Statement by AASCU President and CEO Charles L. Welch on New Carnegie Classification

Contact:
Kellee Edmonds
(202) 478-4662
[email protected]

WASHINGTON (April 24, 2025) – “Today’s Carnegie classification announcement is more good news for regional public universities.

Ninety-seven percent of all public four-year universities achieving the new Opportunity Colleges and Universities status are regional public universities (RPUs). RPUs also accounted for nearly 25 percent of all institutions meeting this designation, regardless of sector.

RPUs are critical drivers of their local economies, provide a solid return on investment, and serve as true engines of economic mobility for the students who attend them.

The recognition of institutions that offer ‘higher access and higher earnings’ is a testament to how critical it is to be laser-focused on student success.”

###

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association that represents the sector of over 500 regional public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered culture, a historic commitment to underrepresented student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions delivering America’s promise.