The WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC) has integrated the new Carnegie Classifications into its Key Indicators Dashboard (KID), providing institutions and stakeholders enhanced tools to analyze student outcomes and identify meaningful peer comparisons.

Announced this spring, the new Carnegie framework reimagines historic classifications to reflect the full spectrum of institutions serving today’s students. The revised framework groups schools based on a broad set of characteristics, such as size, degree types, and academic programs, and introduces a new category highlighting institutions that boost student access and earnings. The updated system significantly changes how institutional research activity is recognized, including a new methodology for determining R1 status.

Thirty-seven WSCUC-accredited institutions are designated as “Opportunity Colleges and Universities,” a classification recognizing institutions that demonstrate a high level of access for underrepresented students and strong student earnings outcomes. Three WSCUC institutions achieved R1 status under the updated research classification criteria, bringing the total number of WSCUC-accredited R1 institutions to 16.

With the new Carnegie Classifications now available in KID, institutions, policymakers, students, and other stakeholders can view institutional profiles that highlight key classifications. Using the updated Custom Peer Selection Tool, users can build custom peer sets by selecting from a wide range of parameters, including institutional classification, access and earnings classification, research classification, largest program, state, financial control, institution size, accreditor, and HSI or HBCU status. Once a peer set is defined, users can compare their institution to selected peers across multiple benchmarks, such as IPEDS outcome measures for full-time and transfer students, six-year graduation rates, first-time-full-time retention, and the percentage of former students earning more than a high school graduate.

KID reflects the most recent data available through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Earnings by field of study and credential, along with debt-to-earnings ratios, were added to KID last year, reinforcing WSCUC’s focus on student outcomes.

WSCUC will host a webinar this fall exploring the new Carnegie Classifications in KID. The event will provide a deep dive into the new features and demonstrate how institutions can use the enhancements to support student success.