Carnegie Grants R2 Status to East Texas A&M

  • By Matt Jones
  • 02/20/25

East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, recently announced that it has been designated a Research 2 (R2) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, according to a news release. The R2 designation took effect on February 13 and marks the university’s commitment to research and innovation among both the Texas A&M University System and universities around the country.

The news release reports that requirements for R2 institutions include awarding at least 20 research doctoral degrees annually and showing at least $5 million in total research and development spending. East Texas A&M reported an average of 64 research doctoral degrees per year between 2020 and 2023, and it spent over $7 million on research in 2023.

The designation comes after years of positioning the university toward that goal by educating faculty and staff on research and grant opportunities and strengthening university research infrastructure. The university reports that as of 2025, there are a total of 139 R2 institutions in the U.S. Of those, 16 are in Texas.

“This prestigious designation for East Texas A&M University shows that investing in faculty and facilities really pays off,” said John Sharp, chancellor of The Texas A&M University System. “This is the return on investments made by the Texas Legislature and the Texas A&M System's Board of Regents. This success reflects a focus on growing research budgets at all 11 universities in the Texas A&M System.”

The university held a ceremony to celebrate the milestone on Friday, Feb. 14.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at mjones@1105media.com.

Featured

  • Pfluger Architects Hires New Higher Ed Practice Leader

    Pfluger Architects, based in Houston, Texas, recently announced Christopher Laack as its new higher education practice leader, according to a news release. Laack has more than 20 years of experience as a licensed architect and most recently served as the Principal and Commercial Practice Leader for VLK Architects.

  • Oregon Institute of Technology to Construct $35M Mass Timber Residence Hall

    Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Ore., recently announced the construction of a new, $35-million mass timber residence hall, according to college news. The facility will stand four stories, have room for 517 students, and cover 86,710 square feet to address the college’s need for more on-campus housing.

  • Carnegie Grants R2 Status to East Texas A&M

    East Texas A&M University in Commerce, Texas, recently announced that it has been designated a Research 2 (R2) institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, according to a news release. The R2 designation took effect on February 13.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.