Berry College is one of more than 230 U.S. colleges and universities that received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a designation that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement.
“The institutions receiving the 2026 Community Engagement Classification exemplify American higher education’s commitment to the greater good,” said American Council on Education President Ted Mitchell. “The beneficiaries of this unflagging dedication to public purpose missions are their students, their teaching and research enterprises, and their wider communities.”
A listing of all the institutions that hold the classification endorsement can be found here. The elective designation was awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
“Higher education is a vital economic engine for us all. Our colleges and universities not only fuel science and innovation, they build prosperity in rural, urban and suburban communities nationwide,” said Timothy F.C. Knowles, president of the Carnegie Foundation. “We celebrate each of these institutions, particularly their dedication to partnering with their neighbors — fostering civic engagement, building usable knowledge, and catalyzing real-world learning experiences for students.”
The 2026 group includes a diverse range, with 157 public institutions, 80 private colleges and universities, and 81 minority serving institutions represented among the recipients.
