SDSU Sets Sights on Research Designation

South Dakota State University has positioned itself as a premier land-grant university recognized for high value, innovation and bold impact through purposeful strategic enrollment management planning. One highlight of the university’s strategic plan to continue its remarkable academic experience, titled ‘Pathway to Premier 2030,” is to elevate itself as a research university. The R1 Our Way is an intentional effort to achieve designation as a Research 1(R1) University, encouraging students, faculty, businesses and entrepreneurs to seek out SDSU as a university of choice. 

Research initiative

R1 is ​​a framework for categorizing U.S. higher education institutions administered by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Only 147 U.S. colleges and universities currently have the R1 designation. South Dakota is one of five states without an R1 university, as SDSU is an R2. Carnegie releases classifications on a three-year cycle, with 2030 the next opportunity for SDSU to achieve it. 

“It is our land-grant responsibility to help solve the multi-faceted problems we face. Those solutions will also bring opportunity. We can best help our state and region solve these problems and harvest the opportunities associated with R1 status,” said Barry H. Dunn, SDSU President.

A team of nearly 60 leaders representing local and state government, private businesses, SDSU educators, and administrative staff are championing the effort for the university to reach the R1 designation. Two standards of sustained achievement are required for R1 classification: $50 million in research expenditures and 70 doctoral degrees awarded annually. SDSU is well on its way to meeting those requirements, with $74 million in research expenditures for Fiscal Year 2023 and historically granting between 40 and 50 doctoral degrees. 

Successful attraction

Universities typically seek an R1 designation for several reasons. The classification has a tremendous economic impact on a community through increased innovation, new technologies, and emerging ideas. As a result, economic development opportunities flourish as entrepreneurs and businesses seek to associate with communities, offering increased access to graduates skilled in their respective areas. 

The classification will also help SDSU be viewed as a competitive destination, improving recruitment and retention of excellent faculty and researchers, which can optimize student experiences, distinguishing them in the eyes of potential employers.

Enrollment Growth

SDSU’s efforts to achieve the R1 designation are already producing positive enrollment gains, as doctoral research Ph.D. candidates increased more than 13% in the fall 2024 semester.

“The work being done on ‘R1 Our Way’ is not only providing us a roadmap for elevating SDSU to be an R1 institution, but it is also attracting some of the best and brightest from around the world who want to bring their grants and research projects to SDSU,” Dunn said in a September 2024 news release. “We are excited about the future of our research and can only anticipate positive growth in this area as the university continues to advance its research portfolio.” 

Enrollment continues to rise at SDSU overall. More than 12,000 are attending in the fall 2024 semester, including the largest incoming first-year student class in its history at 2,449 students. Student retention from the first to second year was also a record high, at approximately 84%, the fourth time in five years that SDSU’s retention was 80% or higher. As a result, SDSU’s fall 2024 semester enrollment was up about 5% over 2023 and at its highest since 2018.

The exciting progress happening at SDSU is just one reason Brookings Economic Development Corporation is proud to represent the economic community of Brookings, SD. Contact us today to learn how this tremendous university can help support your business success!