose well. These metrics provide information on the core activities of universities—enrollment of students, graduation rates, and instruction and research spending per student.

Productivity and Efficiency:

Productivity and efficiency is measured by how well a university minimizes wasted effort or expense in the pursuit of its mission. Efficiency and productivity metrics include the number of degrees awarded to students and administrative spending per student.

Affordability and Access:

Public universities have historically provided an education to more students at a lower cost than private universities and colleges. Michigan residents pay less tuition than students who attend from outside the state. Affordability and access metrics include published in-state tuition, the price of tuition for students receiving scholarship and other aid, and how many low-income students with a Pell Grant attend Michigan’s universities. This allows for a comparison of the price in-state students must pay to attend between Michigan’s universities and their public peers nationwide.

Economic Impact:

Universities are a source of economic activity. Universities spend money in their communities employing people, purchasing supplies and equipment, and building structures. They also serve as a resource for entrepreneurs and assist with technology development and commercialization. Economic impact metrics include expenditures by the universities, revenue sources, and technology transfer activities.