The Washington Monthly has again recognized the University of Arizona one of the nation's most impactful public research universities.

The U of A ranks No. 41 overall and No. 23 among public universities in the publication's Best Colleges for Research ranking, released Aug. 30. The U of A also ranks No. 1 in Arizona and No. 2 among all colleges and universities in the Big 12 Conference.

According to The Washington Monthly, this ranking seeks to "illuminate the incredible benefits that America's research universities provide to the country at large and to the states and regions where they're located."

The ranking evaluates the roughly 140 universities that each spend at least $100 million per year on research, scoring them along four equally weighted measures: total research expenditure; the number of science and engineering doctorates awarded; the faculty elected to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and the major national honors a school's scholars collect. 

The U of A's placement is strengthened by its ranking in federal research expenditures (No. 31), total number of science and engineering Ph.D.s awarded (335) and its overall ranking for faculty accolades (No. 48).

U of A research activity exceeded $1 billion in fiscal year 2024, making it the leading research organization in Arizona and ranking among the nation's top 20 public research institutions for the seventh consecutive year.