JCU Moves Up to #6 in the Midwest: U.S. News & World Report’s 2018 “Best Colleges Guide”

John Carroll University moved up in the most recent U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” guide, earning a ranking of #6 in the Midwest. This is the 29th consecutive year that John Carroll made the list of “top 10” regional universities, landing one spot higher for the first time in recent years. JCU is also recognized among schools offering the best value, ranking #7 in the “Great Schools, Great Prices” category.

“This is an exciting time in John Carroll’s history as we strengthen signature programs, such as Accountancy and Pre-Health Professions,” says Dr. Jeanne Colleran, interim president of the University. “In addition to hiring a significant number of new faculty in key academic areas, we remain true to our mission to educate the ‘whole person’ with an emphasis on academic excellence and professional ethics.” John Carroll appointed 18 new facultymembers this year, bolstering several majors, including: Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain; Communications; Education; and Sports Studies. The University’s professional development programs have dramatically expanded over the last couple of years, with hundreds of students having the opportunity to pursue paid internships in a variety of fields – from Business, to Computer Science, to English.

Support for military veterans is another key area where John Carroll shines in the annual rankings: the University stands at #5 among its peers, based on efforts to make college affordable for veterans and active-duty service members.

The U.S. News & World Report college rankings are available online. The print edition of the “Best Colleges 2018” guidebook will be available in stores starting October 10.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded John Carroll University’s Department of Counseling a $1.3 million grant.

The Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program grant funds initiatives to develop and expand the behavioral health workforce in medically underserved communities. Counselors trained in integrated behavioral health work with other specialists as part of a treatment team to promote client well-being and treat a variety of mental health diagnoses. In John Carroll’s program, special emphasis is placed on substance use disorder treatment and addressing the addictions and opioid crisis in Ohio.

BHWET prioritizes the establishment or expansion of internships or field placement programs that include interdisciplinary training. Sixty percent of award money will fund $10,000 stipends for graduate students in John Carroll’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. The award period runs from September 30, 2017, through August 31, 2021.

“This grant will significantly increase John Carroll’s capacity to train students to serve as leaders in the field of integrated behavioral health in medically-underserved communities in Northeast Ohio,” said Nathan Gehlert, Ph.D., assistant professor of Counseling at John Carroll. Dr. Gehlert will serve as program director.

John Carroll University Interim President Dr. Jeanne Colleran emphasized the potential statewide impact, saying, “This funding will be transformational for our region; as a Jesuit Catholic University, one of the goals of our professional counseling training program is to address the growing social challenges we face in society.”

The University’s Department of Counseling will partner with Moore Counseling and Mediation Services (MCMS), a community-based integrated behavioral healthcare agency in Euclid, Ohio. Eighty current and future John Carroll students will participate in the field-placement and internship program over a four-year period.

John Carroll University, founded in 1886 as Saint Ignatius College, is located in University Heights, Ohio, in suburban Cleveland. Its Jesuit Catholic mission inspires individuals to excel in learning, leadership, and service in the region and the world. John Carroll University is recognized nationally for an exceptional four-year graduation rate, teaching excellence, and a commitment to living a faith that does justice as central to its mission. John Carroll is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number M01HP31305, Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training (BHWET) Program, $1.3 million in total funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.