(Lancaster, PA) — Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology has been designated a Carnegie Opportunity College by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education, one of only 478 institutions nationwide and one of just 32 in Pennsylvania to earn the recognition.

The designation is awarded to institutions that demonstrate both high access and strong graduate earnings, measuring whether colleges are enrolling students who reflect the communities they serve and whether those students go on to earn competitive wages. Sources for the designation include Pell grant status, institutional-reported enrollment data through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), U.S. Census data, and the U.S. Department of Education. Of the thousands of institutions evaluated, fewer than 16 percent received the designation. Carnegie Classifications are updated every few years, with the next reclassification planned for spring 2028.

For Thaddeus Stevens College, the recognition reflects a mission that has never wavered. With 97 percent of graduates employed or continuing their education, a median first-year salary of $52,500, and 18 job opportunities per graduate, the College has long delivered strong outcomes. The institution has done so for first-generation students, students from limited financial backgrounds, and students who needed or wanted a different path to opportunity.

"This designation confirms what we know is a sustainable model of education," said President Pedro A. Rivera II, of Thaddeus Stevens College. "That access and excellence are not in tension. They reinforce each other. Our students deserve both, and this recognition affirms that living out our mission to create opportunity for education leading to thriving futures works. For our students, and for our communities throughout Pennsylvania.”