R2:Doctoral Universities are research institutions with high research activities. R2 universities offer many doctoral programs, but the number of awarded doctoral degrees and students is smaller than R1 universities. The amount of research funding received is also small.These research institutions play a crucial role in advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and contributing to economic growth through their research activities. [Learn more about Carnegie Classification methodology here.]

As of 2025, there are 139 R2 Universities operating in the United States, including 97 public and 42 private institutions. 42 of these are newly classified R2 universities in 2025. The "*" sign next to certain institutions in below table indicates their recent addition to the R2 category. Some institutions have been upgraded from lower classifications due to enhanced research activities and expanded doctoral program offerings, while others may have been reclassified from R1 to R2.

Compare and explore detailed statistics for 139 R2 Universities to find the perfect college match for your academic goals, budget, and career aspirations. Our comprehensive comparison tool provides key data including tuition costs, acceptance rates, financial aid, graduation rates, and enrollment statistics to help you make informed decisions about your higher education:

  • Average Tuition & Fees: R2 Universities charge $10,519 for in-state students and $30,070 for out-of-state students on average for undergraduate programs.
  • Graduate Program Costs: Average graduate tuition & fees for R2 Universities is $16,107 for in-state graduate students and $24,539 for out-of-state graduate students.
  • Admission Statistics: R2 Universities offer accessible admission opportunities with an average acceptance rate of 74.76% and an average SAT score of 1,167 for enrolled students.
  • Student Population: R2 Universities enroll an average of 12,585 students across all programs.
  • Graduation Success Rate: Students at R2 Universities achieve a moderate graduation rate of 59.49%, with ongoing efforts to enhance academic support and student success initiatives.

Use our detailed college comparison tables below to evaluate R2 Universities side-by-side. Compare tuition and fees, financial aid packages, admission requirements, student-to-faculty ratios, and graduation outcomes to identify the best college that matches your educational needs and budget. Start comparing colleges now to make the right choice for your future.

Key Statistics & Highlights

Here are the highest and lowest statistics among R2 Doctoral Universities:

Statistic Average Highest Lowest
Tuition & Fees$30,070Pepperdine University
$69,918		University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
$5,274
Graduate Tuition & Fees$24,539Rochester Institute of Technology
$60,052		University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez
$3,800
Enrollment12,585 studentsKennesaw State University
47,764 students		The Rockefeller University
281 students
Acceptance Rate74.76%University of South Dakota
98.78%		Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
20.56%
SAT Score1,167Wake Forest University
1,470		Southern University and A & M College
900

Comparison between all R2 Doctoral Universities

The following table compares 139 R2 Doctoral Universities with tuition and important admission statistics. You can sort the table to find top-ranked schools in the indicator (column) by clicking/touching a column that you want to sort. Note again, "*" symbol next to certain institutions in below table indicates that the school is newly classified in 2025.

Tuition Comparison Table between R2 Doctoral Universities
School NameStateDegree OfferedTuition & FeesAverage Financial AidAcceptance RatePopulationGraduation RateStudent to Faculty Ratio
Abilene Christian University * four-year, private TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$44,200 $28,342 266% 5,219 59% 13 to 1
Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's		- - - 1,070 - -
Albert Einstein College of Medicine * four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's		- - - 1,424 - -
Appalachian State University * four-year, public NCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$25,212 ($7,579) $8,899 290% 21,570 75% 16 to 1
Arkansas State University four-year, public ARDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$14,522 ($8,090) $9,974 282% 15,726 55% 17 to 1
Augusta University four-year, public GADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$24,734 ($8,414) $8,686 286% 10,900 49% 16 to 1
Azusa Pacific University four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$44,458 $24,663 288% 6,272 62% 9 to 1
Ball State University four-year, public INDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$29,630 ($11,082) $12,279 286% 21,089 62% 14 to 1
Boise State University four-year, public IDDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$27,788 ($9,048) $9,494 287% 27,198 60% 20 to 1
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$21,900 ($13,912) $10,060 281% 17,594 64% 17 to 1
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona * four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,381 ($7,781) $11,191 275% 27,636 68% 25 to 1
California State University-Fresno four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,941 ($7,341) $11,442 295% 24,427 57% 22 to 1
California State University-Fullerton four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,070 ($7,470) $10,631 291% 43,662 70% 26 to 1
California State University-Long Beach four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,974 ($7,374) $11,350 246% 42,003 69% 23 to 1
California State University-Los Angeles * four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,764 ($7,164) $12,761 291% 23,163 53% 21 to 1
California State University-Sacramento * four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,618 ($8,018) $12,036 294% 31,943 56% 24 to 1
Central Michigan University four-year, public MIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$15,480 ($15,480) $10,541 290% 14,488 59% 16 to 1
Chapman University four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$64,984 $31,523 265% 9,760 82% 12 to 1
Claremont Graduate University four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's		$36,390 - - 1,771 - -
Clark Atlanta University four-year, private GADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$28,310 $14,599 264% 4,252 49% 16 to 1
Clark University four-year, private MADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$58,467 $33,077 240% 3,925 77% 8 to 1
Clarkson University four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$59,398 $43,602 277% 3,348 75% 13 to 1
Cleveland State University four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$18,502 ($12,982) $9,231 291% 14,074 51% 16 to 1
Creighton University four-year, private NEDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$48,856 $29,171 280% 8,581 83% 11 to 1
CUNY City College four-year, public NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$15,290 ($7,340) $9,148 260% 15,544 57% 15 to 1
CUNY Hunter College * four-year, public NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$15,332 ($7,382) $9,090 254% 22,538 57% 14 to 1
Delaware State University * four-year, public DEDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$20,634 ($10,670) $13,619 247% 5,327 39% 17 to 1
DePaul University four-year, private ILDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$45,405 $25,679 276% 21,210 68% 17 to 1
Duquesne University four-year, private PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$48,986 $27,851 284% 8,234 77% 12 to 1
East Tennessee State University four-year, public TNDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$13,726 ($10,216) $11,795 286% 13,728 53% 15 to 1
East Texas A&M University * four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,326 ($10,026) $8,937 292% 13,252 43% 17 to 1
Eastern Michigan University four-year, public MIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$16,990 ($16,990) $10,364 280% 12,631 46% 14 to 1
Eastern Virginia Medical School * four-year, public VADoctorate
Master's		- - - 1,216 - -
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach * four-year, private FLDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$44,074 $22,715 265% 11,426 67% 18 to 1
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University four-year, public FLDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$17,725 ($5,785) $10,096 221% 9,313 53% 14 to 1
Florida Institute of Technology four-year, private FLDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$45,900 $25,572 258% 8,992 64% 13 to 1
Fordham University four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$64,470 $33,993 259% 16,150 82% 14 to 1
Georgia Southern University four-year, public GADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$17,734 ($6,022) $7,682 288% 27,423 55% 25 to 1
Hampton University * four-year, private VADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$30,592 $18,630 262% 4,244 57% 15 to 1
Hofstra University * four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$57,660 $32,114 268% 10,685 69% 13 to 1
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai * four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's		$33,902 - - 1,261 - -
Idaho State University four-year, public IDDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$27,720 ($8,610) $8,931 - 13,061 39% 14 to 1
Illinois Institute of Technology four-year, private ILDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$52,202 $38,732 255% 8,834 75% 14 to 1
Illinois State University four-year, public ILDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,058 ($14,410) $12,056 288% 21,546 65% 19 to 1
Indiana University of Pennsylvania four-year, public PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$16,297 ($11,380) $8,533 291% 9,073 56% 23 to 1
Jackson State University four-year, public MSDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$11,965 ($8,965) $8,235 293% 6,326 51% 14 to 1
James Madison University four-year, public VADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$31,312 ($13,966) $10,140 272% 22,740 80% 17 to 1
Kean University * four-year, public NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,446 ($14,299) $13,008 276% 13,905 47% 17 to 1
Kennesaw State University four-year, public GADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$17,736 ($5,808) $6,846 269% 47,764 52% 23 to 1
Lamar University * four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$18,745 ($8,905) $10,193 286% 17,772 37% 20 to 1
Loma Linda University four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$29,960 $9,645 - 4,210 - 3 to 1
Long Island University four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$42,432 $26,263 286% 16,689 57% 15 to 1
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans * four-year, public LADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$18,851 ($10,376) $7,481 - 2,750 - 3 to 1
Louisiana Tech University four-year, public LADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$16,866 ($10,125) $9,493 286% 11,873 64% 21 to 1
Loyola Marymount University four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$61,867 $24,107 245% 10,179 79% 10 to 1
Marquette University four-year, private WIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$51,170 $29,879 281% 11,746 83% 14 to 1
Marshall University four-year, public WVDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$20,342 ($9,162) $10,813 296% 11,958 51% 16 to 1
Medical College of Wisconsin * four-year, private WIDoctorate
Master's		- - - 1,677 - -
Mercer University four-year, private GADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$31,565 $25,862 269% 9,196 70% 11 to 1
Miami University-Oxford four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$38,965 ($17,519) $13,570 275% 18,838 80% 16 to 1
Middle Tennessee State University four-year, public TNDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$31,574 ($10,266) $9,149 269% 20,488 54% 17 to 1
Montclair State University four-year, public NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,022 ($15,912) $12,283 288% 23,375 65% 18 to 1
Morgan State University four-year, public MDDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,124 ($8,229) $9,858 282% 10,739 41% 18 to 1
North Carolina A & T State University four-year, public NCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,673 ($6,813) $10,685 250% 14,311 57% 20 to 1
Northern Illinois University four-year, public ILDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$13,060 ($13,060) $12,589 270% 15,414 49% 15 to 1
Oakland University four-year, public MIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$24,735 ($17,167) $9,977 288% 15,768 58% 17 to 1
Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences * four-year, public OKDoctorate
Master's		$5,611 ($0) - - 2,256 - -
Oregon Health & Science University * four-year, public ORDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$37,338 ($24,306) $19,147 - 2,942 - 5 to 1
Pepperdine University * four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$69,918 $34,751 263% 8,976 83% 12 to 1
Portland State University four-year, public ORDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$29,136 ($11,118) $10,442 291% 19,951 53% 17 to 1
Prairie View A & M University four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,874 ($11,299) $9,220 279% 9,922 43% 17 to 1
Rochester Institute of Technology four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$59,210 $29,523 267% 17,098 70% 13 to 1
Rowan University four-year, public NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,932 ($16,574) $10,782 278% 21,026 67% 17 to 1
Rush University * four-year, private ILDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$33,751 $13,108 - 2,769 - 10 to 1
Rutgers University-Camden four-year, public NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$37,276 ($17,764) $14,269 266% 5,675 67% 12 to 1
Rutgers University-Newark four-year, public NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$36,762 ($17,250) $15,780 271% 11,315 64% 14 to 1
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia * four-year, private PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$53,260 $30,721 289% 7,159 79% 11 to 1
Sam Houston State University four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$19,068 ($9,228) $8,724 290% 21,039 55% 19 to 1
San Francisco State University four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,446 ($7,846) $12,110 296% 22,563 50% 19 to 1
San Jose State University * four-year, public CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$21,010 ($8,410) $11,385 285% 37,661 69% 25 to 1
Seton Hall University four-year, private NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$53,170 $31,671 273% 9,571 69% 14 to 1
South Carolina State University * four-year, public SCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$21,750 ($11,060) $12,189 283% 3,242 37% 19 to 1
South Dakota State University four-year, public SDDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$12,809 ($9,299) $6,191 298% 12,056 62% 17 to 1
Southern Connecticut State University * four-year, public CTDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$16,942 ($13,442) $8,712 291% 9,377 50% 11 to 1
Southern University and A & M College four-year, public LADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$17,272 ($9,922) $8,290 235% 8,279 27% 21 to 1
Stevens Institute of Technology four-year, private NJDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$63,462 $32,182 248% 8,469 87% 11 to 1
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry four-year, public NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$22,263 ($9,303) $8,105 263% 2,757 66% 14 to 1
Tarleton State University four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$18,142 ($8,302) $8,224 290% 17,433 48% 20 to 1
Teachers College at Columbia University four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's		$36,882 - - 4,401 - -
Tennessee State University four-year, public TNDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$22,416 ($8,616) $13,650 270% 6,310 34% 13 to 1
Tennessee Technological University four-year, public TNDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$15,576 ($11,376) $9,653 276% 10,511 58% 16 to 1
Texas A & M University-Corpus Christi four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$20,794 ($9,748) $8,608 289% 11,266 40% 19 to 1
Texas A&M University-Kingsville four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$25,746 ($9,892) $10,239 291% 6,864 42% 18 to 1
Texas Christian University four-year, private TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$61,740 $32,812 244% 12,938 86% 14 to 1
Texas Southern University four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$21,473 ($8,637) $8,193 297% 8,704 22% 19 to 1
Texas State University four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,930 ($11,450) $9,539 289% 40,674 55% 21 to 1
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center * four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,514 ($10,214) $6,113 - 5,098 - 7 to 1
Texas Woman's University * four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$18,480 ($8,640) $8,802 296% 15,361 49% 16 to 1
The New School four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$58,730 $19,395 263% 9,068 69% 9 to 1
The Rockefeller University * four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's		- - - 281 - -
The University of Texas at Tyler four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$24,512 ($9,512) $8,874 294% 10,362 54% 17 to 1
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston * four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$28,011 ($12,402) $3,413 - 3,241 - 10 to 1
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley four-year, public TXDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,645 ($9,799) $9,248 294% 33,881 51% 20 to 1
Thomas Jefferson University four-year, private PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$47,355 $27,176 281% 8,238 69% 12 to 1
University of Akron Main Campus four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$20,815 ($13,135) $9,319 260% 13,332 52% 17 to 1
University of Alabama in Huntsville * four-year, public ALDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,408 ($12,132) $9,206 269% 8,564 64% 17 to 1
University of Alaska Fairbanks four-year, public AKDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$25,892 ($10,083) $9,009 - 6,893 38% 11 to 1
University of Arkansas at Little Rock four-year, public ARDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$22,721 ($9,911) $9,226 259% 8,216 42% 13 to 1
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences * four-year, public ARDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$14,714 ($9,086) $5,309 - 3,485 - 16 to 1
University of Colorado Colorado Springs four-year, public CODoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$25,039 ($10,906) $8,327 297% 11,354 47% 15 to 1
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School * four-year, public MADoctorate
Master's		- - - 1,489 - -
University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth four-year, public MADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$32,567 ($15,612) $12,116 291% 7,968 52% 16 to 1
University of Michigan-Dearborn * four-year, public MIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$32,896 ($15,640) $10,226 256% 8,104 58% 16 to 1
University of Missouri-St Louis four-year, public MODoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$37,620 ($15,120) $10,123 263% 14,736 57% 13 to 1
University of Nebraska at Omaha four-year, public NEDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$23,206 ($8,718) $10,227 287% 14,972 47% 15 to 1
University of New England four-year, private MEDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$44,210 $22,505 292% 6,573 68% 11 to 1
University of New Orleans four-year, public LADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$14,008 ($9,172) $9,760 274% 6,501 38% 19 to 1
University of North Carolina at Greensboro four-year, public NCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$24,012 ($7,661) $9,338 289% 18,012 56% 18 to 1
University of North Carolina Wilmington four-year, public NCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$24,152 ($7,277) $7,448 264% 18,848 71% 17 to 1
University of North Florida four-year, public FLDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$19,407 ($5,964) $8,435 253% 16,154 69% 19 to 1
University of Northern Colorado * four-year, public CODoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$26,979 ($11,901) $9,175 286% 8,869 51% 14 to 1
University of Oklahoma-Health Sciences Center * four-year, public OKDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$25,714 ($7,925) $6,291 - 3,680 - 8 to 1
University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez * four-year, public PRDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$5,274 ($5,274) $6,446 257% 10,618 49% 19 to 1
University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras four-year, public PRDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$5,324 ($5,324) $6,628 255% 11,312 50% 11 to 1
University of San Diego four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$59,486 $37,818 252% 9,714 84% 13 to 1
University of San Francisco * four-year, private CADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$60,522 $30,843 262% 8,913 70% 11 to 1
University of South Alabama four-year, public ALDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,092 ($10,116) $8,989 271% 14,003 53% 19 to 1
University of South Dakota four-year, public SDDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$12,942 ($9,432) $6,716 299% 10,619 60% 16 to 1
University of Tulsa four-year, private OKDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$49,546 $41,196 262% 3,914 72% 10 to 1
University of West Florida * four-year, public FLDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$18,658 ($5,776) $8,828 258% 14,822 59% 22 to 1
Upstate Medical University * four-year, public NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,878 ($8,038) $7,157 - 1,341 - 8 to 1
Villanova University four-year, private PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$67,776 $43,855 227% 10,041 92% 10 to 1
Virginia State University * four-year, public VADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,650 ($10,043) $15,647 289% 5,605 39% 13 to 1
Wake Forest University four-year, private NCDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$67,642 $50,961 222% 9,322 89% 10 to 1
West Chester University of Pennsylvania four-year, public PADoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$22,599 ($10,775) $6,081 278% 17,171 71% 20 to 1
Western Michigan University four-year, public MIDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's		$19,952 ($15,987) $9,864 285% 16,744 58% 16 to 1
Wichita State University four-year, public KSDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$19,869 ($9,684) $7,537 294% 16,689 51% 19 to 1
Wright State University-Main Campus four-year, public OHDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$20,691 ($10,991) $8,109 296% 10,603 42% 16 to 1
Yeshiva University * four-year, private NYDoctorate
Master's
Bachelor's
Associate		$51,800 $30,264 256% 6,965 83% 7 to 1