FIU among 21 universities recognized for success in advancing science and fostering professional success

Florida International University has been recognized for both advancing research and prioritizing student success in the classroom and in their careers, in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications.

“FIU is one of only 21 universities across the United States that have earned both the R1 – Very High Research designation and the Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation. We have successfully demonstrated that it is possible to be a very high research university and simultaneously create an environment that supports the success of all students and opens doors to career opportunities,” said FIU Interim President Jeanette Nuñez. 

The American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (Carnegie Foundation) recently published a series of updates to the Carnegie Classifications, which are best known for classifying universities according to their level of research activity. In this classification, FIU has been in the top category (R1: Very High Research Activity and Doctoral Production) for the past decade.

The redesigned system includes the newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification, that measures whether institutions are enrolling and creating opportunities for students in communities the institutions serve and whether students earn competitive wages after they graduate. Among the factors used to measure access is the percentage of Pell Grant recipients at FIU. The university’s most recent data shows that 50.5% percent of FIU’s student undergraduate population received a Pell grant.  

Additionally, the Carnegie Classifications now identify institutions within the Student Access and Earnings Classification that can serve as models for studying how campuses can foster student success, designating them as Opportunity Colleges and Universities. 

FIU is one of 21 universities across the nation that have an R1 designation and also earned the Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation. In total, FIU now holds four Carnegie classifications.

“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.” 

Last year FIU earned the Carnegie Elective Classification for Leadership for Public Purpose designation for its exemplary commitment to cultivating leadership skills across the university community and fostering a commitment to tackling some of the greatest challenges of our time. FIU is one of only 25 institutions worldwide to receive this recognition in its inaugural year. Carnegie also classifies FIU as a Community Engaged University.

“This new classification reaffirms our dedication to excellence and impact,” said FIU Provost, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Elizbeth M. Béjar. “We are committed to impactful research and to equipping our graduates as leaders in their fields.”

FIU is also ranked among the top 50 public universities in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, which also ranks the university among the top 25 Best Value Public University and No. 1 in the nation for social mobility. FIU also ranks among the top universities in the nation for return on educational investment.

Since 1973, the Carnegie Classification has served as the gold standard for organizing the landscape of U.S. higher education. The 2025 Institutional Classification updates the historic approach to grouping similar colleges and universities, now organizing institutions by multiple characteristics, including their size, the types of degrees they award, and the fields of study in which students receive their degrees. 

The 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification uses the multidimensional groupings of the 2025 Institutional Classification to evaluate student access and earnings between similar colleges and universities. By evaluating student access and earnings among peer campuses, the classifications aim to foster collaboration and institutional improvement with a focus on how comparable higher education can foster opportunities for student success. The methodology also considers location data for each institution, comparing an institution’s data to the relevant geographical context. 

More information about the 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification, including the methodology, can be found here.