Tennessee Tech has been named a “Higher Earnings” institution in the 2025 Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Tech Executive Director of Strategic Planning and Data Dewayne Wright said the distinction means Tech students are making more money post-graduation compared to other universities. Wright said most people may think that is just because of the College of Engineering, but that is not the case.
“We also produce a large amount of successful graduates in education,” Wright said. “Tech provides more teachers than any other college in the state, and so they are very successful there. Our School of Music is very successful, and those are just a couple of the examples.”
The Carnegie Classification also listed Tennessee Tech as an “opportunity university,” meaning Tennessee Tech provides more access to higher-earning opportunities.
“Higher access that goes to the fact that you are serving a broad range of students, not just elite graduates of select high schools,” Wright said. “You are really providing your educational opportunities to the broadest possible student population.”
Tennessee Tech was also named an “R2” research institution once again. Wright said being named an “R2” research institution means that there is high research spending and high doctorate production.
“There are programs that we have been working on adding, but the biggest growth is students discovering and enrolling in our current programs, so over the last 10 years, we have doubled the amount of doctorate degrees that we have awarded,” Wright said.
Wright said the Carnegie Classification has been used since the 1970s to compare universities. Wright said he believes receiving such honors from the Carnegie Classification is a validation of the great work that the university is doing.
