(Black PR Wire) The Carnegie Classifications of Higher Education (Carnegie Classifications) and the American Council on Education (ACE) announced today its new Student Access and Earnings Classification which included eleven HBCUs earning its highest rating and being designated as Opportunity Colleges.

The new classification examines the extent to which institutions serve students using two measures: access and earnings. Access measures the level to which institutions are serving student populations that are reflective of the locations they serve and earnings is reflective of how much money graduates earn compared to peers in the job market. Schools which measure high on both the access and earning measures were deemed Opportunity Colleges.

TMCF member schools designated as Opportunity Colleges in the new classification include Albany State University, Alcorn State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Howard University, Tuskegee University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Winston Salem State University. Other HBCUs recognized as Opportunity Colleges include Hampton University, Morehouse College, Spelman College and Xavier University of Louisiana.

“Today’s announcement from the Carnegie Classifications on Higher Education and ACE naming these eleven remarkable historically Black colleges and universities as Opportunity Colleges shines a light on what great work being done at our institutions who have served as a gateway to the middle class for more than 180 years,” said TMCF President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said. “I also want to congratulate ACE and the Carnegie Classifications on creating this new classification as a way to examine the quality of higher education institutions in a more holistic way that focuses on real outcomes for students. TMCF was pleased to work with them as partners as they examined community feedback to develop the new measure.”