Missouri S&T has been classified as one of the nation’s top-tier research institutions and now has a Research 1 (R1) designation, according to the 2025 Carnegie Foundation classifications released today (Feb. 13). S&T is one of 187 institutions out of more than 4,300 nationwide to receive this distinction.
“Earning R1 status affirms Missouri S&T’s excellence across disciplines and its high-impact research addressing global challenges,” says S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani. “S&T researchers are committed to driving innovation and addressing the world’s most critical challenges.”
To qualify for R1 status for this year’s Carnegie Foundation designations, institutions needed at least 70 conferred research doctoral degrees and research expenditures of at least $50 million.
“Achieving Carnegie Research 1 classification is an incredible honor for S&T and the entire UM System,” said University of Missouri President Mun Choi. “Chancellor Dehghani, along with dedicated faculty and staff at S&T, have worked hard to meet the requirements necessary for this remarkable accomplishment. We are proud to now have three R1 institutions within the UM System, which will transform our outreach and impact across the state.”
S&T’s research spending in fiscal year 2023 was almost $61.5 million, while an average of 107 Ph.D. degrees were conferred over the three-year timeframe.
“This is a significant milestone for Missouri University of Science and Technology as it earns recognition among the nation’s leading research universities,” said UM Board of Curators Chair Todd Graves. “The Board of Curators commends this achievement. With this R1 designation, Missouri S&T strengthens its role as a hub for groundbreaking discovery, technological advancement and global impact.”
One of S&T’s state-of-the-art research infrastructure projects is the Missouri Protoplex, a 116,000 square-foot manufacturing research and development hub set to open in 2026. The university is also on track to celebrate a 33,000-square-foot expansion and renovation of its Applied Research Center by the end of next year.
Other facilities in the works include a new 18,000-square-foot test bed facility for research related to processing critical minerals and materials for our nation’s economic and national security and the $130 million, 128,000-square-foot Bioplex research and education facility.
“With our new status, Missouri S&T will continue to attract top researchers, secure more funding and drive economic growth,” says Dr. Kamal Khayat, S&T’s vice chancellor for research and innovation and the Vernon and Maralee Jones Professor of Civil Engineering. “Our faculty, staff and students have worked hard to achieve this milestone, and with our ongoing and future infrastructure projects to support our research and student learning initiatives, it will be incredible to see what we will achieve in the coming years.”
Known as a STEM-focused university, S&T has doctoral programs across several engineering fields, as well as math, chemistry and physics. New Ph.D. programs in bioengineering and biological sciences were launched in fall 2024, and a Ph.D. in applied psychology will launch in fall 2025.
The university’s research efforts cover advanced materials, artificial intelligence, electromagnetic compatibility, critical minerals, entrepreneurship, health care, infrastructure and nuclear materials, among many other topics.
For more information about Missouri S&T’s research efforts, visit research.mst.edu.
