Azusa Pacific University has received the prestigious 2025 Carnegie Student Access and Earnings Classification distinguishing APU as an Opportunity College and University within the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.The designation recognizes APU as part of the 16 percent of classified institutions that serve as a model for fostering student success.
"The new Carnegie Classification for Student Access and Earnings aligns with Azusa Pacific University’s commitment to provide all of our students with a transformational education," said APU President Adam J. Morris, PhD. "This distinction recognizes APU as a national leader in fostering social mobility. We are dedicated to serving and empowering students from all backgrounds, enabling them to achieve economic success and meaningful careers where they can live out their higher calling and make a significant impact locally and around the world.”
As a 2025 Student Access and Earnings Classification: Opportunity Colleges and Universities—Higher Access, Higher Earnings recipient, APU is 1 of only 479 institutions to meet the requirements of the new designation. Among universities that comprise the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, APU is 1 of only 4 to earn the distinction and 1 of only 2 in California. According to an announcement made by Carnegie, this classification “examines the extent to which an institution is enrolling students who reflect the communities it serves and whether its students go on to earn competitive wages compared to peers in the area.”
"Azusa Pacific University is deeply honored to receive this national recognition for the exceptional education delivered to our students," said Provost Anita Fitzgerald Henck, PhD. "Through robust engagement between students and faculty across a variety of disciplines and settings, APU cultivates a comprehensive education that results in successful outcomes for our graduates at the undergraduate, master's, and doctoral levels. We are grateful to Carnegie for recognizing the quality of an APU education."
To meet the requirements for this classification, Carnegie collected data reported in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data Systems (IPEDS) from the 2020-2023 academic years, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, and the U.S. Census Bureau. The data is also contextualized by local demographic and economic data, using two measures including access to education based on the percentage of students who receive Pell Grants and that are from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds as well as post-attendance earnings eight years after starting at APU. The classification distinguishes APU as part of the 16 percent of all classified institutions that serve as a model for fostering student success. More information about the 2025 Student Earnings and Access classification, including the methodology, can be found here.
APU is also one of only 135 institutions to receive the 2025 Institutional Classification: Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Medium. The classification is based on data reported in the IPEDS from the 2020-2023 academic years. APU’s variety of degrees, subjects taught, research conducted, and institution size placed the university in the 3 percent of U.S. colleges and universities in this classification.