Arizona State University has surpassed $1 billion in annual research funding for the first time, placing the university among the top 4% of research institutions nationwide, according to the latest National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development, or HERD, survey.

The milestone is a testament to ASU’s success at transforming research dollars into tangible benefits for people — from improved health care to safer communities to more powerful computer chips and more.

“We have remained steadfast and determined in our goal to build a new model of a great American research university,” ASU President Michael Crow said. “Surpassing $1 billion in research expenditures underscores our unwavering commitment to be a new gold standard of service to the community, our state and our nation.”

According to the new HERD survey, ASU’s total research expenditures were $1.003 billion. This marks an eightfold increase in research expenditures since Crow became ASU president in 2002.

The total, for fiscal year 2024, ranks ASU 37th overall, ahead of Michigan State University, Purdue and the University of Chicago, and No. 21 among public universities, ahead of Michigan State University, Indiana University and Rutgers.

ASU also ranked No. 5 among institutions without a medical school for fiscal year 2024, ahead of University of Colorado-Boulder, Purdue and Princeton. ASU’s John Shufeldt School of Medicine and Medical Engineering recently received preliminary accreditation, and its inaugural medical school class will begin in the summer of 2026.

A top research university

ASU has risen through the ranks of global research universities by several leading indicators, including being ranked No. 1 in innovation for the past 11 years by U.S. News & World Report. ASU has also ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for global impact toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals for six years in a row by Times Higher Education.

In 2023, ASU’s research achievements were further recognized when the university was invited into the Association of American Universities, an organization representing the nation’s top research universities.

The NSF’s annual HERD survey collects research expenditure information from hundreds of institutions nationwide. Because the survey is a lagging indicator — a snapshot of research taken nearly a year and a half ago — the more recent actions in federal university funding are not reflected in this year’s survey.

ASU receives funding for research from federal agencies, as well as state and local grants, businesses and other private organizations, often awarded over multiyear periods. Research expenditures — the actual amount of funding an institution spends each year — provides the most effective way to measure and compare the vitality of the American university research enterprise.

“ASU has a diverse funding portfolio, with support from federal agencies, industry partners, local governments and philanthropists who all have a vital interest in bringing ASU innovation to their communities and investing in ASU to benefit all Americans,” said Sally C. Morton, executive vice president of ASU Knowledge Enterprise. “Our rapid growth and achieving the $1 billion milestone reflects their confidence in our ability to deliver valuable results.”

Among the top grant providers, ASU ranked 14th in National Science Foundation funding (ahead of Caltech, Georgia Tech, Penn State, Stanford and the University of Arizona), 10th in NASA expenditures (ahead of MIT, UCLA, the University of Michigan, Stanford University and Columbia University) and 10th in funding from state and local government (ahead of the University of Minnesota, UC Davis, Ohio State University and the University of Arizona).

Leadership in key disciplines

ASU also achieved top 10 rankings for expenditures within many academic disciplines, including:

• No. 1 in anthropology, ahead of the University of Michigan, the University of Arizona and Harvard.

• No. 1 in non-science and engineering, ahead of the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Arizona.

• No. 2 in education, ahead of Vanderbilt, Stanford, Harvard and the University of Arizona.

• No. 2 on visual and performing arts, ahead of the University of Georgia, the University of Arizona and UCLA.

• No. 2 in business management and business administration, ahead of Harvard, UC Berkeley, Syracuse and the University of Arizona.

• No. 4 in social sciences, ahead of USC, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Chicago and the University of Arizona.

• No. 5 in other engineering, ahead of the University of Michigan, MIT, Johns Hopkins and the University of Arizona.

• No. 5 in geological and earth sciences, ahead of UC San Diego, Johns Hopkins, Caltech and the University of Arizona.

• No. 5 in communications and communications technologies, ahead of Syracuse, Georgia State, Georgia Tech and the University of Arizona.

• No. 5 in other social sciences, ahead of the University of Maryland, USC, Brown and the University of Arizona.

• No. 6 in civil engineering, ahead of Purdue, Iowa State, Georgia Tech and the University of Arizona.

• No. 6 in industrial and manufacturing engineering, ahead of Penn State, Purdue, Stanford and the University of Arizona.

• No. 6 in political science and government, ahead of Rice, William & Mary and Vanderbilt.

• No. 7 in other physical sciences, ahead of UC Berkeley, Harvard and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

• No. 7 in social work, ahead of Florida State, USC, the University of Connecticut and the University of Chicago.

• No. 9 in transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and other sciences, ahead of MIT, Notre Dame and the University of Pittsburgh.

These rankings reflect ASU’s ability to attract the best and brightest faculty in the nation, including six Nobel laureates, more than 200 American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows and more than 300 Fulbright U.S. Scholars.

These exceptional faculty work side-by-side with students, who participate in all research across the university, including 3,695 students in paid research positions. The students gain valuable hands-on experience to advance their careers and ultimately become the next generation of innovators.

This leads to more high-impact science reaching Arizonans and the nation than ever before.