Carnegie Foundation Selects the University of San Diego as the Host for Community Engagement-Classified Universities

The University of San Diego (USD) was selected as one of 237 U.S. colleges and universities to receive the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement (CE) Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education (ACE) and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement.

“Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification is a mark of excellence for schools like USD that prioritize active collaboration with our public, private and nonprofit partners to address humanity's urgent challenges and serve the public good,” said USD President James T. Harris III, DEd. “As a Catholic university and an anchor institution, we are proud to serve as operational host and assist other campuses in their journey of earning the Community Engagement designation while illustrating the tremendous impact institutions of higher education have in our communities.”

As the first Catholic institution to host the CE Classification, the Carnegie Foundation chose USD because of the university’s campus-wide commitment to community service, its growth in U.S.-Mexico border engagement, and its mission to confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. 

As host, USD will work with fellow Community Engagement institutions in collaboration on educational webinars and encourage other institutions, like community colleges, to work toward earning the CE Classification.    

"The University of San Diego has for many years demonstrated its commitment to the public good through robust collaboration with its larger communities," said ACE President Ted Mitchell. "I'm thrilled that USD has agreed to now also serve as the Community Engagement Classification's host institution and partner with ACE and the Carnegie Foundation to recognize the wide array of colleges and universities dedicated to this vital work."

"For two decades, the University of San Diego has demonstrated that community engagement is not an elective, it is an instrumental variable," said Carnegie President Timothy F.C. Knowles. "USD's campus-wide commitment to community service makes the institution an ideal partner to host the Community Engagement Classification and to support more postsecondary institutions serve the public good." 

The Carnegie Community Engagement Classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for the past 20 years. 

— USD News Center