CSUB earns new Carnegie classification for advancing student success

CSUB one of 15 CSUs to be designated an Opportunity College and University

By California State University, Bakersfield

April 28^th, 2025

California State University, Bakersfield has received a new prestigious classification recognizing its efforts to foster student success and increase their economic mobility.

CSUB was designated an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE) as part of a new Student Access and Earnings Classification.

The classification measures whether an institution’s student enrollment reflects the communities it serves and how graduates’ earnings compare to their peers in their region. The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is the top tier of the classification.

“This resounding endorsement of CSUB’s excellence by the most respected benchmark of higher education institutions in the nation answers the question once and for all that a university degree is worth the investment,” said President Vernon B. Harper Jr. “This classification confirms CSUB’s place as the most accessible and affordable plan for Kern County families to secure good careers and competitive wages, important connections and new skills and opportunities. The pathway to the American dream runs right through this campus.”

CSUB was among 479 schools nationwide — and one of 15 CSUs — to receive the new designation, representing 16% of all classified institutions.

ACE and the Carnegie Foundation used data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the classifications.

“The new Carnegie Classification for Student Access and Earnings is closely aligned with our core educational mission, and we’re pleased that it affirms what we’ve long known: that the CSU is a national leader in inclusive excellence and driving social mobility,” said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “We take great pride in serving and empowering students from all walks of life to achieve economic independence and meaningful careers. This new classification underscores the profound impact of our mission and will help us strengthen and expand our life-changing work.”

CSUB also received a new Institutional Classification that groups comparable schools together based on criteria such as size and the types of degrees that are awarded. CSUB received a Mixed Undergraduate/Graduate-Master’s Large/Medium classification, along with 87 other schools. That represents just 2% of all classified institutions.

In addition to these new designations, CSUB was recently classified as a research university by ACE and the Carnegie Foundation. The university was one of 12 CSUs to receive the new Research Colleges and Universities designation.

This classification is for institutions that do not offer many or any doctoral degrees and spend at least $2.5 million on research a year. CSUB currently offers one doctoral program, which is in educational leadership.

The goal of the new category is to recognize the efforts of institutions that wouldn’t normally be eligible to be categorized as a research university.