Official seal reflects the University’s 2025 Research Colleges and Universities classification

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Kentucky State University will adopt new official branding tied to its 2025 Carnegie research designation, reinforcing the University’s standing as one of the Commonwealth’s leading public research institutions.

Kentucky State is classified by Carnegie as a “Research Colleges and Universities” institution for Research Activity, a designation announced in February 2025 under Carnegie’s redesigned methodology. Carnegie’s current 2025 classifications remain in effect through 2028.

Among 58 Kentucky institutions, only five hold Carnegie’s “Research Colleges and Universities” designation. Two others — the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville — hold Carnegie’s top-tier R1 classification.

According to the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) survey, the primary source of information on R&D expenditures at U.S. colleges and universities, Kentucky State has the Commonwealth’s third-largest university research portfolio, behind only the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville. That standing reflects, in part, Kentucky State’s 1890 land-grant mission and the federal research support that helps sustain it.

Carnegie created the Research Colleges and Universities category to recognize institutions with meaningful research activity outside the older, more doctoral-centered model. At Kentucky State, that work is rigorous, applied, and tied to the needs of Kentucky communities, producers, and industries.

That strength is visible in Kentucky State’s expanding research portfolio. In 2024, the University secured a $7 million National Science Foundation award for DARE-KY, or Driving AgTech Research and Education in Kentucky, the largest competitive stand-alone federal award in University history. The award is helping establish a research incubator for the Commonwealth focused on soilless food systems, STEM education, and workforce development. More recently, Kentucky State received $1.7 million in USDA Capacity Building Grants supporting applied training, producer engagement, and interdisciplinary problem-solving tied to agriculture and community needs.

A major share of that work is also supported through Evans-Allen funding, the federal USDA program that advances agricultural research at 1890 land-grant universities. Kentucky State’s current portfolio includes 34 Evans-Allen projects led by 30 faculty and staff investigators. This work is housed in the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources, with 26 projects based in the College’s School of Agriculture and Natural Resources and eight in the School of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences. Together, those projects reflect a research enterprise built around practical value as well as scholarly work.

The revised Carnegie framework also recognizes other parts of Kentucky State’s mission. Under the 2025 classifications, the University is listed as “Professions-focused Baccalaureate Small” for Institutional Classification and “Higher Access, Medium Earnings” for Student Access and Earnings.

That description does not fully capture the breadth of Kentucky State’s academic portfolio, however. The University offers a number of graduate programs, including the Doctor of Nursing Practice and master’s degrees in Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Environmental Studies, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Computer Science, and Special Education.

Kentucky State is also continuing to add programs tied directly to workforce demand. Recent additions include a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy, a Master of Science in Sports Analytics, and undergraduate and graduate interdisciplinary programs in Biological and Agricultural Engineering through a partnership between the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and the College of Business, Engineering, and Technology.

As intended with its fully revised classification system, Carnegie’s designation of Kentucky State captures more fully the scope of a University advancing research with statewide relevance while continuing to grow academic and workforce-focused programs that serve students, communities, and Kentucky’s future.