Journal profile
Metropolitan Universities
ISSN 1047-8485 · eISSN 2472-3541 · Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities · United States
Metropolitan Universities: diamond open access (no APC); no APC; review about 26 weeks (community reports); 28 articles in 2025.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Metropolitan Universities is published by Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Service-Learning and Community Engagement, Higher Education Research Studies and Human Resources and Workforce, together about 51.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Education. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
About Us Metropolitan Universities journal (MUJ) is the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities’ (CUMU) quarterly online journal. Founded in 1990, MUJ disseminates scholarship and research relevant to urban and metropolitan universities. Articles amplify the mission of CUMU by reinforcing the value of place-based institutions and illuminating our collective work of supporting the changing needs of our students, institutions, and cities. MUJ publishes manuscripts on topics pertinent to urban and metropolitan institutions. Most issues are organized thematically and edited by a guest editor(s) who invites prospective authors to prepare submissions. Guest editors are typically selected from CUMU member institutions and represent a variety of academic backgrounds and fields of expertise. MUJ publishes themed and non-themed issues, providing our readership with the opportunity to learn about critical, evidence-based studies on matters relevant to urban and metropolitan universities including programs, policies, initiatives and the application of ideas at an institutional, system or regional level. The articles in the journal reflect the opinions of the authors and may not reflect the views of CUMU. Publisher Metropolitan Universities is published by the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities. The journal is hosted and supported by the IU Indianapolis University Library. Open Access Policy This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal, or use them for any other lawful purpose. Review Process Metropolitan Universities uses a double-blind peer review process and each manuscript is reviewed by two reviewers. The identities of the author and the reviewers are concealed from one another throughout the entire review process. Authors should prepare their manuscripts according to the Instructions for Authors to ensure their identity is concealed. Indexes & Abstracts Articles in Metropolitan Universities journal are indexed by EBSCO, DOAJ, Google Scholar, ProQuest, Ovid, and Taylor & Francis. Archival Policy Metropolitan Universities is digitally preserved using the PKP Private LOCKSS Network (PLN). For more information about the PKP PLN, see https://pkp.sfu.ca/pkp-lockss/. Article Processing/Sub
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Service-Learning and Community EngagementSocial Sciences23.3%
- Higher Education Research StudiesSocial Sciences19.5%
- Human Resources and WorkforceSocial Sciences8.4%
- Higher Education Governance and DevelopmentSocial Sciences7.3%
- Community Health and DevelopmentHealth Professions5.7%
- Higher Education Practises and EngagementSocial Sciences5.5%
- University Challenges and ReformsSocial Sciences4.3%
- Teacher Education and Leadership StudiesSocial Sciences2.9%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
DOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuestPublisher website
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- h-index
- 19OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 55OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.67OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 823 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 17 | 17 | 128 |
| 2025 | 28 | 28 | 152 |
| 2024 | 31 | 31 | 258 |
| 2023 | 33 | 33 | 231 |
| 2022 | 21 | 21 | 199 |
| 2021 | 19 | 19 | 195 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 26 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 26 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Diamond open access (no APC)DOAJ
Every article is open access and authors pay no article processing charge.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | No APC | No | CC BY | |
| LetPub | No APC | No | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 7,000 words
- Reference style
- APA
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted9
- applied research reviewsApplied Research Reviews: Analysis of how existing research can be applied in practical settings.Length not stated
- case studiesCase Studies: Detailed examinations of specific instances using existing research and theories to explain or analyze the case (course, program, institutional co…Length not stated
- case studySubmissions can include, but are not limited to: Literature Reviews: Comprehensive overviews of existing research on a particular topic. Theoretical Articles: P…Length not stated
- epistemological explorationsEpistemological Explorations: Lines of inquiry that provide alternative discussions to theories, models, or frameworks.Length not stated
- literature reviewSubmissions can include, but are not limited to: Literature Reviews: Comprehensive overviews of existing research on a particular topic. Theoretical Articles: P…Length not stated
- literature reviewsLiterature Reviews: Comprehensive overviews of existing research on a particular topic.Length not stated
- methodological papersMethodological Papers: Discussions of research methods or approaches.Length not stated
- reviewSubmissions can include, but are not limited to: Literature Reviews: Comprehensive overviews of existing research on a particular topic. Theoretical Articles: P…Length not stated
- theoretical articlesTheoretical Articles: Proposals or critiques of theories, models, or frameworks.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAuthorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- Authorship Authorship teams and credit
No revisions after final acceptance Model summary
We encourage and welcome the submission of manuscripts prepared by diverse authorship teams, including contributors with various backgrounds, scholarly perspectives, racial/ethnic identities, genders, experiences, and roles (e.g. graduate students, partners, experienced scholars,) etc.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Acknowledgements, and funding and conflicts of interest
Acknowledgements and details of non-financial support must be included on the title page with complete information. Personal acknowledgements should precede those of institutions or agencies. Acknowledgement of funding bodies and declarations regarding conflicts of interest should be given in separate sections on the title page.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Ethical Considerations
Disclosure of conflicts of interest and AI use Model summary
Originality: The manuscript should be an original work that has not been previously published or under consideration elsewhere. Permissions: Authors are responsible for obtaining permission for any copyrighted material used in the manuscript. Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest and use of AI: Authors must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that could influence the research or interpretat…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright
Copyright assigned to corresponding author; CC BY 4.0 license Model summary
On the date of publication, copyright will be assigned automatically to the corresponding author, the copyright year will be set automatically based on the publication date, and the license will be set automatically to CC Attribution 4.0.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access Policy
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. Users have the right to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of the articles in this journal, or use them for any other lawful purpose.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Review Process
Double-blind peer review Model summary
Metropolitan Universities uses a double-blind peer review process and each manuscript is reviewed by two reviewers. The identities of the author and the reviewers are concealed from one another throughout the entire review process. Authors should prepare their manuscripts according to the Instructions for Authors to ensure their identity is concealed.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities
- Country or region
- United States
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1047-8485
- Electronic ISSN
- 2472-3541
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 37, Issue 2 (2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Metropolitan Universities
How long does peer review take at Metropolitan Universities?
Authors report an average review time of about 26 weeks. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Metropolitan Universities?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 7,000 words; Reference style: APA; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Which databases index Metropolitan Universities?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Metropolitan Universities is indexed in DOAJ.
Is Metropolitan Universities open access, and what is the APC?
Metropolitan Universities is a diamond open-access journal (no APC). It charges no article processing charge.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, Publisher website; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .