Adelphi, Md. (April 24, 2025)—University of Maryland Global Campus has been designated as an Opportunity College and University under the Carnegie Classifications, recognizing UMGC as an institution that can serve as a model of how campuses can foster student success.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published this month by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. This new classification examines the extent to which institutions foster opportunities for student success by measuring whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve and how the earnings of those students compare to peers in their area.
“This is an exciting—and deeply gratifying—evolution in the Carnegie Classifications,” said UMGC President Gregory W. Fowler, PhD. “For adult learners in the workforce and the military—the demographic UMGC has served for more than 75 years—career growth and professional development consistently rank among their top priorities. And as the cost of education continues to rise, and perceptions and expectations change about education’s value proposition, this emphasis on ROI will only increase. We are honored to be listed among the newly classified Opportunity Colleges and Universities and recognized as representing a different approach to higher education, one that removes barriers to entry and prioritizes tangible measures of student success.”
After earning a degree, UMGC graduates are finding success in the workforce and commanding salaries that are higher than state and national averages, according to an analysis that uses publicly available online sources, including employment and federal databases. UMGC alumni with an undergraduate degree report a yearly salary of $90,885, nearly $24,000 more than the national average of $66,600 for undergraduate degree holders, and more than $20,000 above Maryland’s annual average of $69,750.
The methodology for the new Student Access and Earnings Classification uses multidimensional groupings of the 2025 Institutional Classification to evaluate student access and earnings between similar colleges and universities.
As Maryland’s only open-access four-year institution and with an enrollment of some 98,000 students, UMGC ranks as the state’s largest provider of postsecondary education and one of the largest public universities in the country. The university will confer more than 19,000 degrees during the 2024-25 academic year, setting a new record.
UMGC enrolls the most minority students and veteran students in the state of Maryland and conferred the most IT degrees to women and students of color among all University System of Maryland schools.
As workforce needs continue to evolve in a modern economy, UMGC is emphasizing a skills-based approach to its academic offerings that is student-centric and data-driven. The university’s student support system includes specially trained admissions advisors, a success coach model and lifetime access to career services, providing wraparound support for students throughout their academic journey and beyond.
More than 60% of students are military-affiliated (servicemembers, veterans, national guard and dependents) and nearly 70% of undergraduates are first-generation college students. More than 20,000 students received a Pell Grant, which helps low-income students pay for college costs.
In 2025, 479 institutions have been identified as Opportunity Colleges and Universities, which is about 16% of all U.S. colleges and universities that are in the Student Access and Earnings Classification.
More information about 2025 Student Earnings and Access Classifications, including the methodology, can be found here.
About University of Maryland Global Campus
University of Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military servicemembers. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland. It continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locations worldwide and more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit umgc.edu.
About the Carnegie Classification
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the classification in 1973 to support its program of research and policy analysis, and it was updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025 to reflect changes among colleges and universities. It will next be updated in 2028, with subsequent updates every three years.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
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, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.
About the American Council on Education
ACE 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 for today’s challenges and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector. Learn more at www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (formerly Twitter) @ACEducation and LinkedIn american-council-on-education.
Media Contacts
Bob Ludwig (University of Maryland Global Campus)
301-887-7614
robert.ludwig@umgc.edu
Jon Riskind (ACE)
202-697-0741
jriskind@acenet.edu
Kito Cetrulo (Carnegie Foundation)
650-566-5100
kcetrulo@carnegiefoundation.org
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