NCTC earns national Carnegie Classification for student access

GAINESVILLE, Texas — North Central Texas College has earned a national distinction for how effectively it serves students and prepares them for the workforce, receiving the "Higher Access, Higher Earnings" designation in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education jointly released the classifications this spring, naming NCTC an Opportunity College and University. The recognition places the Gainesville-based college among institutions nationwide that demonstrate strong results in two areas: serving diverse student populations and producing graduates who perform well in the job market. The Carnegie Classifications represent the nation's leading framework for categorizing colleges and universities. They are widely used by policymakers, researchers, and higher education leaders to evaluate institutional performance. The new Student Access and Earnings Classification specifically measures "how effectively institutions serve diverse student populations and how graduates perform in the workforce after completing their education," according to the Carnegie Foundation. For NCTC, which operates campuses in Gainesville, Corinth, Flower Mound, Bowie, and Graham, the designation validates its long-standing mission of providing accessible, affordable education that translates into real economic opportunity for graduates. The classification comes at a time of growth for the college. NCTC has expanded its workforce training programs in recent years and deepened partnerships with regional employers and four-year universities, including pathways through the Red River Promise scholarship program for students in Cooke, Montague, and Young counties. More information about NCTC's programs and admissions is available at nctc.edu.