Adler University has been designated as a Special Focus: Graduate Studies institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE), part of the newly overhauled 2025 Carnegie Classification system. Adler is one of 68 institutions in the United States to receive this designation.
The University has held a Carnegie Classification since 1987. Prior to the 2025 update, it was classified as a Special Focus Four-Year: Other Health Professions Schools. The new classification reflects Adler’s focus on graduate education — specifically master’s and doctoral programs — and Carnegie’s shift to a more multidimensional classification model.
Institutional Classifications are based on a three-year average of data that institutions reported to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) for academic years 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23.
Additionally, Adler University holds the Elective Classification for Community Engagement from the Carnegie Foundation, recognizing deep, reciprocal partnerships that connect academic learning with community impact at the local, national, and global levels. First awarded in 2015, the designation highlights Adler’s ongoing commitment to collaboration beyond the classroom and meaningful public engagement that advances social well-being
The next Carnegie Classifications will be released in 2028.