Photo by Rebecca Zenefski Slater ’10
In April, the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching announced , a new designation that recognizes institutional work prioritizing student success before, during, and after enrollment.
The “Opportunity Colleges and Universities – Higher Access, Higher Earnings” recognition is part of classification updates intended to measure the extent to which institutions provide students access, and highlight institutions that can serve as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success. ż's is one of eight Minnesota institutions to fall under the Higher Access, Higher Earnings classification.
“This designation recognizes ż’s commitment to making a life-changing education accessible to all, and to providing our students with opportunities that will prepare them to lead and make an impact,” said Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, president of ż.
This new classification examines the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success. The methodology measures whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve and how graduates’ earnings compare to peers in their area. In 2025, 479 institutions have been identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which is about 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.
The methodology takes into account institutions’ enrollment of Pell Grant recipients and students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups compared to a similar population in their area. In 2022–23, 37% of undergraduate students at ż’s received a Pell Grant and 34.4% identified as belonging to an underrepresented minority (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, or Two or More Races).
The classification is given by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The , which has more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, works to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching similarly works for transformation in the education sector. Its history includes the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.
About the Carnegie Classification
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the classification in 1973 to support its program of research and policy analysis, and it was updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025 to reflect changes among colleges and universities. It will next be updated in 2028, with subsequent updates every three years.