LR’s impact and access recognized in revamped Carnegie Classifications

Lenoir-Rhyne University has been recognized with two significant Carnegie Classifications, highlighting the university's distinctive characteristics and commitment to student success. 

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE) released the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, a comprehensive redesign that reflects the evolving landscape of U.S. higher education.  

Lenoir-Rhyne has been classified as a Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Small institution. This classification is shared by only 1% of colleges in the country and reflects LR’s unique position as a liberal arts college that also emphasizes programs that prepare students for professional careers. This classification comprises colleges that award undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees and have fewer than 4,000 students.

In addition, LR was classified in the 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification as a Higher Access, Medium Earnings institution. This classification recognizes institutions that provide higher access to a student population reflective of the locations they serve and demonstrate medium earnings compared to peers in their job market. 43% of institutions received this classification, totaling 1,321 universities.

“These Carnegie Classifications validate Lenoir-Rhyne’s commitment to providing a distinctive educational experience that prepares our students for successful careers and ensures accessibility for a diverse student body,” said Dr. Fred Whitt, president of Lenoir-Rhyne. “We are proud to be recognized as a liberal arts university with a focus on professional programs and our dedication to student access and outcomes.”

The new Student Access and Earnings Classification is designed to foster institutional improvement by evaluating how well universities serve their students. It focuses on two key measures—access and earnings. The access component examines the university's success in enrolling a student body that mirrors the demographics of the areas it serves, considering undergraduate students who receive Pell Grants and those from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. The earnings measurement assesses the earnings of former Title IV undergraduate students eight years after entering the institution, comparing the median earnings to those of a similar population in the students' home locations.  

Other universities receiving the Higher Access, Medium Earnings classification include South Atlantic Conference peers Wingate University and Carson-Newman University; North Carolina schools Campbell University, Appalachian State University and Catawba College; and fellow ELCA colleges Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.  

In addition to the Carnegie Classifications, Lenoir-Rhyne demonstrates a strong track record of student success through excellent First Destination Data, with 97% of graduates fully employed or in graduate school six months after graduation, and consistent recognition in U.S. News & World Report rankings as a top pick for Best Value, overall Regional Universities and Social Mobility.

Additional information about LR’s Carnegie Classifications is available from the Carnegie Foundation.