John Carroll University was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus under the title of St. Ignatius College, after Ignatius of Loyola, as a college for men. It has been in continuous operation as a degree-granting institution since that time. Founded as the 19th of 27 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States, it is a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.[5]
In 1923, the college was renamed John Carroll University, honoring the first archbishop of the Catholic Church in the United States, who founded Georgetown University. In 1935, it was moved from its original location on the west side of Cleveland to its present site in University Heights, a suburb 10 miles (16 km) east of downtown Cleveland. However, the high school section retained the original name and continues to operate on the original site in Cleveland. The city of University Heights had been renamed from "Idlewood" during the construction of the campus.[6]
During World War II, John Carroll was one of 131 colleges and universities nationally that took part in the V-12 Navy College Training Program which offered students a path to a Navy commission.[7]
In September 1968, the university made the transition from full-time male enrollment to a fully coeducational institution, admitting women to the College of Arts and Sciences for the first time. In recent years, the university has undergone extensive reconstruction and expansion. In 2003, the university opened the $66 million, 265,000 sq ft (24,600 m2) Dolan Center for Science and Technology, named after alumnus Charles Dolan, founder of Cablevision and HBO, and his wife Helen Dolan. The couple met while attending John Carroll. In 2011, the university completed the removal of the Bohannon Science building and celebrated the Hamlin Quad enhancement project.
Jesuit tradition
The university announced in December 2017 that its board of directors had named the school's first non-Jesuit president, Michael D. Johnson. Johnson had been the provost at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He began his tenure on July 1, 2018, and was officially inaugurated on September 6, 2018.[8]
Campus
More than twenty major buildings, predominantly Collegiate Gothic in architecture, and sixty landscaped acres make up the John Carroll campus. Saint Ignatius Hall, located in the center of campus and surmounted by the university's landmark Grasselli Tower, bears clear resemblance to the English royal palace Hampton Court.
Academics
Saint Ignatius Hall
John Carroll University is organized into three colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, the Boler College of Business, and the College of Health. The university requires a comprehensive core curriculum for all undergraduate students.[9] John Carroll University's College of Arts and Sciences offers more than 80 distinct programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Some of the most popular undergraduate majors are communications, biology, psychology, education, exercise science, political science, sociology, criminology, chemistry, and English.
Boler College of Business
Undergraduate admissions
In 2024, John Carroll University accepted 82.4% of undergraduate applicants, with admission standards considered difficult, applicant competition considered very low, and with those enrolled having an average 3.66 high school GPA. The college does not require submission of standardized test scores. If submitted, scores are considered. Those enrolled that submitted test scores had an average 1240 SAT score (18% submitting) or an average 27 ACT score (24% submitting).[10]
International programs
John Carroll has several international programs in which eligible students are able to participate. The university operates several of their own programs and cooperates with other Jesuit universities in operating other programs. John Carroll University's Exchange Programs include the International Student Exchange Program, and programs at Kansai Gaidai University, Nanzan University and Sophia University, all in Japan as well as the Technical University of Dortmund, Germany and University of Hull, England.[11] These programs include the Belfast Institute in Peace Building and Conflict Transformation,[12] the Boler School of Business Semester in London,[13] Italian Studies at Vatican City, the London Liberal Arts Semester, the Jesuit Beijing Center, as well as Casa de la Solidaridad in El Salvador.
All international programs, including those for international students who study at John Carroll, are managed by the university's Center for Global Education.[14]
In the 2025 U.S. News & World Report college rankings, John Carroll University was ranked third out of 165 regional universities in the Midwest. The university has been ranked within the top ten of this category since 1988.[18] The university was also ranked third (tied) for undergraduate teaching, third for "most innovative" schools, and 23rd as a "best value" school.[18]
John Carroll was chosen as one of Forbes' Best Value Schools of 2016.[19]
The John M. and Mary Jo Boler School of Business was ranked first nationwide in Bloomberg Businessweek's 2016 “Best Undergraduate Business Schools” employer survey for the graduates best prepared for work in their fields. It was ranked 30th among all business schools.[20]
Student life
Murphy Hall is the university's largest residence hall.
John Carroll is a primarily residential campus, with over 60% of all students living on campus in one of seven residence halls; 90% of freshmen and sophomores live on campus.[21] There are over 100 student-led organizations at John Carroll, many of which have the underlying goal of providing service to the community – be it the community of the local Cleveland area or the global community at large.
Fraternities and sororities are approved by the John Carroll University Office of Student Activities and governed by the rules of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic Councils.[22]
Many John Carroll University students take advantage of service opportunities during their undergraduate studies.[23]
John Carroll offers 24 men's and women's varsity sports teams. The university's official colors are blue and gold and teams compete under the nickname Blue Streaks. In 2025, John Carroll joined the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAA) Division III. The university was previously a member institution of the Ohio Athletic Conference since 1989.
The university plays football, lacrosse and soccer in Don Shula Stadium, named after the winningest coach in NFL history, who had studied at John Carroll between 1947 and 1951. Shula contributed to the stadium's construction, as did former Washington Redskins star and JCU alumnus London Fletcher '98.
In 1974–75, the wrestling team won the NCAA Division III national championship. In addition, three teams have qualified for the national semifinals in team sporting events: the 2002 football team, the 2003–04 men's basketball team, and the 2016 football team. On November 12, 2016, John Carroll defeated the University of Mount Union 31–28, snapping the program's college football record of 112 straight regular season wins.
There have been 22 individual national champions: 16 in wrestling, two in men's outdoor track & field, one in men's indoor track & field, one in women's outdoor track & field, one in women's diving, and one in men's swimming.
Student newspaper
The Carroll News is the student-run, weekly newspaper at John Carroll University. The Carroll News was first published in 1925 covering both John Carroll University and St. Ignatius High School. When the high school founded its own newspaper in 1927, The Carroll News limited coverage to the university.[24]
^McCafferty, Rachael Abbey (December 11, 2017). "John Carroll University names new president". Crain's Cleveland Business. Detroit MI: Crain Communications, Inc. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
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