The U of A is ranked No. 13 for “innovation impact productivity” among mid-sized universities by the George W. Bush Institute.

The “Engines of Opportunity” report recognized the economic contribution of university research in creating new products and services, companies, a highly educated workforce and economic prosperity.

“Research innovation creates new businesses, trains highly skilled workers and grows our state’s economy. This ranking recognizes how the U of A punches above its weight and delivers real value to the state of Arkansas,” said Mike Malone, vice chancellor for economic development.

The ranking places the U of A above schools such as Clemson University, Florida State University and the University of Oklahoma.

The U of A moved up 20 slots among mid-sized universities from the last George W. Bush Institute survey of innovation impact productivity released in 2020.

Among all schools, the U of A ranked No. 97 this year, up from No. 110 in 2020.

“Being a leader in innovation impact, signals that our institution takes pride in transforming research outputs into products and services that make the world a better place to live, drive economic growth and have lasting societal impact,” said David J. Hinton, who as executive director of U of A’s Technology Ventures helps faculty and researchers commercialize their discoveries and intellectual property.

To assess a school’s innovation impact productivity, the George W. Bush Institute, based at Southern Methodist University, scored schools on nine factors that included:

• Enrollment of students in STEM programs,
• Annual patents issued,
• Income generated from licensing intellectual property and
• The number of companies spun off from university research.

That score was then divided by how much each school spent on research. The data also included research outputs conducted by the U of A System Division of Agriculture.

In fiscal year 2023, the U of A’s total research expenditure was $221.5 million. The George W. Bush Institute survey used data from 2016 through 2020.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.