UCO Earns Elevated National Designation as a Research University
Feb. 26, 2025
The University of Central Oklahoma recently received the Research Colleges and Universities (RCU) designation in the 2025 Research Activity Designations published by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
A part of the Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education, the RCU category is a new designation that includes non-Research 1 or 2 institutions that spend more than $2.5 million on research annually. UCO is among only 216 universities nationally and two in Oklahoma to receive the designation.
“Research conducted at University of Central Oklahoma moves our state and nation forward. For years, our faculty and students have engaged in innovative and impactful research on the undergraduate and graduate level,” said UCO President Todd G. Lamb.
“This new classification formally recognizes and elevates our ongoing mission to transform students through education, preparing them to meet the critical needs of our communities. UCO has the momentum to become a driving force for academic research in Oklahoma.”
ACE and the Carnegie Foundation added the RCU designation in an effort to expand their recognition of the ways colleges and universities engage in research and development.
“A highlight of our work to modernize the Carnegie Classification is the new Research Colleges and Universities designation, which will shed light on institutions that have engaged in research but historically haven’t been recognized for it,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE.
“Instead of limiting research designations to the select institutions that award Ph.D.s, all types of colleges and universities will now be celebrated for their research contributions. That’s great news.”
Guided by the motto “ubi motus est” – which translates to “where movement is” – UCO continues to evolve and grow, offering 115 undergraduate and 78 graduate programs to our more than 12,500 students from its main campus in Edmond, Oklahoma, and facilities throughout the Oklahoma City metro. The university is governed by the Regional University System of Oklahoma Board of Regents and accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
For more information about UCO, visit www.uco.edu.
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