#26 nationally · R1 · Illinois

Northwestern University research spending

Northwestern University spent $1.11B on research and development in fiscal year 2023, ranking #26 among US R1 and R2 universities and #1 in Illinois.

$1.11Btotal R&D, FY2023
#26of 297 nationally
#1 of 10in Illinois (33% of the state's listed total)
Yesmedical school

Nearest peers by research spending

RankUniversityStateTierR&D
23Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus MedPAR1$1.21B
24Washington University in St Louis MedMOR1$1.17B
25University of Southern California MedCAR1$1.16B
26Northwestern University MedILR1$1.11B
27Emory University MedGAR1$1.09B
28University of California-BerkeleyCAR1$1.08B
29The University of Texas at Austin MedTXR1$1.04B

Research office

Funding opportunities, sponsored programs, and research development for Northwestern University run through its research office: https://research.northwestern.edu/

See every Illinois research university.

Questions

How much does Northwestern University spend on research?
Northwestern University reported $1.11B in total research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2023, per the NSF HERD Survey.
Where does Northwestern University rank nationally for research spending?
#26 of the 297 R1 and R2 universities listed here, and #1 of 10 in Illinois.
Is Northwestern University an R1 university?
Northwestern University is classified R1 (very high research spending and doctorate production) in the 2025 Carnegie Classification.