(KNZA)--Highland Community College (HCC) has been designated as an “Opportunity College and University” by the Carnegie Classifications.

According to a release from the college, the designation recognizes HCC as a national model for advancing student success and long-term economic outcomes.

The release says the designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published this spring by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.

The 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.

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.

The release says 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.