St. Kate鈥檚 recognized as Opportunity College and University by Carnegie Classifications

St. Kate鈥檚 is one of eight Minnesota institutions to receive the new classification, which recognizes schools that foster opportunities for student success.
Three students walk down a tree-lined sidewalk on campus.

Photo by Rebecca Zenefski Slater 鈥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 鈥淥pportunity Colleges and Universities 鈥 Higher Access, Higher Earnings鈥 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. St. Kate's is one of eight Minnesota institutions to fall under the Higher Access, Higher Earnings classification.

鈥淭his designation recognizes St. Kate鈥檚 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,鈥 said Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, president of 亚色影库. 

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鈥 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鈥 enrollment of Pell Grant recipients and students from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups compared to a similar population in their area. In 2022鈥23, 37% of undergraduate students at St. Kate鈥檚 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.

 

亚色影库 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.