April 24, 2025
Opportunities for success: Prestigious designation reflects that Ferris State degrees lead to living-wage careers
Ferris State University has earned the prestigious designation as an “Opportunity University” in the revamped Carnegie Classifications, recognizing that Ferris State students have access to quality programs, and leverage their skills to earn more throughout their careers compared to peers.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education, national organizations devoted to supporting and advocating for higher education.
The new classification examines how well universities create opportunities for student success, measuring whether they are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve, and how successful students are when compared to peers when they reach the workforce.
Ferris State President Bill Pink said the designation – the highest offered by the organizations – reflects the mission the university has embraced since its founding and its long-term success in preparing students to sought by industries, filling vital roles in a variety of careers.
“We are one of very few institutions in this country that a third party has come in the door and said, “Well done. Your institution is preparing students to go into well-paying jobs and career paths,” Pink said. “We talk about how we build champions here, in sports, and in the classroom. This recognition validates that point. Our graduates take the quality education Ferris State provides and do amazing things in our state.”
About 54 percent of Ferris State undergraduates identify as being first-generation college students, and more than 80 percent take advantage of financial aid opportunities.
The university has many career-focused, nationally recognized programs with near-perfect placement rates, preparing students for rewarding careers. The classification is recognition that Ferris State graduates are not just job ready, but have skills sought by employers to advance and lead in their fields. That boosts their earning potential while filling needed roles in the state in fields as diverse as health professions, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, arts and design, and automotive technology.
About 92 percent of Ferris State graduates remain in Michigan.
The report released today noted 479 institutions out of more than 3,500 have been identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which is about 16 percent of all United States colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.
The 2025 Institutional Classification revises a previous classification approach and uses a new methodology to organize institutions with similar campuses.
Institutions are measured in two ways. One considers access, which is based on the percentage of students who receive need-based Pell Grants and the percentage of undergraduate students who are from underrepresented racial or ethnic backgrounds.
The other measures undergraduate students' post-college earnings eight years after entering the institution, looking at how much they are earning compared to peers in the job market.
“The majority of students apply to college with the hope it is a path to opportunity, and the job they’ve dreamt about,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “This work is about ensuring that institutions are recognized when they empower students to reach their goals and succeed.”
The classification is based on data institutions reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, data that was collected by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, and data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Hundreds of institutions nationwide are providing students an excellent opportunity to use higher education as a springboard to a better life,” ACE President Ted Mitchell said. “The Student Access and Earnings Classification highlights the depth and breadth of schools where student success is front and center.”
More information about 2025 Student Earnings and Access Classifications, including the methodology, can be found here.
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in higher education. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education classification system was developed in 1973 and updated through the years to support its program of research and policy analysis.
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector.
The American Council on Education unites and leads higher education institutions toward a shared vision for the future. With more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, ACE designs solutions and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector.