This indicator represents the ratio of R&D expenditures at a state's colleges and universities to the size of the state's economy. Academic R&D performers account for slightly more than half of basic research, about one-third of total research (basic plus applied), and roughly 15% of all R&D conducted in the United States.

Data on academic R&D are provided by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics’ Higher Education Research and Development Survey and represent R&D at U.S. colleges and universities with over $150,000 in R&D expenditures.