A Ball State student engages with a recruiter at the 2025 Sales Career Fair in January—one example of the career readiness behind the University’s Carnegie Opportunity designation.
Ball State University is one of just 27 institutions nationwide—and the only one in Indiana—to earn dual 2025 Carnegie Classifications for Research 2 and Opportunity.
Hope Churchill, ’25, didn’t just find her voice at Ball State University—she helped shape the institution’s future.
As an undergraduate, she discovered a passion for the interpersonal side of business, refined her academic path, and built meaningful professional connections. Her leadership and insight also led to a rare opportunity: serving as the student representative on the Ball State University Board of Trustees.
“It was an honor to serve,” Ms. Churchill said. “My experience gave me a broader perspective—not just as a student, but as someone contributing to decisions that shape the future of our University.”
Her story is one example of how Ball State empowers students to lead with purpose. That commitment—to academic excellence and real-world impact—is at the heart of a prestigious national honor: dual recognition in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications.
Ball State is one of just 27 institutions nationwide—and the only one in Indiana—to earn both a Research 2 (R2) designation and be named an Opportunity College and University.
Ball State is also one of just 14 institutions nationwide to earn all three of Carnegie’s most prestigious classifications: R2 research status, Opportunity College and University (OCU), and the Community Engagement classification. This particular designation recognizes the University’s outstanding commitment to public service, civic involvement, and community partnerships.
The new OCU classification, introduced as part of a major overhaul to the Carnegie Classification system, evaluates whether institutions serve a student population reflective of their geographic regions and whether those students go on to out-earn peers in similar labor markets. These rankings, developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, aim to recognize institutions that deliver on higher education’s promise of economic mobility—especially for students from modest or working-class backgrounds.
“We are excited to see the emergence of exceptional groups such as R2s that are also OCUs. Ball State University is rare in so clearly advancing both opportunity and innovation. Thank you for all you do for your students and for our country as a whole.”
Ball State’s inclusion in this elite group places it at the forefront of a national reframing of institutional excellence.
“This rare combination affirms our national leadership in two vital areas: advancing knowledge through research and continuing student access with professional outcomes,” said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. “These priorities reflect the enduring values that guide our work—student-centered teaching and mentorship, academic excellence across disciplines, workforce relevance, and civic and regional engagement.”
While the R2 classification acknowledges Ball State’s growing research output and its investment in graduate education, the OCU designation celebrates the University’s practical, results-driven approach to student success—connecting academic programs with career pathways and real-world application.
Ball State’s dual recognition highlights an institution that generates new knowledge and translates that knowledge into economic mobility and societal impact. It’s a combination that positions the University among the most effective in the country at delivering on higher education’s social mission.
“This recognition affirms our mission: to prepare our graduates for fulfilling careers and to inspire them to lead meaningful lives,” President Mearns said. He credited the achievement to the dedication of faculty and staff who support students at every stage of their journey.
For Ms. Churchill, that mission was made tangible through mentorship and institutional trust. As a student trustee—one of nine members appointed by the governor of Indiana—she helped guide the strategic direction of the University. The board’s responsibilities include setting admission standards, granting degrees, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and overseeing all facets of University operations.
Rick Hall, ’89, chair of the Ball State Board of Trustees, said Ms. Churchill’s presence on the board exemplifies the University’s commitment to student-centered governance.
“Hope brought a thoughtful perspective to our conversations, which significantly contributed to our decisions as a Board,” Trustee Hall said. “Having a student voice at the table isn’t just symbolic—it’s essential. Hope reminded all of us why we serve: to help students succeed, to create meaningful opportunities, and to ensure this institution continues to meet its mission with clarity and compassion.”
Ball State’s status as a high-outcome, high-research, and deeply engaged institution is more than a label—it’s a reflection of its long-standing commitment to student success, community, and innovation.
From classrooms to boardrooms, from research labs to career paths, Ball State’s impact is far-reaching—and now, nationally recognized. As the Carnegie Classifications evolve to better measure real-world outcomes, Ball State is leading the way.
“Serving on the board reminded me how seriously Ball State takes its commitment to students,” Ms. Churchill said. “It’s not just words—it’s built into the structure, into every decision.”
What are the Carnegie Classifications?
Across the country, colleges and universities promote various rankings—from national reputation to student experience to post-graduation outcomes. But few systems carry the weight or legacy of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Since 1970, the Carnegie system has served as the definitive framework for categorizing U.S. colleges and universities. Managed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, the classifications help inform federal policy, research funding, and institutional benchmarking across the country.
In 2025, Ball State University earned rare dual recognition: it was one of just 27 institutions nationwide—and the only one in Indiana—to be classified both as a Research 2 (R2) university and as an Opportunity College and University (OCU). This combination affirms Ball State’s role as a nationally impactful institution—one that is expanding research output while also increasing real-world outcomes for its students.
The new OCU category, part of a major revision to the Carnegie system, evaluates whether institutions enroll student populations reflective of their surrounding regions and whether graduates go on to earn more than peers in comparable labor markets. It reflects a growing emphasis on economic mobility, not just academic prestige.
Ball State’s R2 designation, meanwhile, places it among a select group of institutions with high research activity and graduate education—one of just 133 universities to earn that distinction in the latest classification.
Together, these classifications underscore Ball State’s success in delivering on two of higher education’s most pressing goals: the elevation of student outcomes and the creation of knowledge. It is recognition rooted not just in reputation, but in measurable impact.
