Colleges With the Highest Research and Development Funding

Johns Hopkins University spends more than $2.5 billion per year on R&D. In fact, the school has topped the list of the National Science Foundation's ranking of colleges with the highest research and development funding for 10 consecutive years.

In 1955, Johns Hopkins researchers developed the first effective treatment for sickle cell anemia. In 2019, a team of researchers discovered HIF-1, which helps cells manage low oxygen levels. The university has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners, including former president Woodrow Wilson and current Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Adam Riess.

Bachelor's students can take part in a variety of research projects through the school's Office of Undergraduate Research. Additionally, the Woodrow Wilson Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program allows undergraduates to seek advanced research opportunities typically not available to bachelor's students.

Total R&D Expenditure: $2,562,307,000
Science: $1,476,620,000
Engineering: $1,080,021,000
Other: $5,666,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $2,178,605,000
State and local government: $5,326,000
Institution funds: $138,010 ,000
Businesses: $84,005,000
Nonprofit organizations: $148,975,000
Other donors: $7,386

Spending just over $1.5 billion per year, the University of Michigan holds high status among the colleges with the highest research and development funding. The university focuses on interdisciplinary research that tackles diverse matters, including automated transport systems, biomedicine, poverty, and sports science. U-M strives to make its research applicable to solving real-world challenges.

The university partners with a variety of businesses to conduct mutually beneficial research in areas such as manufacturing, climate change, and logistics. Thanks to strong partnerships with key entities worldwide, U-M allows students and faculty to explore global research opportunities, experiences, and cultures.

The university also offers internships with organizations and agencies like the National Institute of Standards and Technology and U.S. Department of Energy.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,530,139,000
Science: $1,148,441,000
Engineering: $286,094,000
Other: $95,604,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $829,695,000
State and local government: $2,698,000
Institution funds: $537,176,000
Businesses: $82,898,000
Nonprofit organizations: $64,646,000
Other donors: $13,026,000

The University of California, San Francisco spends nearly $1.5 billion on R&D annually. All of this money goes toward research in the sciences, and the federal government provides more than 40% of the institution’s total R&D funding.

Students can contribute to research at UCSF's Global Health Group, which leads the way in eliminating malaria in 35 countries. The university's healthcare research has led to medical breakthroughs in many areas, including the use of in-utero stem cell transplants. The university operates the Benioff Children's Hospitals and the San Francisco Veteran Affairs Medical Center.

UCSF maintains close partnerships with biotechnology and technology leaders like GE, Genentech, Pfizer, and Samsung to overcome pressing challenges in the healthcare field.

Five Nobel Prize winners have graduated from UCSF, all receiving the award for their work in medicine and physiology.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,409,398,000
Science: $1,409,398,000
Engineering: $0
Other: $0

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $606,768,000
State and local government: $32,952,000
Institution funds: $333,955,000
Businesses: $96,903,000
Nonprofit organizations: $221,430,000
Other donors: $117,390,000

With total R&D expenditures at $1.34 billion per year, the University of Pennsylvania conducts research that results in actionable knowledge. Current research efforts focus on mitigating climate change, localizing epilepsy hotspots, and examining the impact of COVID-19 in places with significant income inequality.

Research is a key component of the PennCOMPACT 2022, which aims to position the university as a driver of innovation that positively affects local, national, and global communities.

Penn students can take part in internships, fellowships, and research opportunities with university partners through the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. In all, the university houses 189 centers and institutes engaged in interdisciplinary research.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,374,293,000
Science: $1,183,407,000
Engineering: $64,279,000
Other: $126,607,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $669,911,000
State and local government: $16,697,000
Institution funds: $445,519,000
Businesses: $140,197,000
Nonprofit organizations: $99,155,000
Other donors: $2,814,000

The University of Washington claims a top spot among the colleges with the highest research and development funding, with expenditures of more than $1.3 billion annually. The university focuses on social science research, examining subjects such as human rights and governance.

UW's Population Health Initiative allows students to conduct their own research or collaborate on research projects that explore issues like environmental sustainability, economic inequality, and public health.

The university's Office of Research provides support in project planning, creating research proposals, identifying funding opportunities, and managing funding sources. UW operates 284 research centers worldwide, including the Statistical Center for HIV/AIDS Research and Prevention, the National Institute of Materials Science, and the Southeast Asia Center.

UW has produced seven Nobel Prize winners, including five in medicine and physiology and two in physics.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,348,220,000
Science: $1,134,324,000
Engineering: $136,318,000
Other: $77,578,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $952,738,000
State and local government: $27,951,000
Institution funds: $127,960,000
Businesses: $53,751,000
Nonprofit organizations: $153,085,000
Other donors: $32,735,000

The University of Wisconsin-Madison allocates nearly $1.2 billion toward R&D each year. The school's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education offers research opportunities in areas such as data science, biotechnology, genomic science, and space science.

The UW Office of Campus Research Cores helps students and faculty access research opportunities and partnerships while also offering compliance and policy training on research ethics, intellectual property, and animal and human subjects.

The university recently launched the Understanding and Reducing Inequalities Initiative, which examines economic, educational, health, social, and wealth disparities across population groups. The initiative identifies key causes and consequences of these inequalities and seeks practical solutions

UW maintains partnerships with several companies, including ExxonMobil, American Family Insurance, and Johnson Controls.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,193,413,000
Science: $956,312,000
Engineering: $148,949,000
Other: $88,152,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $570,796,000
State and local government: $57,525,000
Institution funds: $394,364,000
Businesses: $25,683,000
Nonprofit organizations: $103,996,000
Other donors: $41,049,000

The University of California, San Diego makes the list of top colleges for research and development funding, with annual expenditures of more than $1.1 billion.

The school houses researchers who have made groundbreaking advancements in nanotechnology, precision medicine, and social mobility and equity. More than 1,000 companies use or license technology developed at the university.

UC San Diego's Office of Research Affairs gives students opportunities to engage in research, internships, experiential learning, and training in research compliance and integrity. The Office of Innovation and Commercialization supports faculty and students as they conduct research.

Sixteen Nobel laureates have taught at UC San Diego, and the school's researchers have produced nearly 2,000 active U.S. and foreign patents. Recent research initiatives focus on studying microbiomes and reducing global carbon emissions.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,133,454,000
Science: $1,001,236,000
Engineering: $125,033,000
Other: $7,185,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $641,469,000
State and local government: $34,590,000
Institution funds: $186,507,000
Businesses: $80,802,000
Nonprofit organizations: $83,986,000
Other donors: $106,100,000

With expenditures at more than $1.1 billion per year, Duke University continues to climb the list of colleges with the highest research and development funding. Based in Durham, North Carolina, the university focuses about 92% of R&D funds on the sciences, including projects related to big data in healthcare, brain diseases, and global mercury toxicity.

Duke's Office of Research Support and the statewide REACH NC web-based portal connect students and faculty to key corporate, nonprofit, and governmental partners and resources. Students regularly conduct research with the U.S. Department of Defense, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Foundation.

Recently, Duke has allocated considerable resources to COVID-19 research, addressing the pandemic from a variety of disciplines. The university has performed research and tests on animal and human subjects to find potential treatments for the virus.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,126,924,000
Science: $1,033,367,000
Engineering: $80,554,000
Other: $13,003,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $623,573,000
State and local government: $117,000
Institution funds: $151,240,000
Businesses: $234,802,000
Nonprofit organizations: $98,200,000
Other donors: $18,992,000

Harvard University remains one of the world's top institutions for innovation and research. The university spends more than $1.1 billion per year on R&D, with the majority of those funds allocated to science and medical research.

Graduate and undergraduate students can work with faculty and visiting scholars through the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and more than 100 research centers. The university's academic library, the world's largest, features more than 28 million artifacts and works of art.

The Radcliffe Institute brings together researchers, practitioners, and scholars in the sciences, humanities, arts, and social sciences. The institute focuses on engaging individuals who are historically underrepresented in academia, leading to greater diversity in research projects.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,123,160,000
Science: $927,359,000
Engineering: $105,231,000
Other: $90,570,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $573,157,000
State and local government: $2,336,000
Institution funds: $334,024,000
Businesses: $46,993,000
Nonprofit organizations: $149,979,000
Other donors: $16,671,000

The prestigious Stanford University spends about $1.1 billion per year on research and development, with a primary focus on health-related projects and programs.

The Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies aims to understand challenges and policies that affect people and societies around the world. Stanford Bio-X, meanwhile, takes a cross-disciplinary approach to develop new knowledge of biological systems that enhance health outcomes.

Stanford houses 20 academic libraries, through which students can access research tools; funding; and opportunities to collaborate with their peers, faculty, and visiting scholars. The school currently hosts 19 Nobel laureates, and 34 individuals affiliated with Stanford have received the Nobel Prize.

Stanford also houses the Hoover Institution, which studies domestic and international affairs, along with global policies that improve the human condition.

Total R&D Expenditure: $1,109,708,000
Science: $929,791,000
Engineering: $125,627,000
Other: $54,920,000

Funding Sources:

Federal government: $710,698,000
State and local government: $30,356,000
Institution funds: $106,501,000
Businesses: $114,788,000
Nonprofit organizations: $142,609,000
Other donors: $4,756,000