Leaders from two-year institutions publicly asked the Carnegie Classification to withdraw its new Student Access and Earnings framework, arguing the metric misrepresents community-college missions and could penalize institutions serving nontraditional and low-income students. Carnegie officials said they will defend the methodology but community-college advocates called the classification “premature” and warned it risks narrowing funding and policy decisions toward dubious earnings metrics. Critics contend that earnings-based measures can disadvantage open-access institutions whose students enter the workforce more slowly or pursue part-time study, while supporters say clearer metrics are needed to demonstrate outcomes. The controversy signals a broader debate about how national classifications shape accountability, funding, and institutional strategy across the sector.