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A banner year for research at East Tennessee State University has culminated in a significant milestone: a notable climb in the most recent Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) ranking.

ETSU was previously ranked No. 272 in the HERD ranking. In 2023, the year reflected in the most recent rankings that were  released in November 2024, the university jumped to No. 239 out of 664 universities represented in the survey. This is a record-high ranking for the university.

Conducted by the National Science Foundation, the HERD Survey is an annual census of U.S. colleges and universities that expended at least $150,000 in research and development (R&D) in the fiscal year. The survey collects information on R&D expenditures by field of research and source of funds and gathers information on types of research, expenses and headcounts of R&D personnel.

“This is a significant jump in our rankings and represents the hard work of many people across our campus, including colleagues in Business and Finance, college deans, associate deans for research, college business managers, and the Office of the Vice Provost for Research,” said Dr. Nicholas Hagemeier, ETSU vice provost for Research and chief research officer. “Given our portfolio of programs at ETSU, we are on our way to becoming a top 200 university.”

In addition to the improved HERD ranking, ETSU saw an increase in its research and sponsored program awards, which climbed to more than $71 million in fiscal year 2024.

“This rise in the national HERD rankings and the other research accomplishments over the past year underscore our commitment to fostering a culture of research excellence that not only elevates ETSU but also creates meaningful impact for our region and beyond,” said Dr. Kimberly D. McCorkle, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs.