Rankings & Honors

RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE

We know reputation matters, and Carthage goes toe-to-toe with colleges and universities many times our size. Our programs consistently earn accolades in academics, research, performing arts, and athletics.

Review Our Resumé

To paraphrase a popular quote, it’s not bragging if it’s based on facts. Here’s a small sampling of Carthage’s latest rankings and honors:

• Carthage is one of America’s best colleges, according to The Wall Street Journal (2025).
• The Princeton Review names Carthage one of the best regional colleges (2025).
• Carthage ranks among the top 20 for best value and No. 7 for best undergraduate teaching in the region, according to U.S. News & World Report (2024).
• For its commitment to keep students on track to graduate, Carthage earned a 2023 Leading Colleges Retention Award. Only 25 schools nationwide were recognized. 
• For more than a decade, the Carthage Microgravity Team has partnered with NASA and aerospace companies to solve problems in space.
• Carthage received the 2024 Career Services Pursuit of Excellence Award for its comprehensive approach to career development in The Aspire Program. 
• Carthage Theatre won the Citizen Artist Award three times in the first six years it was presented at the Kennedy Center’s annual festival, along with many other accolades for its original plays.
• The Firebirds won back-to-back NCAA Division III championships (2021 and 2022) in men’s volleyball, and our student-athletes have earned 24 individual national titles.