Pitt State earns designation from Carnegie Foundation
Pittsburg State University is one of only 33 universities in the nation to have earned two classifications of excellence by the Carnegie Foundation: an Opportunity College & University designation, and a Research College & University designation.
The Opportunity College & University designation is a rating within the Access & Earnings Classification, recognizing Pitt State’s high access rates for students in the region it serves, and affirming that graduates have significantly higher earnings than the non-graduate population in the region.
The Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education partner to deliver the designations, comparing similar institutions across the nation, and identifying whether they provide access to students in communities they serve and whether those students go on to successful wealth-generating careers in their respective regions. In other words, Carnegie Classifications determine institutional excellence not based on prestige and student selectivity, but on how well schools set students up for success in the real world.
“Student success and opportunity is at the core of what we do at Pitt State,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Susan Bon. “The outcomes our students achieve is the most important measure of our success, because we are committed to the impact these graduates have in our region.”
Studies show that over a lifetime, a college graduate will earn around $1 million more than a non-graduate, and that they are healthier, more engaged, involved citizens. At least half of Pitt State’s graduates stay in the state after graduation.
In 2025, the Foundation identified fewer than 500 institutions as Opportunity Colleges and Universities.
The university earned a “Research Activity Designation” for its investment in advancing science and discovery through research across the disciplines of engineering, life sciences, social sciences, and physical sciences.
“This is truly a noteworthy accomplishment that demonstrates the excellence of our faculty and staff who are enriching the lives of our students and communities through their investments in research and high-quality educational programs preparing students for the future,” said Bon.
Pitt State students continue to bring home top honors from statewide research symposiums, and this year’s campus Research Colloquium drew the highest number of participants in a decade.
Their research ranged from the distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases in Southeast Kansas parks, to the use of bio-based composite materials to enhance mechanical strength and improve flame retardancy, to the economic factors that are shaping U.S. housing affordability.
Students and faculty also work side by side with internationally recognized scientists at the National Institute for Materials Advancement where they explore ways to use sustainable materials to develop products that can be commercialized.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing the contributions of postsecondary institutions nationwide. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the classification in 1973 to support its program of research and policy analysis.
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, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.