What Does it Mean to Be an R1 Institution?

Being designated as an R1 institution signifies that a university has achieved the highest level of research activity according to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

Currently, 146 universities hold an R1 Doctoral University distinction: Very High Research Activity distinction but only six are in Pennsylvania. Of the 146, only 39 are private universities.

For Drexel University, obtaining the R1 designation in 2018 marked a significant milestone, highlighting its status as a comprehensive research university with a global reputation.

According to an announcement from John Fry, Drexel University president, “The Carnegie Classification validates Drexel’s growing reputation as a global, comprehensive research university. It also bolsters our efforts toward securing research funding, recruiting high-quality faculty and students, and upholding the pillars of the Strategic Plan.”

Drexel disclosed 56 total new inventions and received 26 new U.S. patents in fiscal year 2023. In total, as an institution, to date, Drexel has received 482 patents.

“In the past 20 years we have gone up around 100% in research funding, which is a very significant increase,” said Aleister Saunders, PhD, executive vice provost for Research and Innovation. “[Being a part of Drexel’s journey to R1 status] has meant a lot to me. The accomplishment offers us a chance to look back at how far we’ve come and what we’ve accomplished as a collective. It has been a real team effort that has been wonderful to be a part of.”

What Does This Mean for Salus?

The merger between Drexel and Salus University, pending approval by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, specialized accreditors and additional third parties, holds promise for research opportunities, particularly in health sciences and neuroscience. Since research and innovation are an integral part of Salus University’s mission, merging with Drexel will only allow for more extensive research opportunities for Salus’ graduate students.

“At Drexel, we are strong in health sciences and the biomedical sciences and do not have much overlap with Salus University’s expertise. [The merger] will be complementary to the research we already do, and will help to expand both of our research efforts. I am very excited by all of the opportunities,” said Dr. Saunders. “At Drexel, there is a strong culture of collaboration, so with Salus University’s expertise from so many different disciplines, there will be really productive collaborations.”