Northern Arizona University hit the top 100 for the first time, moving to No. 96 in the National Science Foundation’s latest national research rankings of universities without a medical school. NAU also moved to No. 201 for all universities in the United States, a new high for the university, up from No. 213 in 2016.
The NSF’s annual ranking of U.S. universities by level of research activity, released in late November, looks at research expenditures, types of research, expenses and the number of personnel who participate in research and development at universities. NAU’s fiscal year 2017 research expenditures totaled $46.2 million.
NAU research contributes to the overall $2.5 billion in economic impact generated by the university and also provides critical answers to statewide and community issues such as forest health, water quality and supply, health solutions and access to care, education best practices and astronomy.