Connecticut Ranked at #7 in Research and Development Among the States
/Nearly $940 billion is spent on research and development in the U.S., according to the latest data available from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics. The funding supports the efforts of researchers responsible for new technologies, infrastructure development, health care advances and more.
The non-profit organization SmileHub has released a new report on the Best States for Research and Development in 2025 – and Connecticut ranked in the top 10 at number seven.
Each of the 50 states was analyzed based on 17 key metrics, ranging from researchers per capita to the number of research charities per capita to research and development spending per capita.
Here’s how Connecticut ranked in the various categories to earn a #7 ranking overall. The state ranked 8th in Research Funding, 11th in Research Education, and 13th in Research Workforce & Innovation. Among the subcategories, Connecticut ranked:
3rd – Average Salary for Researchers (behind only Indiana and New Jersey)
7th – Research and Development Spending per Capita
16th – Share of Science and Engineering Graduates
16th – Share of STEM Professionals
25th – Research Charities per Capita
“While new innovations develop across the United States, some states create better environments for professional and aspiring researchers than others,” the SmileHub website noted. The top 10 states were Massachusetts, California, Maryland, Colorado, Washington, Virginia, Connecticut, Oregon, Michigan and Mew Jersey. In the region, New York was ranked #11, Rhode Island #14, and New Hampshire #17.
Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zippia, Council for Community and Economic Research, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, National Science Foundation, Internal Revenue Service, National Institutes of Health, Milken Institute, U.S. News & World Report and National Center for Education Statistics.
