The University of Louisville is among the nation’s higher education elite when it comes to research, student access and earnings.
UofL is one of only 21 universities nationwide to earn both the Research 1 (R1) and Opportunity College & University (OCU) designations in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications.
In April, UofL was named an OCU in the Student Access and Earnings Classification, the latest recognition in the redesigned system of Carnegie Classifications from the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. OCUs “can serve as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success,” according to the Carnegie Foundation.
“UofL is dedicated to redefining student success, ensuring our Cardinals have access to an outstanding education that prepares them for the careers and challenges of tomorrow,” said President Gerry Bradley. “We are honored to be recognized as an Opportunity College and delighted for others to recognize what our students, our alumni and their employers have already discovered – the incredible value of a UofL degree.”
The Student Access and Earnings Classification measures whether institutions are enrolling and creating opportunities for students in communities they serve, as well as whether students earn competitive wages after they attend.
UofL was classified “higher access, higher earnings” to give it the OCU title. It is the only ACC institution to receive the OCU rating and one of only two public colleges in Kentucky, the other being Eastern Kentucky University. Bellarmine University, a private institution, also made the cut.
There are 479 OCUs across the country and 187 R1s. UofL received its reaffirmation as an R1 in February. The Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education set out to update the Carnegie Classifications this year to better reflect the current nature of higher education and its benefits.
“With this redesign of the Carnegie Classifications, we set out to measure what matters,” Mushtaq Gunja, executive director of the Carnegie Classification systems and senior vice president at ACE, said in a press release. “Nowadays, institutions can’t be reduced down to the highest degree they award because they exist to serve a wide range of students in a wide variety of ways. Using multiple factors in how we classify institutions is an essential step toward making the classifications more useful to researchers, policymakers, funding agencies, and others.”
UofL also is one of 369 institutions nationwide classified as a Carnegie Community Engaged University, earning recognition for its multifaceted partnership between school and community. Together, the three Carnegie Classifications highlight how UofL creates and applies knowledge and innovation that makes a positive impact on students, community and society.
Learn more about how UofL helps students unleash their potential for opportunities in college and their careers beyond.
