America’s Top 12 Research Universities, Based on Research Spending In 2017

In the largely futile debate to determine America’s Best Research University, the folks at National Science Foundation have released its 2016 HERD survey date, showing that Johns Hopkins University retained NO. 1 place in the national research rankings.

Higher Education Research and Development data on Johns Hopkins Universit’s 2016 R&D expenditures for research show the university remains a research powerhouse with nearly $2.4 billion in annual expenditures for research across all fields.

The HERD survey placed University of Michigan Ann Arbor (R&D spending: 1.43 billion) in second ahead of University of Pennsylvania (R&D spending: 1.30 billion) into third; while University of California San Francisco (R&D spending: 1.29 billion) ranked fourth, and University of Washington Seattle (R&D spending: 1.27 billion) fifth.

America’s Top 12 Research colleges and universities Based on Research Spending In 2017

1. Johns Hopkins University
   Research spending: 2.43 billion
2. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
   Research spending: 1.43 billion
3. University of Pennsylvania
   Research spending: 1.30 billion
4. University of California, San Francisco
   Research spending: 1.29 billion
5. University of Washington, Seattle
   Research spending: 1.27 billion
6. University of Wisconsin-Madison
   Research spending: 1.15 billion
7. University of California, San Diego
   Research spending: 1.08 billion
8. Harvard University
   Research spending: 1.07 billion
9. Stanford University
   Research spending: 1.06 billion
10. Duke University
    Research spending: 1.05 billion
11. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
    Research spending: 1.04 billion
12. University of California, Los Angeles
    Research spending: 1.03 billion