Ball State University Recognized with 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement

Topics: Awards, Board of Trustees, Community Engagement, President

January 21, 2026

Ball State University has earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, a national designation that recognizes colleges and universities with a deep, institution-wide commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships with their communities.

Ball State is one of a very select number of institutions nationwide currently recognized through Carnegie's Community Engagement Classification. In addition, with this reclassification, Ball State is one of just 11 institutions in the country-and the only one in Indiana-to hold all three Carnegie recognitions: Opportunity College and University (OCU), the Community Engagement classification, and Research 2 (R2).

"This recognition reflects what Ball State and our partners across our region and state accomplish together-creating opportunities for our students while strengthening the communities we serve," said Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns. "I am grateful to our community partners for their trust and collaboration, and to our faculty and staff whose work helps our students pursue fulfilling careers and meaningful lives."

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is awarded through a vigorous process that includes a comprehensive institutional self-study. Ball State's yearlong self-assessment engaged more than 50 campus and community collaborators who contributed data and documented practices, partnerships, and outcomes related to the University's community engagement.

"Community engagement is part of our identity at Ball State because such a large number of faculty, staff, and students understand its critical value in higher education and work diligently to build and maintain deep community relationships," said Kelli Huth, associate vice president for community engagement at Ball State. "Reclassification requires evidence of institutional commitment to community engagement, and also a clear demonstration of continuous improvement over time. I'm proud to be part of a University and a region that remains committed to partnerships that benefit our students and our community partners."

The Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education are the nation's leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities. Managed by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the classifications help inform federal policy, research funding, and institutional benchmarking.

Ball State's three current designations reflect distinct strengths within that framework:

• Opportunity Colleges and Universities (OCU): highlights institutions that serve student populations reflective of their regions and whose graduates, on average, earn at least 50 percent more compared to other people in the state without college degrees
  
  
• Community Engagement: honors colleges and universities that demonstrate a deep, sustained commitment to reciprocal partnerships that strengthen communities and enhance student learning
  
  
• Research 2 (R2): recognizes institutions with high levels of research activity and graduate education

For more information about Ball State's community engagement efforts, visit bsu.edu/communityengagement.