Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
Overview
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is a framework for classifying colleges and universities in the United States. The framework primarily serves educational and research purposes, where it is often important to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions. The classifications are named after Andrew Carnegie, who established the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that created and maintains the classification system.
History
The Carnegie Classification was first published in 1973 by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. The original purpose of the classification was to support the Commission's program of research and policy analysis. Designed to be used for statistical and descriptive purposes, the classification system has been widely adopted as an organizing principle for the study of higher education, both as a way to represent and control for institutional differences, and also in the design of research studies to ensure adequate representation of sampled institutions, students, or faculty.
Classification Categories
The Carnegie Classification includes several categories, each designed to group institutions that share common characteristics. The categories are as follows:
Doctoral Universities
These institutions award at least 20 research/scholarly doctoral degrees per year. They are further classified into three categories: Highest Research Activity (R1), Higher Research Activity (R2), and Moderate Research Activity (R3).
Master's Colleges and Universities
These institutions award at least 50 master's degrees per year. They are further divided into three categories: Larger Programs, Medium Programs, and Smaller Programs.
Baccalaureate Colleges
These institutions primarily emphasize undergraduate education, though they grant fewer than 50 master's degrees or 20 doctoral degrees per year. They are further divided into four categories: Arts & Sciences Focus, Diverse Fields, Mixed Baccalaureate/Associate's, and Associate's Dominant.
Associate's Colleges
These institutions offer associate's degree and certificate programs, and they award degrees in a range of fields. They are further divided into nine categories based on the mix of traditional (liberal arts and general studies) and career-focused (occupational, technical, and vocational) programs they offer.
Special Focus Institutions
These institutions offer degrees primarily in a single field of study, such as medicine, business, art, music, design, engineering, or religious vocations.
Tribal Colleges
These institutions are colleges and universities that are chartered by a Native American tribe or tribes, and they primarily serve Native American students.
Updating the Classifications
The Carnegie Classification has been updated seven times since its inception, with the most recent update occurring in 2018. The updates are necessary to reflect changes in the higher education landscape, such as the creation of new types of degrees or changes in the way education is delivered. The updates also allow for the inclusion of new institutions that have been established since the last update.
Criticisms and Limitations
While the Carnegie Classification is widely used in research and policy discussions, it is not without its critics. Some argue that the categories are too broad and do not adequately capture the diversity of higher education institutions. Others believe that the classification system reinforces a hierarchy in higher education, with research universities at the top and community colleges at the bottom. Despite these criticisms, the Carnegie Classification remains the most widely used system for classifying higher education institutions in the United States.