Changes to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education introduce new criteria for categorizing colleges and universities and link student access and return on investment to institutional excellence.
Developed 50 years ago to organize the higher-education sector, the Carnegie Classifications have become associated with prestigious research tiers, student selectivity, and degrees awarded.
The redesigned framework shifts the focus to student outcomes and accountability in the higher education sector and prioritizes social and economic mobility factors. The Carnegie analysts announced the new approach in 2022.
“If colleges and universities are to remain relevant in the 21st century, we need a renewed social contract between institutions of higher education and the American people, focused on student success,” wrote Timothy Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation, and Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education (ACE), in “Renewing the Social Contract for Higher Education,” posted on the Higher Education Today website.
The new “Institutional Classification” groups colleges and universities into peer campuses based on multiple characteristics, including types of degrees awarded and primary fields of study. Previously, the Carnegie Classifications organized colleges and universities by academic programs and highest degrees awarded.
The overhauled classifications represent the biggest changes since the national framework was standardized in 1973. The revisions lend clarity and give policymakers, researchers, and students more accessible and relevant data for comparing institutions and winning research funding, according to the Carnegie analysts. Colleges and universities also use the data to inform institutional priorities.
“I like to think about the Carnegie Classification as a tool that captures the big picture in higher education,” said RIT provost Prabu David. “The new methodologies allow us to adjust the view and zoom in to see finer details about how groups and individual institutions contribute to this sector. These findings affirm that we are on the right track and in the right group of universities.”
The Institutional Classification include 31 different categories for assessing an institution. RIT is described as a medium-sized university with the following characteristics:
- Institutional Classification: Mixed, undergraduate/graduate-doctorate;
- Student Access and Earnings: Lower access, higher earnings;
- Special Focus: Technology, engineering, sciences; and
- Research Activity Designation: Research 2, high research spending and doctorate production.
RIT retains its R2 designation, which is now described as “Research 2, high research spending and doctorate production.” (In 2016, the Carnegie Classifications changed RIT’s designation from “Masters–Comprehensive” to “Doctoral University – Moderate Research Activity.” In 2019, RIT was reclassified again as an R2 university with “high research activity”.)
The Carnegie Foundation and ACE simplified the metrics and made it easier for institutions to qualify for Research-1 status .By separating research activity from the Institutional Classification, Carnegie analysts hope to reduce competition for R1 status.
Nevertheless, the designation appeals to universities because it helps obtain research money and attract students. Two new requirements clarify the path for a Research-2 university like RIT to reach and maintain Research-1 eligibility. The classifications stipulate that an R1 university must spend a minimum of $50 million on research funding and award, at least, 70 research doctorates each year.
The Carnegie update also introduces a new category, Student Access and Earnings Classification. This rubric evaluates how well an institution fosters educational opportunities for students and their income level eight years after graduating, while accounting for geographical context.
Institutions earning “higher access with higher earnings” received “Opportunity Colleges and Universities” designations. The Carnegie Classifications identified nearly 480 institutions as models for fostering student opportunities.
Based on comparison with other colleges and universities, RIT is classified as a “lower access with higher earnings” institution. RIT is one of 261 colleges and universities that fall under this category, which includes, Boston College, Tufts University, Drexel University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University, and Georgetown University.
At the same time, RIT welcomes students from an array of economic backgrounds, he said, noting that about 30 percent of RIT students receive Pell grants.
“We are in good company in terms of reputation, science and technology, as well as commitment to access and social mobility,” David said. “We realize different schools have different missions. We remain committed to student access.”
