The Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education (ACE) have recognized Cleary as an Opportunity University for “higher access and higher post-graduation earnings,” the top classification in the country.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education “ranks” colleges and universities across the US based on their access for underrepresented students and their post-graduation earnings.
A total of 3,927 colleges and universities in the US were evaluated. Cleary was one of 479 institutions classified as an “Opportunity College or University for Higher Student Access and Higher Earnings,” and one of only 13 in Michigan to receive this designation.
“The Carnegie classification demonstrates our commitment to career-focused education, access for all students and success for our graduates,” reports Douglas Stein, PhD, provost and executive vice president of Cleary.
The Student Access and Earnings Classification is used to examine the extent to which an institution is enrolling students who reflect the communities it serves and whether an institution’s graduates go on to earn competitive wages compared to peers in their area. It is a tool used to study how colleges foster student success. Institutions are evaluated in 31 categories including types of degrees offered, fields of study and school size.
Institutions whose access ratio is at or higher than 1 and whose earnings ratio is at or higher than 1.5 (for baccalaureate and higher institutions) receive the “best” classification (Higher Student Access and Higher Earnings). Cleary’s access ratio was 1.44 (#6 in Michigan) and its earnings ratio was 1.68 (#12 in Michigan). Cleary was #7 in Michigan among all higher access and higher earnings’ colleges (for baccalaureate and higher degrees).
“This classification once again exemplifies our value to students and graduates,” Dr. Stein points out. “Cleary continuously strives for institutional improvements to increase student access and provide an academic experience that produces career and financial success.”
“Since its beginnings in 1883, Cleary has focused on providing extensive resources to every student, and an affordable, quality education,” says Alan Drimmer, PhD, Cleary president. “I am very proud of this designation from such well-respected organizations as The Carnegie Foundation and ACE, who have recognized Cleary for its strides to ensure the long-term success of every student.”
Cleary continuously takes steps to provide the best value and best education for its students. The Cougar Country Promise is one of these steps. “It is our guarantee to provide a no cost, or significantly reduced cost, for students,” Dr. Stein explains. “Cleary understands that college tuition and expenses can be overwhelming for families; that is why we established the Cougar Country Promise so most students can afford to attend Cleary.
“We work one-on-one with every student to find scholarships, grants and other funding sources to make their degree achievable and affordable,” Dr. Stein adds.
Cleary offers one of the lowest tuition rates in Michigan among private colleges, and 97 percent of first time, full-time students receive financial aid.
“Our goal at Cleary is to make the college experience enriching, rewarding, enjoyable, affordable and successful,” says Dr. Stein.
Carnegie Classifications have been shaping education since 1973. These classifications are objective, data-driven, comprehensive and beneficial for prospective students. They are used in research study design to ensure institutions of higher learning are adequately represented.
The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in partnership with ACE refined its long-standing classification system about one month ago by developing a new student access and earnings classification.
This revamped system should be seen “as higher education holding itself accountable for ensuring student access and success,” said Ted Mitchell, president of ACE, during an interview with Inside Higher Ed. “We don’t think we can convince the American public of the value of higher education unless we can first convince them that they have access to high-quality education that will propel them along in their version of the American dream. The access and earnings classifications will elevate those institutions and create an opportunity to learn what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.”
The Carnegie Foundation and ACE also used data from the College Scorecard, the Census Bureau and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System when determining its rankings.
“Most of the social and economic mobility rankings out there just input raw values without adjusting for institutional type or geography,” notes Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and senior vice president of ACE. “That’s a mistake, because what $35,000 means in Brownsville, Texas, is very different from what $35,000 means in New York City.”
“This new classification system is a significant advancement in measuring institutional success,” Dr. Stein finds.
According to Inside Higher Ed, the new Carnegie classification recognizes the work that colleges are performing in moving people from lower socioeconomic status to the middle class and beyond.
The Student Access and Earnings Classification has the following objectives:
- Assess the extent to which institutions offer broad access to learners, particularly those who have been underserved, and evaluate the earnings outcomes of past students.
- Consider the context and location an institution is operating in by examining whether an institution provides access to a student population that reflects the locations they serve, and after students leave, how much are they making compared to peers in their job market.
- Facilitate comparison within similar institutions by using groupings drawn from the 2025 Institutional Classifications.
- Present the results in a visual way that emphasizes the complex and multidimensional nature of access and outcomes.
For more information on the Carnagie Classification, visit this article published by Inside Higher Ed.
About the American Council on Education (ACE)
ACE unites and leads higher education institutions toward a shared vision for the future. With more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, ACE designs solutions for today’s challenges and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector.
