Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education recently added Trinity College to its prestigious research ranking.
In April 2025, the College will be listed as one of the country’s “Research Colleges and Universities” because of its significant research and development activities, which exceed $2.5 million in annual expenditures.
“The designation is especially important because it recognizes that, as one of the country’s selective liberal arts institutions, we invest in both teaching and research,” said Sonia Cardenas, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty. “When students come to Trinity, they can expect to be mentored by leading teacher-scholars, with opportunities to do impactful research alongside faculty mentors.”
Trinity’s inclusion is part of Carnegie’s new designation, announced in 2023 by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation, which recognizes research outside of doctoral institutions.
Of the 218 institutions being classified as “Research Colleges and Universities,” only 30 are private small liberal arts colleges—including most, but not all, of Trinity’s peers in the New England Small Colleges Athletic Conference (NESCAC), according to Cardenas.
