Delaware State University Achieves R2 Research Status, Marking a Milestone in HBCU Advancement
February 17, 2025
With $45 million in research funding and a growing doctoral program, DSU joins an elite group of high-research HBCUs.
DOVER, Del. — Delaware State University has solidified its place among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with its latest recognition as an R2 “High Research Activity and Doctoral Production” institution, a designation reaffirmed in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education.
The university’s ascent to R2 status highlights a growing commitment to research and doctoral education, with over 40 doctoral graduates last year and an impressive $45 million in research expenditures—more than doubling its 2017 total of $17 million. Delaware State is one of only 14 HBCUs to hold the classification, which is awarded to institutions that average at least 20 doctoral graduates per year and exceed $5 million in annual research spending.
University President Tony Allen credited the achievement to a concerted effort by the school’s leadership, faculty, and research teams. “This achievement is a credit to the talented leadership of our academic deans; Dr. Melissa Harrington, Associate Vice President of Research; their teams, and all research-active faculty across our campuses, many of whom are focusing on inter- and cross-disciplinary research, a noted driver of our efforts,” Allen said in a statement.
The announcement arrives alongside a historic first: Howard University has become the first HBCU to earn an R1 designation, the highest classification for research institutions in the country, signifying “Very High Research Activity and Doctoral Production.”
Allen acknowledged the broader movement among HBCUs to elevate their research standing, pointing to the work of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs in advocating for increased research funding. “Today’s announcement is particularly noteworthy because of the work borne by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the President’s Board of Advisors on HBCUs, which prioritized the mission of elevating HBCUs’ collective R1 and R2 success by advocating for more research dollars,” Allen said.
The recognition places Delaware State University among a growing number of institutions driving forward HBCU research excellence, reinforcing its role as a leader in higher education and scientific innovation.