Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduates are earning higher salaries than their peers, according to the Carnegie Foundation and the American Council on Education.
IUP is the only member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education selected for the “Opportunity College and University-Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation, which recognizes institutions with graduates who earn salaries that are 50 percent above (or more) than their peers in similar fields and institutions that provide access to students that reflect the communities that they serve.
Only 20 Pennsylvania public institutions earned the “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation, and only 16 percent (479) of colleges and universities in the nation earned the recognition, which was also open to career-focused area institutions.
“This designation is an achievement earned by the entire IUP community—including our 150,000-strong alumni network—and reflects everyone’s ongoing hard work and sincere commitment to becoming an extraordinarily student-centered university,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said.
“We are a university focused on success, both pre- and post-graduation, working to help our students to develop the skills and leadership qualities they need to make satisfying and rewarding lives and careers,” President Driscoll said. “I see it every day. Our students come to us excited and motivated to do great things, including cutting-edge research that promises to change the world. We meet them where they are, each student as an individual, and we provide the support and encouragement that they need to both set and meet their goals, including goals that they never thought possible.
“It’s an honor to be recognized with this important designation, which also offers a very tangible measure of the value of higher education,” President Driscoll said.
This “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation follows IUP’s continued recognition by the Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education of IUP as an R2 Doctoral University. IUP is one of two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 97 public universities in the nation to hold this ranking.
IUP is the only university in Pennsylvania to hold both the R2 university ranking and the “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation, and one of only 19 public universities in the nation that have the R2 classification and “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation. There are only 27 public or private universities in the nation that have the R2 classification and “Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation.
The R2 designation is limited to universities that award at least 20 research-scholarship doctoral degrees and have at least $5 million in qualifying research expenditures over a designated period; during the 2023–24 academic year, IUP expended more than $16 million in research and innovation, and 114 students completed requirements for doctoral degrees.
“The Higher Access, Higher Earnings” designation, new in 2025, in addition to assessing the earnings of a university’s graduates compared to their peers, also measures whether institutions are enrolling students reflective of the communities they serve. Data for the designation comes from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), collected by the US Department of Education College Scorecard and the US Census Bureau.
“As a public institution and a member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, IUP is fully committed to providing access to higher education for qualified and promising students, including students who have financial need,” President Driscoll said.
Annually, IUP provides more than $26 million in scholarships from the university in addition to state and federal aid, and has given more than $2 million in housing scholarships. A total of 89 percent of fall 2024 new, first-time students were offered renewable merit scholarships, averaging $3,494. IUP has frozen tuition and fees and meal costs since 2018, and the majority of housing costs have remained steady since 2016.
Through its Tuition Affordability Plan, launched in 2022, IUP reduced tuition by almost 20 percent for undergraduate students; in fall 2024, IUP reduced the overall cost of enrollment for dual enrollment students to $100 per credit.
The Carnegie Classification is used by researchers, policy makers, and administrators, as well as to inform grant-making and federal and state funding of institutions. It is the basis for the categories of annual rankings, including U.S. News & World Report.
Since its founding in 1875, IUP has evolved from a teacher-training institution into a doctoral research university recognized for its commitment to student success and achievement. As IUP celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the university honors a legacy of educational excellence while looking toward a future of innovation, leadership in healthcare education, and public service.