Dr. Ted Mitchell
The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced two major updates: a revised "Institutional Classification" replacing the historic Basic Classification, and an entirely new "Student Access and Earnings Classification" system that measures how effectively institutions create opportunities for students.
This represents the most substantial overhaul of the Carnegie Classifications since their inception in 1973, moving beyond categorizing institutions primarily by their highest degree offered to a multidimensional approach that considers size, degree types, and fields of study.
"With this redesign of the Carnegie Classifications, we set out to measure what matters," said Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE. "Nowadays, institutions can't be reduced down to the highest degree they award because they exist to serve a wide range of students in a wide variety of ways."
The new Student Access and Earnings Classification specifically evaluates how well institutions enroll students from their surrounding communities and whether graduates earn competitive wages after completion. This focus on student outcomes reflects growing concerns about higher education's return on investment amid rising costs and student debt.
"The majority of students apply to college with the hope it is a path to opportunity, and the job they've dreamt about," said Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. "This work is about ensuring that institutions are recognized when they empower students to reach their goals and succeed."
The redesign introduces a notable new designation: "Opportunity Colleges and Universities." This recognition was awarded to 479 institutions that demonstrate exceptional performance in providing access and economic mobility. These schools will serve as models for studying successful approaches to student success.
