Today, three CSU campuses, long classified as large master’s
universities, are considered doctoral institutions by the leading
national classification of U.S. colleges and universities.
Fresno State, CSU Fullerton and San Francisco State were reclassified as a doctoral university in the 2015 edition of the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education rankings system, which identifies American institutions of higher education for comparisons.
This change occurs when a university graduates more than 20 doctoral
degrees per year, a figure that the Fresno, San Francisco and Fullerton
campuses have exceeded in recent years. The three join San Diego State,
which was previously the only CSU campus to be categorized as a doctoral
university.
“The new Carnegie designations are a testament to the CSU’s quality
doctoral programs, which continue to advance under the leadership of
outstanding faculty,” said Loren Blanchard, CSU executive vice
chancellor for academic and student affairs. “The CSU’s doctoral
graduates go on to improve evidence-based practice in professional
fields and stimulate innovation and economic growth in California.”
The grouping of colleges by Carnegie is significant because the
framework is widely used in the study of higher education as a way to
identify institutional differences. The classifications serve as a
foundation for generating external benchmarks for understanding an
institution’s current standing and to pinpoint key areas for attention
and guide policy development.
In 2005, the CSU marked a significant educational milestone
when it broadened its degree offerings to include independent doctoral
degrees. Before 2005, state law required CSU doctorates to be
offered in partnership with a UC campus or other California doctoral
institution. The CSU now offers Doctor of Education (Ed.D.), Doctor of
Physical Therapy (DPT), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree
programs. A limited number of other doctoral programs, including Doctor
of Philosophy (PhD) degrees, are offered jointly with the University of
California and private institutions in California. In 2014-15, the CSU
granted 459 doctoral degrees.
The Carnegie rankings date back to the 1970s and are now issued by
Indiana University’s Center for Postsecondary Research. The
classifications are updated every five years based on information from
the Integrated Postsecondary Education System (IPEDS).