U.S. institutions are classified according to the highest level degree that they are authorized to award, the range of subjects that they offer, and the extent to which they engage in research activities. Some classification schemes also attempt to distinguish institutions according to admissions selectivity, but this method suffers from many of the same technical problems as do ranking lists.

The Carnegie Classification of Institutions, developed by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is the most widely used classification in U.S. postsecondary education and covers all types of institutions except nondegree vocational and technical schools.

There are some important facts to keep in mind about the Carnegie and other classification schemes.

The 10 institutional types identified in the Carnegie Classification may be collapsed into 6 broad categories plus one additional category not in the original classification. These are:

Large Research Universities, including institutions that concentrate on research activities in most or all of their faculties, offer advanced degrees in a wide variety of fields of study, and realize a large portion of their income from sponsored research;

Smaller Doctorate-Granting Universities, including institutions that offer study in a wide variety of fields but award the doctorate, and conduct advanced research, in a relatively small number of fields;

Comprehensive Institutions, including those that award degrees up to and including master's and first-professional degrees, but that do not award the research doctorate or give a high priority to advanced research;

Baccalaureate Institutions, including institutions that offer instruction only at the undergraduate level and award the bachelor's degree, but that prepare students for higher degree studies;

Associate Degree Institutions, including community and junior colleges that award certificates, diplomas, and associate degrees but that do not award the bachelor's or higher degrees (although they prepare students for transfer to bachelor's degree programs);

Specialized Institutions, including institutions that only offer degrees programs in one or a few related fields of study, or that prepare students for specific professional occupations or serve only students from specific occupations or social groups; and

Vocational/Technical Institutions, including institutions offering short nondegree programs (less than 2 years) in occupational fields.

Depending upon the nature and content of studies, and the student's performance, it may be possible for any of the institutions classified above to accept credit from any of the others. Institutional admissions personnel and faculty make that decision in each individual case.

Since each American degree level prepares students for the next, U.S. educators do not assign a quality hierarchy to institutions awarding different degrees. Each level is both important in its own right and in relation to other degree levels.

Classified Links

Most U.S. institutions belong to one or more associations that represent institutions of a similar type, purpose, or organizational character. Some of these institutional associations are listed below.

By Level and Type:

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) represents community and junior colleges.

American Council on Education (ACE) represents postsecondary institutions of all types.

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU) represents undergraduate colleges and universities, primarily private, that support the concept of liberal arts education.

Association of American Universities (AAU) represents a number of U.S. and Canadian research universities.

Career Colleges Association (CCA) represents institutions offering vocational, technical, and occupational instruction at the degree and nondegree levels.

Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) represents institutions and programs offering advanced (post-bachelor's) degrees in academic and professional subjects.

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) represents undergraduate liberal arts colleges.

By Control:

American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) represents publicly controlled and related colleges and universities.

Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) represents postsecondary institutions affiliated with or owned by Roman Catholic dioceses or religious orders.

Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) represents institutions affiliated with the Society of Jesus.

National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) represents public institutions receiving Morrill Act funds for agricultural and practical arts education.

Many U.S.postsecondary institutions are operated by religious groups other than the Roman Catholic Church, but in many cases the religious bodies either do not have central educational associations or they do not operate Web sites. To locate institutions affiliated with other faiths, go to one of the major Web search engines.

By Special Population(s) Served:

Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) represents institutions belonging to the Evangelical Protestant Christian tradition and providing educational services in the context of that faith commitment.

College and Career Programs for Deaf Students provides links to postsecondary institutions that specifically accomodate and serve hearing-impaired students.

College Fund/UNCF, also known as the United Negro College Fund, is the leading private association representing historically black colleges and universities.

Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) represents institutions that serve a predominantly hispanic student population or that were historically founded within the U.S. hispanic community.

White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) provides a list of all U.S. institutions that were historically founded to serve the African American minority population.

U.S. Accredited Postsecondary Minority Institutions contains all U.S. institutions that enroll significant numbers, or have majority enrollments, of students from American ethnic minority groups (African American, Alaska or Hawaiian Natives, American Indian, Asian American, Hispanic American).

General Links

Several online institutional directories offer links to all types of U.S. institutions.

American Colleges and Universities is a list of Web sites of accredited colleges and universities.

Clickable Map of U.S. Institutions is a searchable database of institutional links connected to a political map of the United States.

College Board Online's College Search provides a searchable database that permits searches on variables such as programs offered, degrees awarded, size, location, etc.

College and Universities Home Pages provides links to U.S. postsecondary institutions as well as those of many other countries.

Collegiate.Net provides an indexed directory of institutional links arranged by type and level.

Texas Education Network: World Universities provides links to U.S. institutions organized by level of degree awarded.

Vocational and Technical Institutions

Many institutions at this level do not operate individual Web sites. To locate those that do, try

RWM Vocational Schools Database and Career Colleges Association (CCA).

You should also check the Web sites of associations that accredit vocational and technical institutions. Refer to Accreditation and Quality Assurance.

Undergraduate Institutions

Community and Junior Colleges

Community Colleges are public postsecondary institutions that offer certificate, diploma, and associate degree programs designed to prepare students for occupations and professions as well as transfer to bachelor's degree programs. These institutions serve both traditional age students and adults, and provide opportunities for people to earn GED high school equivalency certificates, take occasional courses for personal or professional benefit, or enroll in full programs of studies. A large proportion of community college students are not enrolled in degree programs but have other educational goals.

Most community colleges are commuter institutions that serve local residents and do not operate student housing facilities.

Admissions to community colleges tends to be open to anyone who has a high school diploma or the equivalent, with the exception of some technical and professional programs that require certain additional qualifications. This admissions picture does not, however, mean that community colleges have low standards. The requirements for entering and completing technical and professional programs are often regulated by state authorities and accrediting associations, just as the requirements for being eligible to transfer to a bachelor's program are set by the admitting institution. Such requirements can be stiff and result in high attrition rates. The "second chance" that community colleges give many students does not necessarily mean "second class."

For information on associate degree level study go to Undergraduate Postsecondary Education, and for nondegree programs at community colleges go to Vocational and Technical Education.

To learn more about community colleges and what they offer, contact

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the national association representing community colleges;

ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, which provides comprehensive information and reference services;

Teaching in the Community College, an online professional journal for community college faculty; and

Yahoo! Community College Server.

Links to Institutions

No resource contains links to every community college, and some colleges do not operate Web sites. Sites that will link you to large numbers of community colleges include:

American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the national association representing community colleges;

Community College Home Page, a comprehensive directory maintain by the Maricopa Community College District in Arizona;

Peterson's Guide to 2-Year Colleges, available online from the main Peterson's Guides home page; and

Texas Education Network, World Universities, which maintains a directory of 2-year institutions that includes many community colleges.

Bachelor's Degree Institutions

U.S. institutions awarding the bachelor's degree include both those that offer only undergraduate or first degrees and institutions offering advanced degrees as well as the bachelor's degree. It is important to remember that U.S. education does not rank the latter above the former. Indeed, historical data compiled by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other organizations indicates that persons holding the bachelor's degree from purely undergraduate institutions go on to earn proportionally more research doctorates in all fields that do holders of the bachelor's degree from research universities.

Institutions that concentrate exclusively, or largely, on instruction at the bachelor's degree level generally place a premium on teaching quality and do not emphasize research. Their goal is to prepare students for further studies and for professional life. Many of these institutions are smaller in size than are research universities and cultivate close mentoring relationships between faculty and students.

For information on bachelor's degree level study go to Undergraduate Postsecondary Education.

To learn more about undergraduate institutions offering the bachelor's degree, contact

American Council on Education (ACE), which provides information on undergraduate as well as other levels of postsecondary education;

Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), which provides information on the relationship between undergraduate education and professional and university studies;

College Board Online, which provides extensive information on the college experience in the United States;

Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) which provides information on undergraduate liberal education; and

ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, which provides comprehensive information and reference services.

Also refer to Classified Links for other sources of information.

Links to Institutions

College Board Online's College Search provides a searchable database that permits searches on variables such as programs offered, degrees awarded, size, location, etc.

Collegiate.Net provides an indexed directory of institutional links arranged by type and level, including undergraduate.

Honors Programs Nationwide, maintained by the National Association of Honors Colleges, provides links to the Web sites of undergraduate honors degree programs at U.S. institutions, particularly research universities.

Peterson's Guide to Colleges provides a searchable online database of colleges and universities of all levels and types, sorted by characteristics.

Also refer to General Links above.

Graduate Institutions

Graduate schools are institutions that offer first-professional degrees and advanced research degrees. In many cases graduate level degree programs are offered by institutions that also offer undergraduate degrees, and in a few cases by institutions that only offer graduate degrees.

For information on graduate level study go to Graduate Postsecondary Education.

Graduate School in General

Collegiate.Net Grad School Guide provides information and links to graduate school opportunities in various subjects.

Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) provides information on American graduate education.

ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education provides comprehensive information and reference services.

Gradschools.Com provides information and links on graduate education in different types of institutions and subjects.

Links to Professional Schools

Most of the following links are to graduate schools, but some programs are offered at the undergraduate level as well.

American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)

American Association of Colleges of Podiatric Medicine (AACPM)

American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)

American Association of Dental Schools (AADS)

Association of American Law Schools (AALS)

Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC)

Association of Colleges and Schools of Planning (ACSP)

Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)

Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada (ATS)

National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)

National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD)

National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)

National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)