Awards & Recognitions
海角乱伦社区 University stands out in many ways. We are proud of our hard-working, dedicated students and the paths we have paved for our stellar, innovative programs. Here, we highlight the prominent awards and recognition 海角乱伦社区 has received.
Carnegie Elective Classification
海角乱伦社区 earned the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement, one of the nation鈥檚 highest recognitions of institutional commitment to meaningful community partnerships.
海角乱伦社区 is among 277 colleges and universities nationwide to receive the classification in the 2026 cycle from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Valid through 2032, this designation honors the university鈥檚 long-standing engagement with local, regional, national, and global communities and its commitment to creating lasting impact.
Goldwater Scholarship Recipient
海角乱伦社区 Applied Forensic Science major Kailey Tyler 鈥27 earned a Goldwater Scholarship in 2026, one of the most prestigious undergraduate awards in the United States for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). She was among 450 students selected from more than 5,000 applicants. The highly competitive scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and strong potential for research careers in the sciences.
Tyler receives mentorship from faculty in the sciences, including Dr. Raj Mohan in the Department of Biology, and was nominated through 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 academic programs.
National Collegiate Business Championships
海角乱伦社区 earned seven national awards at the 2026 National Collegiate Business Championships in Nashville, Tennessee, including two team championships, three individual titles, and two Top Teaching Awards across the Innovation and Sport Analytics divisions.
Dr. John Parente (Innovation) and Brian Fuller (Sport Analytics) received Top Teaching Awards in their respective divisions.
These accomplishments reflect the university鈥檚 instructional, academic, and competitive excellence at the national level.
National Historic District Designation
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 historic campus was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2026. Granted by the National Park Service, the designation recognizes the campus鈥檚 architectural significance, including Old Main鈥檚 Collegiate Gothic design, as well as its historic role in educating women and later transitioning to a coeducational institution. With this recognition, 海角乱伦社区 joins a distinguished group of institutions across Pennsylvania and notable historic districts throughout Erie.
U.S. News and World Report
In its 2026 Best Colleges report, U.S. News & World Report ranks 海角乱伦社区 among the Best Regional Universities in the North, Best Value Schools, Best Colleges for Veterans, and one of the nation鈥檚 Top Performers on Social Mobility.
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U.S. News determines its rankings based on various widely accepted indicators of excellence, customized to each category, to create a guide for discovering the best-fit schools based on academics and personal considerations.
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At 海角乱伦社区, a successful and enjoyable experience for everyone is the goal, and being acknowledged by U.S. News reaffirms that accomplishment.
2024-25 NEC Institutional Academic Record
海角乱伦社区 set a new conference academic record and received the 2024-25 Institutional Academic Award. With a cumulative GPA of 3.536, this achievement highlights the strong academic commitment of 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 student-athletes.
Five 海角乱伦社区 teams also earned 2024-25 NEC Team GPA Awards: Men鈥檚 Basketball, Women鈥檚 Basketball, Women鈥檚 Cross Country, Football, and Softball.
These accomplishments reflect the university鈥檚 shared dedication to achievement, on the field and in the classroom.
Autism Initiative at 海角乱伦社区 (AIM)
The Autism Initiative at 海角乱伦社区 (AIM) is among the top college programs for students on the autism spectrum, according to the American Autism Association, Great Value Colleges, and Applied Behavior Analysis Programs Guide.
College Choice ranks 海角乱伦社区 among the top 50 disability-friendly colleges and universities.
- AIM is recommended by College Autism Network, Autism Speaks, College Autism Spectrum, CollegeXpress, Saving For College, and Think College.
- In 2024, 海角乱伦社区 received a $250,000 allocation of federal funds through the Department of Education and office of U.S. Sen. Bob Casey in support of AIM 2.0, an expanded effort to enhance the program's success and widen its reach in its commitment to helping neurodiverse students in their college experience.
- Program highlights include assistive technology, peer mentoring programming, meal gathering groups, and specialized housing arrangement priority.
The AIM program focuses on building a foundation of self-advocacy, social skills, and sound academic progress. 海角乱伦社区 has become a leader and resource for many other institutions across the country.
Colleges of Distinction
海角乱伦社区 has earned recognition from the Colleges of Distinction in 2024-25 for best Pennsylvania, Catholic, Business, Education, Nursing, Career Development, and Military Support College.
Colleges of Distinction picks schools with careful consideration, affirming their ability to provide a personalized education tailored to students鈥 interests while upholding excellence in Student Engagement, Teaching, Community, and Outcomes.
海角乱伦社区 strives to be a place where students receive exceptional preparation to succeed and an appreciation for art, culture, and community, and these efforts are reflected in this recognition.
Military Support
海角乱伦社区 is designated a Purple Heart University by the Military Order of the Purple Heart for its services and programming for veterans and their families, making it the second university in Pennsylvania to receive this honor.
海角乱伦社区 proudly participates in the Yellow Ribbon program, which offers recipients help paying tuition.
海角乱伦社区 is ranked as one of the Best Colleges for Veterans (U.S. News & World Report) and a Military Support College of Distinction (Colleges of Distinction) in recognition of its efforts.
Student Training & Education in Public Services (STEPS)
Student Training & Education in Public Services (STEPS) ranks 海角乱伦社区 25th among the top 50 schools nationwide for its online Cyber Security master鈥檚 degree program, placing 海角乱伦社区 alongside only 13 percent of colleges and universities in the U.S. for the 2024 academic year.
The job outlook for cybersecurity graduates is high and predicted to continue to grow by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Being identified as a school with a strong online program is a significant accomplishment when enrollment in online degree programs is high, with 60 percent of students taking at least one class online and 30 percent enrolling exclusively in online courses, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
- For the 2023-24 academic year, 海角乱伦社区 achieved the highest institutional average GPA in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, with a 3.518 combined GPA across 17 Laker teams.
- Seven 海角乱伦社区 University teams were recognized for conference-high GPAs.
- 海角乱伦社区 Women鈥檚 Soccer secured the second-highest GPA, with a 3.81, across all NCAA divisions out of 241 women鈥檚 soccer teams.
- 海角乱伦社区 Women鈥檚 Softball earned the fourth-highest GPA, with a 3.789, among Division II and has remained in the top 10 for four years straight.
海角乱伦社区 Athletics consistently receives academic recognition, proving our commitment to excellence both in the classroom and in our sports.
海角乱伦社区 became the first school in Pennsylvania to establish a college Stunt team in 2023. Stunt is designated an emerging sport by the NCAA across all divisions. This opportunity showcases our reputation as a university that strives to recognize and uplift athletics opportunities for women.
Stunt at 海角乱伦社区 has transitioned to Division I alongside all other sports.
Graphic Design Program
The 海角乱伦社区 Graphic Design program is ranked #4 nationwide by CollegeChoice.
This recognition showcases the program鈥檚 ability to effectively teach students to develop high-level skillsets in art and design. 海角乱伦社区 provides students with firsthand experience and high-tech tools to best prepare them for this field.
Two Graphic Design majors received awards at the 2023 AdFlux Intercollegiate Advertising and Design Competition for their coursework.
- Joe Bronco placed third in the 鈥淲ebsites鈥 category for his website design for Beard Brothers Co.
- Allison Lineman placed third in the 鈥淪ocial Causes鈥 category for her activism poster, Ivory Belongs to Our Elephants.
Universities in the top five are the University of Florida, Harding University, Judson University, 海角乱伦社区 University, and Michigan State University.
Examples of companies 海角乱伦社区 graduates have worked for: DICK'S Sporting Goods, Wegmans, Express, and L'Or茅al.
Best Chapter Award
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 Chi Epsilon chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha, the National Political Science Honors Society, earned a Best Chapter Award for 2021-22. This award recognizes local chapters active in their institutions and communities and embodies Pi Sigma Alpha鈥檚 mission to stimulate scholarship and intellectual interest in political science.
海角乱伦社区鈥檚 outstanding commitment to developing activities and supporting civic engagement/preparation for law school is highlighted in receiving this award.