The University of Michigan leads the nation in spending on social science research.
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Because many of the most pressing issues facing this country today have to do with patterns of human behavior and the social forces that influence them, research in psychology and the social sciences provides important information on these issues. continues to be the source.
These include the spread of misinformation, the proliferation of conspiracy theories, growing intergroup and international tensions, the rise of anti-democratic ideologies, the causes and consequences of economic inequality, the emergence of preventable diseases, and environmental conservation. , or the regulation of crime, the social and behavioral sciences provide important tools for understanding and, in some cases, mitigating these problems.
Where in the United States is cutting-edge social science happening? Which universities are leading research in fields like anthropology, economics, political science, sociology, psychology, and more?
One key indicator to answer that question is found in the Higher Education Research and Development Survey. The latest HERD study, sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, presents research and development spending data for fiscal year 2023. These are the latest spending figures collected from 914 bachelor’s degree-granting universities and colleges. degree or higher and spent at least $150,000 on research and development in the previous fiscal year.
Total research and development spending at U.S. universities exceeded $108.8 billion in fiscal year 2023. Of this, universities spent just over $3.6 billion on social science research and just over $1.6 billion on psychology research. Both categories increased from the previous year. Social science research spending increased by 14% and psychology research spending by 13%.
Below are the top 10 universities ranked by total research expenditures in four social science fields (anthropology, economics, political science and government, sociology/demography/demography) and one other social science field . That number is in the millions of dollars.
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor $217.5
Harvard University $169.2
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $95.7
Arizona State University $93.1
University of California, Berkeley $87.8
University of California, Los Angeles $86.0
Princeton University $83.8
University of Southern California $81.7
University of Wisconsin, Madison $76.0
George Mason University $73.1
The data can also be broken down by the individual disciplines that make up the overall social science funding categories.
The top five universities for research funding in anthropology were Arizona State University, University of Michigan, City University of New York Graduate Center, Harvard University, and Colorado State University. The top five in economics are: George Mason University. University of Michigan; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of California, Berkeley. and the University of Southern California. The top five for political science and government were Harvard University, Georgetown University, University of Michigan, Princeton University, and Arizona State University. The top five schools for funding sociology, demography, and population research were the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Penn State University/Hershey Medical Center. Harvard University; University of Michigan; and University of Pennsylvania. In other social science departments, the University of Michigan topped the list, followed by UCLA. University of Maryland; Harvard University; and University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The top 10 universities for research spending in psychology (in millions) are:
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill $56.6
Uniform Services College of Health Sciences $47.9
Penn State/Hershey Medical Center $41.3
Florida International University $41.1
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities $33.7
University of Connecticut $30.9
University of Georgia $30.1
New York University $26.6
Boston University $26.4
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor $23.5
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Looking more closely at the results by area, we find the following:
First, public universities were dominant. In both social sciences and psychology, eight of the top 10 institutions were public universities. Across a variety of categories, the University of Michigan topped the list, earning top 10 positions in both psychology and integrated social sciences. It also ranked in the top five in all six social science component areas. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked in the top 10 for both psychology and multidisciplinary social sciences. Harvard University and Arizona State University are in the top five in two or more social science fields or individual social science fields.
The quality of academic research is measured in many ways, including publications in peer-reviewed journals, the number of doctoral degrees awarded, citations of various types, academic awards and membership in societies, commercialization of intellectual property, and post-degree careers. It can be measured using various methods. students of the institution. All of these metrics are important indicators of research impact.
However, research expenditures have special value in determining an institution’s overall commitment and contribution to a research field for several reasons.
First, because most research grants are awarded through a competitive peer review process. R&D spending reveals expert consensus on the perceived value of proposed research. Second, spending allows for a direct and objective comparison of the vitality of a particular field of research between different universities. Beyond the enormous costs that a university-sponsored research program brings, the most important consideration is ultimately how much new knowledge it helps generate.
