UH joins 119 other nationally competitive institutions receiving this designation, including Duke, Michigan State, Ohio State, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Pennsylvania. UH is one of only 68 public institutions recognized with Carnegie’s highest classification.
The Foundation’s classification for community engagement measures an array of criteria that indicate the breadth and depth of a university’s service to the community and students’ curricular involvement in community issues. The listing sets the University of Houston apart as the only public metropolitan university in the state with this bold designation.
“This milestone is truly a testament to the hard work and commitment of our students, faculty and staff,” said UH President Renu Khator. “Recognition by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is one of three universally accepted national benchmarks of top tier universities. Support for the University of Houston’s designation as a top tier university is building, and this achievement further empowers our path to inclusion among the nation’s top national research universities.”
Khator, who also is chancellor of the UH System, noted that the University of Houston-Clear Lake received the highest ranking in its category by the Carnegie Foundation, while the University of Houston-Downtown made the list in one category. “This illustrates the strength and quality of the entire UH System,” she said.
Welcome Wilson Sr., chairman of the UH System Board of Regents, praised the accolade as the latest in a series of successes for the UH System.
“The honors to UH System universities continue to come thick and fast,” he said. “This prestigious recognition for community engagement is one that we have emphasized for some time. It was only a few weeks ago that The Princeton Review named the Bauer College of Business Entrepreneurship Program number one in the nation. Earlier, a former student received a Pulitzer Prize for photojournalism. More recently, a Moores School of Music student won a Marshall Scholarship, earning her the opportunity to further her studies at a higher learning institution in the United Kingdom. All of these achievements reflect well on the world-class education offered at the University of Houston.”
The Carnegie classification “is indeed great news and well-deserved recognition,” said UH System Regent Carroll Robertson Ray. “My heartfelt congratulations go out to all of our dedicated faculty and staff throughout the UH System who are making such a difference in Houston and its surrounding communities.”
Elevating UH into the ranks of the nation’s top research universities is one of the major goals of Khator’s presidency, which began less than one year ago. UH’s designation as a community-engaged institution is especially significant because Khator has strongly emphasized that the support of the Greater Houston community is essential to achieve the lofty designation.
“The University of Houston has more impact than perhaps any other institution of higher learning on the culture and economy of America's fourth-largest city,” said Houston Mayor Bill White. “It is deserving of this recognition among America's top-flight colleges and universities. We know it to be deserving of top tier recognition in so many of its endeavors.”
Texas has just three Tier One universities: the University of Texas at Austin; Texas A&M University; and Rice University, a small private university with about 5,000 students.
UH, which has more than 36,000 students at its central campus, is one of seven Texas public universities seeking Top Tier designation, and money, from the state.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 36,000 students.