Widener University has received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights an institution’s commitment to community engagement. 

The classification has been the leading framework for institutional assessment and recognition of community engagement in U.S. higher education for nearly 20 years. 

Widener is one of 277 institutions nationally to be given the classification and one of only 80 private colleges and universities named in the 2026 cohort. The designation, which celebrates our dedication to partnering with public, private and nonprofit entities to foster civic engagement and create real-world learning opportunities for students, is valid until 2032. 

The honor recognizes Widener’s work to deepen partnerships, leverage community assets and address societal challenges with clarity and distinction. In awarding the classification, the organizations noted Widener had documented excellent alignment among campus mission, culture, leadership, resources, and practices that support dynamic and noteworthy community engagement, and that the university had provided rich descriptions and examples of exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement. 

The Carnegie Classifications are the nation’s leading framework for categorizing and describing colleges and universities in the United States. They are used frequently by policymakers, funders, and researchers, and are a critical benchmarking tool for postsecondary institutions.

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