Two HBCU’s, Tarleton State University and Prairie View A&M University, have received the distinguished R2 Carnegie Classification, with both institutions recognized for engaging in “high research activity.”

Prairie View A&M leads the way in producing the top Black engineers in Texas, created more than 50 startup companies from its research, and has over 20 corporate research partnerships. Over the past five years, the institute’s allotments surpassed $105 million, ranking Prairie View A&M in the Top 10 HBCUs across the nation.

Tarleton State University’s research portfolio includes nearly $60 million in faculty-led research within the past five years. Data analytics for the Federal Crop Insurance Program have helped save the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) more than $1.4 billion. Since its founding, the Center for Agribusiness Excellence (CAE) has generated more than $80 million in research funds.

Prairie View A&M and Tarleton follow Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as Texas A&M System campuses that have achieved R2 classifications.

Launching in 1970, the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education developed a classification of colleges and universities to support its research analysis program. The Carnegie Classification was originally published in 1973 and derived from “empirical data.” It has been the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education for the past four decades. 

“This prestigious designation shows investing in faculty and facilities really pays off,” John Sharp, Chancellor of The Texas A&M System, said.

Sharp believes that the recent success reflects the growing research budgets at all eleven universities in the Texas A&M System. Texas A&M University became the first Texas university to reach $1 billion in research funding last year. Chancellor Sharp has directed nearly $230 million investments over eight years through the Chancellor’s Research Initiative. 

“The A&M System is making unprecedented investments in faculty and facilities, and I could not be more proud about it,” Chancellor Sharp said.