Before the Second World War, few universities in the United States could compete as research institutions with their European counterparts. Since 1945, however, America's top research universities are the best in the world. The Rise of American Research Universities explains how this remarkable transformation occurred and offers a new, empirical, per capita assessment of the productivity and quality of faculties across the disciplines at more than 200 public and private institutions. From the impact of federal funding and decisions made by administrators at individual universities to the rigorous comparison of institutions, the findings in this book offer important insights into the history and future of the American research university.