Future U Podcast - The Pulse of Higher Ed Rerun: Reclassifying Higher Ed: Will the New Carnegie Groupings Change the Race for Prestige?
Aug 27, 2025
Mushtaq Gunja, the Executive Director of the Carnegie Classification Systems and Senior VP at ACE, joins the hosts to discuss transformative updates to the Carnegie Classifications. They dive into how these changes aim to promote student access and focus on outcomes, possibly reshaping college prestige. The conversation covers the implications for institutions vying for R1 status and the potential shift in funding and accountability. Gunja also reflects on the need for inclusivity in rankings and the broader impact of these new classifications on educational dynamics.
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Classifications Now Center Students
- Carnegie moved from grouping by highest degree awarded to a multidimensional system including research, access, and earnings.
- This reframes classifications to center students and outcomes, not just institutional prestige.
Old Groupings No Longer Fit
- Mushtaq explains classifications failed to evolve with higher ed's complexity.
- He argues grouping by degree no longer groups 'like' institutions effectively.
Use Both Institutional And Student Data
- Funders and policymakers should use the new suite to target resources more intelligently.
- Mushtaq urges using both organizational and student-centered classifications together.
