SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas at San Antonio now ranks among some of the most prestigious universities in Texas thanks to a new R1 Classification from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
The Carnegie R1, or “Tier One,” designation is synonymous with both academic and research excellence.
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Other Texas schools with the R1 Classification include Baylor University, Rice University, Texas Tech University, University of Houston, University of North Texas, and the campuses of the University of Texas at Austin, Arlington, Dallas and El Paso.
“Today’s affirmation of our Carnegie R1 classification solidifies one of our most critical waypoints on UTSA’s path to become a great public research university,” said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. “Texas, and especially the City of San Antonio, deserve Tier One educational and research institutions to advance economic mobility and robust economic development driven by a knowledge economy.”
UTSA is now one of roughly 20 universities designated as both Tier One and a Hispanic Serving Institution.
It’s also one of only six Tier One universities to hold three National Centers of Academic Excellence designations from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency.
Dan Branch, former chairman of the Texas House Committee on Higher Education, said Tier One institutions “attract and supercharge innovative businesses that help make Texas a global destination.”
In order to achieve the prestigious status, UTSA focused on increasing annual research expenditures, expanding its pipeline of doctoral students, garnering national recognition for its researchers and growing its number of National Academy faculty members.
“UTSA’s designation as Carnegie R1 positions the university to align with the prestigious Association of American Universities while empowering faculty, staff and students to achieve excellence that will help close education gaps within our community,” said UTSA Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise Bernard Arulanandam.
A press release from the university notes that UTSA is now one of just ten Tier One institutions with the Seal of Excelencia from Excelencia in Education — earned by prioritizing inclusivity and serving the community by helping more Latino students achieve academic success.
The Carnegie R1 designation also opens an opportunity for UTSA to join the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities, which is dedicated to increasing the number of Latinos in academia.
“For Roadrunners, the impact is immediate and direct. Tier One designation improves the degree value, increases choices for our students aiming to pursue graduate study at other now peer university programs, creates stronger professional affiliations for our faculty and elevates our stature in the national research community,” said Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kimberly Andrews Espy. “Simultaneously, the designation advances San Antonio’s knowledge pipeline by attracting additional talented faculty, who in turn further our local workforce.”
Research expenditures for UTSA are anticipated to grow larger than $300 million with endowments over $400 million over the next 10 years, according to university officials.
“I am so grateful to our faculty, staff and graduate students for their incredible efforts leading to this recognition. In the next decade, UTSA will become a national model for student success, a great public research university, and an exemplar for strategic growth and innovative excellence,” Eighmy said. “The traction we’re seeing on multiple fronts—in athletics, fundraising, enrollment, academic innovation and research—position us to serve as an exemplar for the future of higher education in the United States.”
Birds up!