CWU praised for efforts to advance research, access, and student success

Central Washington University was reminded of the transformative work we are doing when the 2025 Carnegie Classifications revealed that we are one of only 33 institutions nationwide to have received two prestigious designations. 

In a May 7 letter from the presidents of the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, CWU leadership was informed that we have been classified as both a Research College and University (RCU) and an Opportunity College and University (OCU).

Central was one of eight institutions in Washington state to be named to the list of OCUs, which were announced April 24; and one of just seven state institutions named to the list of RCUs, announced in February. CWU was one of only three institutions in Washington to land on both lists.

“We are thrilled to congratulate Central Washington University for its leadership on two essential fronts: advancing science and discovery for the nation and prioritizing student access and success,” said the letter, addressed to CWU President Jim Wohlpart and Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Patrick Pease.

“With the full range of 2025 Classifications now final and public, we are excited to see the emergence of exceptional groups such as RCUs that are also OCUs,” the letter went on to say.

CWU was one of 479 OCUs recognized in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, which evaluate U.S. higher education institutions on their work to provide access to students in the communities they serve while also providing a pathway to competitive earnings. CWU was also honored as one of 216 RCUs for spending at least $2.5 million on research despite awarding few or no doctoral degrees. 

President Wohlpart said earning both classifications for 2025 just further validates the extraordinary work being done at Central day in and day out.

“We are honored to be included in such exclusive company, and this recognition will only motivate us further as we strive to be a model learning community of access and opportunity,” President Wohlpart said. “I can’t say enough about the work our faculty and staff do every day to create life-changing opportunities for our students and their communities. This recognition is about them.”

The Student Access and Earnings Classification separately analyzes the concepts of access and earnings outcomes. The classification aims to spur collaboration and institutional improvement with a focus on how higher education can foster opportunities for student success.

The study also visualizes institutions using both of these measures and compares the institution to others that share the same institutional classification. By following this approach, those who read the classifications can see how similar types of institutions perform on their access and earnings measures.

By appearing on both the OCU and RCU classification lists, CWU stood out in the eyes of the committees tasked with evaluating the impact of hundreds of institutions nationwide.

“These influential models for how campuses can foster student success include every type of college and every part of the country,” the letter said. “Central Washington University is rare in so clearly advancing both opportunity and innovation. Thank you for all you do for your students and for our country as a whole.”