According to a news release from Kennesaw State University (KSU), it has been recognized as “a doctoral university with high research activity, or an R2 university.”

“Kennesaw State has a large undergraduate population and through the Office of Research, we are committed to providing unique and innovative academic and research experiences to them,” said Phaedra Corso, vice president for research in the news release. “Coupled with the contributions of our thriving graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, KSU is on the way to becoming one of the top R2 institutions in the country.”

The R2 designation for KSU, also given to the university in 2018, is in the most recent report from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

“Kennesaw State’s growth over the last several years will drive us to continue to develop innovative programming and engaged learning opportunities, such as research, that connect our faculty and students to the community,” said KSU Interim President Kathy Schwaig in the news release. “We are proud to be recognized as one of the largest R2 universities in the nation and are excited for our future as we continue to work closely with our stakeholders to advance the academic mission of the institution and prepare a highly educated workforce.”

The report is produced by the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University. This is the final year IU will host the center. It will be moved to Albion College in Michigan before the next report is issued in 2024.

The report is completed every three years.

The Carnegie Classifications website describes the way it works as follows:

The Carnegie Classification® has been the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education for the past four and a half decades. Starting in 1970, the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed a classification of colleges and universities to support its program of research and policy analysis. Derived from empirical data on colleges and universities, the Carnegie Classification was originally published in 1973, and subsequently updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018 and 2021 to reflect changes among colleges and universities. This framework has been widely used in the study of higher education, both as a way to represent and control for institutional differences, and also in the design of research studies to ensure adequate representation of sampled institutions, students, or faculty.

The KSU news release describes doctoral research institutions as follows:

According to the Carnegie classification, doctoral research institutions are those that awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctoral degrees during the upgrade year and had at least $5 million in research expenditures.

“We’re excited that Kennesaw State University has earned this well-deserved classification,” said Sharon Mason, Cobb Chamber president and CEO in the news release. “KSU is an esteemed educational asset to Cobb and our state. Through our SelectCobb strategy, the top reason companies choose Cobb is our access to a talented workforce, and KSU is a key driver behind our strong workforce pipeline for businesses.”