#84 nationally · R1 · Alabama

Auburn University research spending

Auburn University spent $394M on research and development in fiscal year 2024, ranking #84 among US R1 and R2 universities and #2 in Alabama.

$394Mtotal R&D, FY2024
#84of 322 nationally
#2 of 5in Alabama (23% of the state's listed total)
Nomedical school

Where the research money comes from

40% of Auburn University's research spending came from the federal government in fiscal year 2024, against 55% across all the R1 and R2 universities listed here. Its largest non-federal source was institution's own funds at $177.8M.

SourceFY2024Share
Federal government$158.0M40%
Institution's own funds$177.8M45%
State and local government$35.1M9%
Business$10.8M3%
Nonprofit organizations$2.2M1%
All other sources$9.7M2%

Ten-year trend

Total R&D of $393.6M in fiscal year 2024 is up 12.7% from fiscal year 2023 ($349.3M) and up 176% since 2014 ($142.5M).

Fiscal yearTotal R&D
2019$231.6M
2020$255.3M
2021$266.4M
2022$304.4M
2023$349.3M
2024$393.6M

Nearest peers by research spending

RankUniversityStateTierR&D
81The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston MedTXR1$419M
82Dartmouth College MedNHR1$418M
83Washington State University MedWAR1$403M
84Auburn UniversityALR1$394M
85Wichita State UniversityKSR2$392M
86The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleTNR1$387M
87George Washington University MedDCR1$382M

Research office

Funding opportunities, sponsored programs, and research development for Auburn University run through its website: https://auburn.edu

See every Alabama research university and NIH funding in Alabama.

Questions

How much does Auburn University spend on research?
Auburn University reported $394M in total research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2024, per the NSF HERD Survey.
Where does Auburn University rank nationally for research spending?
#84 of the 322 R1 and R2 universities listed here, and #2 of 5 in Alabama.
Is Auburn University an R1 university?
Auburn University is classified R1 (very high research spending and doctorate production) in the 2025 Carnegie Classification.
How much of Auburn University's research is federally funded?
40% ($158.0M) of its $393.6M in fiscal year 2024 R&D came from federal agencies; the other 60% came from the institution itself, state and local government, business, nonprofits and other sources (NSF HERD).