U of A research: Top 25 among public institutions, No. 1 in Arizona in new Washington Monthly list

Sept. 9, 2025
University Communications
Aerial view of the University of Arizona campus plaza featuring the large red and blue “BEAR DOWN” sign, with students walking, biking, and sitting at tables outside a modern campus building.

The University of Arizona one of the nation's most impactful public research institutions, according to The Washington Monthly.

The U of A ranks No. 40 overall and No. 23 among public universities in the publication's inaugural Best Colleges for Research ranking, released Aug. 24. The U of A also ranks No. 1 in Arizona and No. 2 among all colleges and universities in the Big 12 Conference.

According to The Washington Monthly, this ranking seeks to "illuminate the incredible benefits that America's research universities provide to the country at large and to the states and regions where they're located."

The list rates 139 institutions that each spend at least $100 million annually on research based on four equally weighted indicators: total research spending, science and engineering Ph.D.s awarded, faculty receiving major national awards, and the share of faculty elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

The U of A's placement is bolstered by its ranking in federal research expenditures (No. 31), total number of science and engineering Ph.D.s awarded (320) and its overall ranking for faculty accolades (No. 47).

University officials project research activity has exceeded $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, which ended on June 30, 2024, and are submitting this data to the National Science Foundation for review. The official number will be confirmed in the fall.

Data from the National Science Foundation's Higher Education Research and Development Survey, released in December 2024, ranks the U of A No. 2 in astronomy and astrophysics expenditures, No. 4 among universities with high Hispanic enrollment, No. 6 in NASA-funded activity, No. 7 in the physical sciences, No. 20 among public universities, and No. 36 among all colleges and universities.

This story was originally published at news.arizona.edu.