ERIE, Pa. — Penn State Behrend has received a new Carnegie Classification as a “Higher Earnings” institution — a reflection of the return on investment for Behrend graduates.
Just 10% of all U.S. colleges and universities received the 2025 designation, which measures graduates’ earnings eight years after they enroll at a college. The designation, part of a new Student Access and Earnings Classification, is awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching; it also assessed student access at the institutions that were evaluated.
“This new designation reinforces what we consistently hear from our graduates, who find success and competitive compensation in their chosen careers,” Chancellor Ralph Ford said. “That measure is important not only to our graduates, but to prospective students who are just beginning their college experience and want to be strategic with that investment.”
In February, Penn State Behrend and Penn State Harrisburg received the Carnegie Classification for “Research Colleges and Universities,” a new designation for high-achieving research institutions that do not award Ph.D. degrees. To qualify, a college must produce at least $2.5 million in annual research and development spending.
At Behrend, the research enterprise now generates nearly $10 million in sponsored research every year. Highlights from the last year include:
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$6.5 million from the commonwealth’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program to begin construction of the Center for Manufacturing Competitiveness, an industry-facing research facility that will feature specialized plastics, metal-casting and manufacturing labs.
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$4.4 million from the Department of Defense and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation to develop metals-based manufacturing programs.
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$2.5 million in federal funding for a battery-testing rig that will be used to study thermal runaway — a chain-reaction that can occur when lithium-ion batteries overheat.
“Research opportunities are a pillar of Penn State Behrend’s ‘Open Lab’ approach to learning,” Ford said. “For students — especially undergraduates — a research experience can be a differentiator. In the lab or in the field, students more fully understand the nature of their work, and they see firsthand how they can make a difference.”