Research university

A research university is a university that places a strong emphasis on research as a key component of its overall goal. They may be either public or private, and they are often associated with well-known brand brands. Despite the fact that undergraduate courses at many research universities are often academic rather than vocational in nature and do not necessarily prepare students for specific careers, many employers value degrees earned at research universities because they teach fundamental life skills such as critical thinking. Globally, research universities are mostly public institutions, with significant exceptions being the United States and Japan, which are both private institutions.

Students' teaching and other components of tertiary education are more important at institutions of higher education that are not research universities (or do not seek to be such, such as liberal arts colleges), and faculty members are under less pressure to publish or perish at these institutions.