Lacey, WASH. – Saint Martin's University was recognized as an Opportunity College and University by the Carnegie Foundation's Classification system, highlighting Saint Martin's as an institution that serves as a model for studying how campuses can foster student success.
The Opportunity Colleges and Universities designation is part of a newly developed Student Access and Earnings Classification published this month by the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education. This 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.
"This recognition affirms what we at Saint Martin's have long striven to be: a university where students from all walks of life can find the support, opportunity and community they need to achieve meaningful personal transformation and professional success," said Saint Martin’s University President Bill Brownsberger, S.T.D. "We are proud to be a place where access meets excellence and where every student has the opportunity to thrive."
As the only Catholic Benedictine university in the Pacific Northwest, Saint Martin’s has a long-standing commitment to the values of hospitality, service and community, and has consistently provided an education and opportunities that give students the tools to transform their lives. The University was nationally recognized for its commitment to social mobility in 2024, ranked #34 by U.S. News & World Report among regional universities in the West. This ranking measures how well universities support economically disadvantaged students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, in achieving academic success and improving their long-term outcomes. Saint Martin’s high ranking reflects its strong commitment to creating opportunities for all students, especially those who need them the most.
Saint Martin’s serves a highly vibrant and diverse student population that reflects its commitment to access and social mobility. For the 2024-25 academic year, 61% of students identify as students of color, 39% are the first in their families to attend college, and 36% receive Pell Grants, indicating significant financial need. These demographics underscore the University’s role in serving our communities and providing transformative educational opportunities to those who have been historically underrepresented in higher education. To better support all students, Saint Martin’s offers individualized academic advising, career preparation, and mentorship programs aimed at ensuring that students succeed not just in college, but long after graduation.
"At Saint Martin’s, we intentionally design our admissions and financial aid practices to remove barriers and open doors,” said Patty Lemon, M.Ed., dean of admissions and enrollment. “This ranking affirms our commitment to reach students who may not have seen college as a possibility—and to make sure they have the resources, guidance and support to not only attend, but thrive. Our mission is to help students build pathways to the futures they dream about.”
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.
More information about 2025 Student Earnings and Access Classifications, including the methodology, may be found here.
About Saint Martin’s University:
Saint Martin’s University is an independent coeducational university, with undergraduate and graduate offerings, located on a wooded campus of more than 380 acres in Lacey, Washington. Established in 1895 by the Catholic Order of Saint Benedict, the University is one of 13 Benedictine colleges and universities in the United States and Canada, and the only one west of the Rocky Mountains. Saint Martin’s University empowers students to pursue a lifetime of learning and accomplishment through its 31 majors, 11 master’s programs, one doctorate program and six certificate programs spanning the arts and sciences, business, counseling, education, engineering, nursing, and leadership. Saint Martin’s welcomes more than 1,300 undergraduate students and 250 graduate students from many ethnic and religious backgrounds to its Lacey campus, and more students to its extended campus located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
About the Carnegie Classification:
The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education is the leading framework for recognizing and describing institutional diversity in U.S. higher education. The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education developed the classification in 1973 to support its program of research and policy analysis, and it was updated in 1976, 1987, 1994, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2021, and 2025 to reflect changes among colleges and universities. It will next be updated in 2028, with subsequent updates every three years.
About the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching:
The mission of the Carnegie Foundation is to catalyze transformational change in education so that every student has the opportunity to live a healthy, dignified, and fulfilling life. Enacted by an act of Congress in 1906, the Foundation has a rich history of driving transformational change in the education sector, including the establishment of TIAA-CREF and the creation of the Education Testing Service, the GRE, Pell Grants, and the Carnegie Classifications for Higher Education.
About the American Council on Education:
ACE unites and leads higher education institutions toward a shared vision for the future. With more than 1,600 member colleges, universities, and associations, ACE designs solutions for today’s challenges and advances public policy to support a diverse and dynamic higher education sector. Learn more at www.acenet.edu or follow ACE on X (formerly Twitter) @ACEducation and LinkedIn american-council-on-education.
Media Contacts
Nate Peters
Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement
360-438-4367
npeters@stmartin.edu
Jon Riskind (ACE)
202-697-0741
jriskind@acenet.edu
Kito Cetrulo (Carnegie Foundation)
650-566-5100
kcetrulo@carnegiefoundation.org
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