The University of Dayton ranks No. 1 in 10 categories among national, state and Catholic colleges and universities, and it increased its standing in five others according to the National Science Foundation’s most recent annual rankings report on higher education research.

The University remains No. 1 among all U.S. colleges and universities for all sponsored research and development in materials engineering, as well as for federally sponsored research and development in materials engineering.

Among Ohio colleges and universities, UD remains No. 1 for federally sponsored engineering research and development, Department of Defense-sponsored research and development, and all sponsored research and development in industrial and manufacturing engineering.

UD also remains No. 1 among the nation's Catholic colleges and universities for all sponsored engineering research and development.

Nationally, UD broke into the top 20 for engineering research funded by all sources, moving from 21st to 18th place, and federally sponsored aerospace engineering research, moving from 21st to 17th place. It also broke into the top 25 for aerospace engineering research, moving from 28th to 24th place. UD also moved from sixth to fifth place in manufacturing engineering research and from ninth to eighth in total research revenue among private, four-year universities without medical schools. 

”These achievements are a testament to the exemplary efforts of our faculty and Research Institute staff who have shown a passion for conducting research that is relevant to national needs as well as to our local economy,” said John Leland, University of Dayton vice president for research.

Research numbers are for fiscal year 2019 and were released in February 2021 by the NSF. Sponsored research revenue at the University of Dayton was more than $170 million that same fiscal year. The majority of the funding — 92.6% — was performed for federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The UD Research Institute, which employs 715 researchers, technicians and administrative staff on campus, as well as at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and facilities in Georgia, Oklahoma, Florida and Utah; performs most of the University's research, with academic units contributing 6%. In addition, 67 faculty members and 238 graduate and undergraduate students engaged in sponsored research in fiscal year 2019.  

For media interviews, contact Pamela Gregg at 937-229-3268 (office), 937-269-8963 (mobile) and pamela.gregg@udri.udayton.edu; or Shawn Robinson at srobinson1@udayton.edu.