September 8, 2025
St. Mary’s University has been designated as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Classifications, recognizing St. Mary’s as an institution that can serve as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success.
St. Mary’s was recognized for providing higher access to students, which resulted in higher earnings for graduates.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published in April 2025 by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. This new classification examines the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success by measuring whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve and how the earnings of those students compare to peers in their area.
In 2025, 479 institutions have been identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which is about 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.
The methodology for the new Student Access and Earnings Classification uses multidimensional groupings of the 2025 Institutional Classification to evaluate student access and earnings between similar colleges and universities.
More information about the 2025 Student Earnings and Access Classifications, including the methodology, can be found here.