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Award Category Classifications & Definitions

The Military Friendly® Schools program groups organizations into categories based on Carnegie Classifications, enrollment size, and degree types. This ensures that a small community college is not being scored against a major Tier 1 research university.

 

1. Public University Categories

These categories are strictly for publicly funded and operated institutions.

  • Small Public: Institutions with a total student enrollment below 9,000. This often includes rural 4-year institutions.

  • Large Public: Institutions with a total student enrollment greater than 9,000.

  • Tier 1 Research (R1): Doctoral universities with "Very High Research Activity." These schools produce a significant volume of scholarly publications and offer extensive doctoral programs.

  • Tier 2 Research (R2): Doctoral universities with "High Research Activity." These schools are actively engaged in research but have a more moderate output than Tier 1.

2. Private University Categories

These categories are for privately funded, non-profit institutions.

  • Private Not Offering Doctorate: Institutions that offer undergraduate and master's degrees but do not have doctoral programs. They emphasize strong teaching and close student-faculty interaction.

  • Private Offering Doctorate: Non-profit private schools that offer advanced research and professional doctorates (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D., M.D.).

3. Community College Categories

These categories are for public institutions where the highest degree awarded is typically an Associate’s Degree.

  • Small Community College: Total student enrollment below 4,500. At least 90% of degrees awarded are Associates or certificates.

  • Large Community College: Total student enrollment above 4,500. Like their smaller counterparts, they focus primarily on two-year degrees and workforce training.

4. Specialized Categories

  • Graduate School: Institutions where 95% or more of the degrees offered are at the post-baccalaureate level (Master's, Doctoral, or Professional degrees).

  • Non-Traditional / Online Only / Vocational: * Online Only: Schools that deliver education exclusively via the internet.

    • Vocational/Trade: Schools focusing on practical, hands-on training for specific industries (e.g., healthcare, welding, culinary arts).

    • For-Profit: This category includes all for-profit institutions that do not fit the traditional public/private non-profit definitions.

5. How to Verify Your Category

To ensure your institution is categorized correctly, follow these steps:

  1. Check Your History: Unless a significant change in enrollment has occurred, you should choose the same category listed in your previous awards.

  2. Use NCES Tools: Use the College Navigator to verify your official student enrollment and IPEDS data, as these are the figures the Military Friendly® team uses for validation.

  3. The Enrollment Rule: If your historical category differs from the enrollment thresholds listed above, it may be due to your specific region or geographical location.