U.S. News & World Report Ranks Carroll #1 Regional College in the West, #2 in Best Value and #3 for Veterans
HELENA, MT – Carroll College continues its reign among the top ranks of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges in the nation. In the most recent 2022 rankings, Carroll claims a record 11th year as the best “Regional College in the West.” Carroll is both the only regional college and the only Catholic college in the nation to have earned this distinction for eleven consecutive years having amassed a perfect overall score of 100 with the 2022 rankings providing data on over 1,400 schools.
"My initial reaction was just “Wow!” and immediately realized this continued prestigious acknowledgement is because of our excellent student success, superb faculty, and outstanding staff,” said Carroll College President Dr. John Cech. “I am grateful and thrilled about Carroll's unprecedented recognition of being named U.S. News’ #1 Regional College in the West for the 11th year in a row! For Carroll College to have maintained this #1 ranking for longer than any other regional college in the country is a remarkable achievement.”
In addition to the number one ranking for “Best Regional College in the West,” Carroll moved up a spot into the #2 position for “Best Value College in the West” and earned the #3 ranking for “Best Regional College in the West for Veterans.”
“Carroll’s position as the highest ranked private college in the Pacific Northwest for value is a testament to the efforts being made to ensure Carroll is accessible and affordable for all who seek a four-year or graduate education on our campus,” said Cech. “With 99 percent of our students receiving some form of institutional aid coupled with the most competitive merit scholarships in the region, Carroll is committed to serving our most promising students regardless of financial need. Plus, the full benefits offered through our Yellow Ribbon program provide an affordable pathway for our veterans and their dependents.”
In addition to its foundation in the liberal arts which are central to the over 40 undergraduate majors and minors to choose from, Carroll also continues to expand its portfolio of graduate programs. Complementing the Master of Accountancy program which began in 2018, Carroll has launched three critically important post-graduate healthcare programs to address the growing workforce needs in the state and region: Master of Social Work; Accelerated Nursing; and the Healthcare Leadership Certificate. Carroll welcomed its first cohort of Accelerated Nursing and Master of Social Work students this summer and fall, and its second cohort of Healthcare Leadership Certificate participants.
In an effort to creatively expand educational opportunities for its students, Carroll has sought out numerous innovative public-private partnerships in the Helena community and state of Montana. In addition to the 3+3 dual-degree program with the University of Montana’s Blewett School of Law and a 4+1 arrangement with their Master of Public Administration Program, Carroll has recently begun a collaborative planning process with St. Peter’s Health to explore the potential development of a first-of-its-kind multi-purpose community health center and academic facility on the campus of Carroll College.
“Finding opportunities to expose our students to experiential learning and hands-on training will not only benefit our students as they begin their professional careers, it will also ensure that we are sending forth well-prepared and confident graduates into the workforce,” said Cech. “We are extremely proud of the quality of student and individual who graduate from Carroll – we help form Saints who both do well and do good.”
“At Carroll, we carry the mindset that we can continually build and improve upon what we have. Whether it is creating state-of-the-art facilities on campus, expanding our academic programs, or initiating innovative partnerships, this approach keeps Carroll College at the forefront of higher education in our region and nation,” said Cech.
How are the Rankings Determined
The “Best Colleges” rankings, released annually by U.S. News & World Report, provide one of the most comprehensive and reputable assessments of over 1,400 regionally accredited institutions based on 17 metrics of academic excellence. Among the factors measured in the rankings are: outcomes including how well schools retain and graduate students (40 percent); assessment of excellence from academic peers (20 percent); faculty resources including the quality of and investment in faculty (20 percent); financial resources per student (10 percent); student excellence including admissions selectivity (7 percent); and alumni giving (3 percent). View the methodology here.
The 371 colleges in the regional colleges categories are ranked against their peer group in one of four regions: North, South, Midwest and West. The West region, in which Carroll resides, includes colleges in 15 western states. Higher education institutions included in the regional colleges ranking focus on undergraduate education but grant less than 50 percent of their degrees in liberal arts disciplines, such as languages and literature, biology and life sciences, philosophy, cultural studies and psychology.
See the full rankings on the US News and World Report website.