Recognition places NU among the top institutions in the country for advancing access, affordability, and career outcomes for non-traditional, working, and military-connected learners
SAN DIEGO, May 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — National University (NU)—a nonprofit, Veteran-founded institution serving over 50,000 nontraditional, working, and military students annually through its degree programs and 80,000 more through its workforce and professional programs—today announced that it has been recognized with the prestigious Opportunity Colleges and Universities – Higher Access, Higher Earnings classification as part of the newly updated 2025 Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education.
“This recognition is a validation of what we believe at our core: that education can be accessible, affordable, high-quality, and life-changing—all at once.” – Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University
This new classification recognizes NU’s distinctive model—pairing access and affordability with workforce outcomes and growing research capabilities. It also places it among the top U.S. colleges and universities recognized for delivering both high access to underrepresented students and strong post-graduation earnings outcomes—affirming the university’s mission to deliver career-relevant educational opportunities, with a special focus on students who are working, nontraditional or military-affiliated students.
“From the beginning, National University has been an opportunity university—measuring success not by selectivity or exclusiveness, but by the success of our students and their ability to strive, achieve, and build better futures for themselves, their families, and their communities,” said Dr. Mark D. Milliron, president and CEO of National University. “We’re flipping the script on the traditional rankings game by proving that access, academic excellence, and strong career outcomes can—and must—coexist. This recognition is a validation of what we believe at our core: that education can be accessible, affordable, high-quality, and life-changing—all at once.”
National University’s student population reflects the shifting demographics of higher education today. Today, it is one of the largest private, nonprofit universities in the United States designated as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Approximately 70 percent of National University’s students take the majority of their classes online. Over 80% of undergraduates are transfer students. The vast majority are working. The average age of NU undergraduate students is 33. And 50% of undergraduate students are servicemembers or Veterans.
In addition to joining the top institutions based on Carnegie’s new Professions-focused category, NU stands out among a select group of 479 Opportunity Colleges and Universities nationwide—approximately 16% of all classified institutions—a subset of institutions that demonstrate deliver the highest earning premiums while also enrolling high numbers of students who are from low-income or underrepresented backgrounds.
National University earned a new Institutional Classification as a Professions-focused Undergraduate/Graduate-Doctorate Large institution—an acknowledgment of its growing enrollment, strong research operation, and professional degree offerings across disciplines such as education, health, cybersecurity, business, and human services.
The 2025 Carnegie Student Access and Earnings Classification is the first of its kind, aimed at recognizing institutions that deliver strong access to historically underrepresented populations while also achieving competitive earnings outcomes for graduates. Institutions were selected based on public data from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard, IPEDS, and Census Bureau, examining both access (Pell eligibility, racial/ethnic representation) and median post-graduation wages.
Well-known for its distinctive focus on serving working adults, educators and veterans, National University has steadily grown its research enterprise over the past decade with the addition of graduate, doctoral and research programs. Over the past several years, NU has expanded its academic and research enterprise, launching initiatives such as the Cause Research Institute (CRI) to democratize access to research and development opportunities for underrepresented students.
“National University has long focused on designing programs and support systems around the realities facing working adults, military-affiliated students, and others balancing education with career and family,” said Dr. Ruthann Heinrich, Chair, National University Board of Trustees. “This classification highlights the growing relevance of our unique model in a rapidly changing economic landscape.”
The university has also unveiled its Whole Human Education™ model, investing in wraparound student supports like the recently launched Nest co-learning centers, local childcare partnerships, and a revamped Veterans & Military Community Center, designed to remove barriers to college and workforce training.
About National University: About National University: National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, has been dedicated to meeting the needs of nontraditional, working, and military students by providing accessible, affordable higher education opportunities since 1971. As San Diego’s largest private nonprofit university, NU offers over 150 online and on campus degree programs, credentials, and certificates with flexible four-week and eight-week classes and one-to-one graduate education models designed to help students reach their goals while balancing busy lives. Since its founding, the NU community has grown to 130,000 learners served per year—50,000 degree-seeking students and 80,000 workforce and professional development students—and 245,000 alumni around the globe, many of whom serve in helping industries such as business, education, health care, cybersecurity, and law and criminal justice. To learn more about National University’s new possibilities in education including next-generation education, value-rich education, and whole human education, visit NU.edu.
Media Contact
Ashleigh Webb, National University, 760-889-3494, awebb@nu.edu, https://www.nu.edu/
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