University of Illinois Chicago retains status as top-tier Research 1 University 

The University of Illinois Chicago received renewed designation as a Research 1 University from the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education in their 2025 update, released today. The designation, the highest level bestowed by the two groups in their report, recognizes schools with exemplary research activity and doctoral education.  

UIC has received Research 1 status in every Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education report since 1987. It’s one of only four Research 1 universities in the state of Illinois, along with Northwestern University, University of Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The designation is given to universities that annually spend more than $50 million on research and award more than 70 research doctorate degrees a year, figures that UIC far exceeds. In 2025, 187 American institutions were given Research 1 designation. 

UIC spent $493 million on research in fiscal year 2023 and awarded an average of 345 research doctorate degrees per year from 2021-23, data used to determine 2025 research university designations.  

In the most recent fiscal year, UIC received $485.5 million in research funding, with awards from federal, state and private sponsors funding nearly 3,400 projects. UIC research produces life-saving and cutting-edge breakthroughs in areas from drug discovery, maternal health and the environmental drivers of disease to renewable energy, superconductivity and quantum science. 

“Research 1 status reflects UIC’s indispensable role as Chicago’s only public research university,” said Joanna Groden, vice chancellor for research. “Our faculty and students advance scientific frontiers and innovation, train the next generation of researchers and provide immense benefits to our city, country and planet.”