Recognizing Our Members as Opportunity Colleges and Universities
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE) have introduced a new way to recognize institutions committed to student success. Through the Student Access and Earnings Classification, nearly 500 colleges and universities have been acknowledged for their work in providing access to education and strong economic outcomes for students. We’re proud to see many of our member campuses included in this inaugural group of Opportunity Colleges and Universities!
The Carnegie Classifications staff worked with several experts and advisory groups, including a Technical Review Panel and Institutional Roundtable, to develop a framework for classifying institutions based on the types of students they serve and the economic outcomes that students experience. For more context on these conversations, please read the blog post from the chair of the Technical Review Panel.
Purpose and Overview of the Student Access and Earnings Classification
- "Assess the extent to which institutions offer broad access to learners, particularly those who have been underserved, and evaluate the earnings outcomes of past students."
- "Consider the context and location an institution is operating in by examining whether an institution is providing access to a student population that reflects the locations they serve, and after students leave, how much are they making compared to peers in their job market."
- "Facilitate comparison within similar institutions by using groupings drawn from the 2025 Institutional Classifications."
- "Present the results in a visual way that emphasizes the complex and multidimensional nature of access and outcomes.
About the Access and Earnings Measures
- Access Measure: Compares the enrollment of Pell Grant recipients and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to similar populations in their area.
- Earnings Measure: Compares undergraduate student earnings eight years after enrollment to those of a similar local population with a high school diploma or higher credential.
Compact Campuses Members Recognized
We’re excited to celebrate the following Compact member campuses that have been designated as Opportunity Colleges and Universities:
- Agnes Scott College
- Barry University
- Bellarmine University
- Central Michigan University
- DePaul University
- George Mason University
- Illinois Institute of Technology
- Illinois State University
- Kennebec Valley Community College
- Lewis University
- Marymount University
- Mercer University
- Morehouse College
- Mount Saint Mary's University
- Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
- Pace University
- Spelman College
- St. Catherine University
- The University of Texas at Arlington
- The University of Texas at El Paso
- University of Central Florida
- University of Illinois Chicago
- University of La Verne
- University of Louisville
- University of Maine at Fort Kent
- University of San Francisco
- California State University - Channel Islands
- California State University - Monterey Bay
- California State University - Sacramento
- Chicago School of Professional Psychology - College of Nursing
- Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks
- Rutgers University - Camden
- Rutgers University - Newark
- University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth
- University of Minnesota - Duluth
- University of Minnesota - Rochester
- California State University - San Bernardino
- University of Saint Joseph