Research Infosource collects data on research income, partnerships, and faculty research activity each year; in October, they publish their list of the top 50 colleges and research universities. In data collected from 2014-15, Dawson College placed 37th on the list, with research funding of $1,655,500 and 35 active research faculty.

Dawson’s key research strengths include: studies on the inclusion of students with disabilities, the scholarship of teaching and learning, sustainability, and a number of high-impact researchers working on discipline-specific projects in math, history, physics, chemistry, and biology.