Carnegie Classification

The Carnegie Classification is the primary framework for describing institutional types in U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Classification structure was developed in 1970 by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education as a way of organizing the commission’s research and policy work. It has subsequently become widely accepted as the leading categorization method to describe higher education institutions in the United States. This entry describes the origin and control of the classification system, the classifications themselves, and the current issues related to the classification system today.

Origin and Control of the Classification System

The original classification structure was derived from empirical data on colleges and universities. It has subsequently been updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2018, using the Institutional Post-Secondary Educational Data ...

  • Loading...
locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles