U.S. News & World Report Ranks Carroll #1 in Best Value, #3 Regional College in the West, and #2 for Veterans
HELENA, MT - Carroll College continues to stand out as a premier leader for affordability and academic excellence, once again securing its place as the #1 Best Value Regional College in the West by U.S. News & World Report. For the third year in a row, Carroll has been recognized for providing a high-quality education at an accessible cost.
"It’s an honor to see Carroll once again ranked as the top value in the West for the third consecutive year," said Carroll President Dr. John Cech. “This recognition underscores our commitment to ensuring that a Carroll education is not only well-rounded and enriching but also financially attainable for students of all backgrounds.
A new initiative at the heart of Carroll's commitment to affordability is its focus on expanding access to higher education for Montana students. Carroll's new Pell Promise program demonstrates this commitment by covering full tuition for Montana students eligible for the federal Pell Grant. Under this program, eligible students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and accept a $3,500 subsidized federal Stafford loan. This transformative initiative ensures that financial barriers won't prevent qualified students from receiving a top-tier education at Carroll.
“For our Pell Grant-eligible students from Montana, this program guarantees a path to higher education without the burden of tuition costs,” explained Cech. “This initiative strengthens our mission to make higher education affordable and accessible for students across Montana.”
Much like the Pell Promise, Carroll is continually exploring new opportunities for students to offset tuition expenses, such as the upcoming inaugural Academic Scholarship Program event on November 8.
This event invites high school seniors with a 3.0 GPA or higher, who have applied and been admitted to Carroll, to experience our academic culture and engage with our distinguished faculty. Participants will have the opportunity to earn academic scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $9,000, with the top performers being awarded full-tuition scholarships. Additionally, attendees will qualify for Carroll’s $1,000 Apply and Visit Grant.
With 99% of students receiving institutional scholarships and the average aid package offsetting more than half of the total cost of attendance, Carroll continues to invest in its students. Additionally, Carroll’s reputation for value stems from more than just affordability—it also reflects the college’s strong outcomes. Along with reducing financial barriers, Carroll graduates enter the workforce well-prepared and achieve impressive outcomes. Carroll alumni enjoy the highest median earnings among all Montana colleges and universities at $62,000 (U.S. Dept. of Ed.), positioning them for long-term success.
Carroll’s leadership in affordability is complemented by its strong performance across other categories. In addition to being named the top Best Value school in the West, Carroll ranks #3 among Regional Colleges in the West and #2 for Best Colleges for Veterans, further solidifying its place as a top institution for students seeking quality education and meaningful career preparation.
How are the Rankings are Determined
The “Best Colleges” rankings, released annually by U.S. News & World Report, provide one of the most comprehensive and reputable assessments of nearly 1,500 regionally accredited institutions based on as many as 17 key measures of academic quality (13 for regional colleges). Among the factors measured in the regional rankings are: outcomes including how well schools retain and graduate students (31 percent); assessment of excellence from academic peers (20 percent); faculty resources including salaries, full-time faculty and student-faculty ratio (15 percent); and financial resources per student (8 percent). View the methodology here.
The 397 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.