Carnegie Foundation to update all-inclusive Classifications in 2010

The Carnegie Foundation plans to release the new edition of the six all-inclusive classifications in 2010. The Carnegie Classification system was revised extensively in 2005-2006 in recognition of the fact that colleges and universities resemble and differ from one another along many dimensions, and that different purposes may call for different classification approaches. Five classification schemes were added, and a major revision was made to the traditional classification (now referred to as the Basic Classification). As a result, there are now six different classifications that apply to all institutions. The all-inclusive classifications do not include the Community Engagement Classification, which is based on institutions’ voluntary participation.

The six all-inclusive classifications are:

• Undergraduate Instructional Program Classification
• Graduate Instructional Program Classification
• Enrollment Profile Classification
• Undergraduate Profile Classification
• Size and Setting Classification
• Basic Classification

We plan to release the new edition of the six all-inclusive classifications in 2010. For this update, we will use the data from the most recent year available to us in spring 2009, when the update process starts. We do not anticipate making major changes to the existing classification methodology.

The primary data source for the Carnegie Classifications is the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS data collection (more information on IPEDS can be found at nces.ed.gov/ipeds). Because of our reliance on IPEDS, the institutional universe will be defined as all degree-granting Title IV-eligible institutions that are included in IPEDS, excluding central and system offices. Consistent with past practices, every effort will be made to parallel the IPEDS treatment of branch campuses. We will supplement IPEDS information with data from other sources, such as the National Science Foundation, and the College Board.

The Carnegie Classification system is a widely-used taxonomy of colleges and universities, developed in the early 1970s by the late Clark Kerr and his colleagues and periodically updated by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The aim of the Carnegie Classifications is to identify meaningful institutional groupings in the service of higher education research and policy development. The Classifications use empirical data about institutional characteristics and activities to group institutions. The Carnegie Classifications are not intended as a ranking system, and the different categories do not imply quality distinctions.