SDSU Pursues Carnegie R1 Status
Vice President of Research Daniel Scholl updated the Students' Association senate on the university's progress toward the top research classification.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Financial Aid
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San Diego State University Vice President of Research Daniel Scholl gave the Students' Association senate an update on the university's progress toward Carnegie R1 status. The university's first-quarter outgoing funding proposals exceeded $50 million, the largest first-quarter total SDSU faculty and staff have submitted.
Why it matters
Carnegie R1 status requires $50 million in annual research expenditures and at least 70 doctoral degrees awarded per year, benchmarks that shape how the university recruits graduate students and funds research. For San Diego, the progress signals growth in a major local research institution.
SDSU had 311 Ph.D. students in fall 2026, up from 234 in 2022, and spent $86 million on research last fiscal year against the $50 million R1 expenditure threshold. The source does not say how many doctoral degrees were awarded or when R1 status is expected.
The players
San Diego State University
A public research university in San Diego that is pursuing Carnegie R1 status, the top research classification in the United States.
Daniel Scholl
SDSU's Vice President of Research, who oversees the university's research enterprise and its push toward R1 classification.
The details
Funding begins with proposals written to granting agencies, and SDSU's outgoing proposals in the first quarter of the fiscal year surpassed $50 million. Separately, the Wintrode Student Success and Opportunity Center logged nearly 39,000 visits from nearly 5,000 unique students in 2025-26 and employed more than 80 students each semester.
Timeline
2022: SDSU had 234 Ph.D. students.
2025-26 school year: Wintrode Center fielded nearly 39,000 visits.
Last fiscal year: SDSU spent $86 million on research.
Fall 2026: SDSU had 311 Ph.D. students.
Nov. 9: Students' Association senate votes on a Native American Heritage Month commemoration.
Financial Aid Context
SDSU's R1 push is measured against the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education thresholds of $50 million in research expenditures and 70 doctoral degrees per year. Reaching those benchmarks depends on growing the graduate student population now at 311 Ph.D. students.
Students who rely on tutoring can use the Wintrode Center, which limits tutoring to one hour per subject per week, with an exception for students facing military deployment. Students interested in accountability groups should note that more than 100 signed up this fall.
The takeaway
Universities pursuing research classification can expand graduate enrollment and grant funding at the same time, and students benefit from the support services that accompany that growth. Watching the Ph.D. count and research spending gives a clear picture of progress.
What happens next
The Students' Association will vote on a commemoration recognizing November as Native American Heritage Month at its next meeting on Nov. 9.
Further reading
For more on how students pay for school locally, see Financial Aid coverage for San Diego.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Collegian.
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