John Carroll University has been awarded the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, a prestigious national recognition that affirms the University's institutional commitment and excellence in community engagement.
John Carroll is one of just 277 institutions nationwide to earn the classification, underscoring the University’s longstanding commitment to partnership-driven teaching, research, and service-learning. The recognition comes at a pivotal moment for higher education, as colleges and universities navigate significant federal policy and funding shifts while addressing urgent societal challenges alongside their communities.
At John Carroll, this work is woven throughout the academic experience, connecting faculty expertise and student learning with public and private sector partners. These partnerships enhance teaching and learning, strengthen scholarship, and prepare students to become educated and engaged citizens who contribute to the greater good.
“The Carnegie Classification affirms John Carroll’s mission and sustained commitment to community-engaged teaching, research, and service-learning, reflecting an institutional culture where partnership, reciprocity, and impact are embedded across the University. This recognition honors what has long been at the heart of our mission—that education is most powerful when it is rooted in deep, reciprocal relationships with our community and a shared commitment to addressing real-world challenges together.”
The Carnegie Foundation cited John Carroll’s strong alignment among institutional mission, leadership, resources, and campus culture, as well as its exemplary institutionalized practices of community engagement. The University’s application highlighted meaningful partnerships that leverage community strengths, foster reciprocal relationships, and create lasting impact locally and beyond. Each year, John Carroll students collaborate with 90 community partners.
“Each and every program run by the Center for Service-Learning and Social Action provides a tangible, meaningful benefit to the people and organizations with whom we work and helps to foster a deep understanding of social justice and the transformative power of civic engagement for our students.”
The 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification is valid through 2032, at which time John Carroll will seek reclassification to retain its status.
