UNLV is a public, urban research institution that holds the nation's highest recognition for both research and community engagement from the Carnegie Foundation of the Advancement of Teaching- R1, the gold standard for research institutions. These distinctions underscore UNLV's vision to become one of the nation's premier public universities for research, education, and community impact. 

UNLV research is central to Nevada's economic renaissance, increasing the availability of good-paying jobs and the secondary industries that support them.