Carroll University

Nonprofit profile at a glance

EIN
390806325
IRS 990 coverage
2010–2024
Official website data refreshed
Sep 2026
Forms available
Form 990 2024, Form 990-T 2024
Location
Waukesha, WI, US
Phone
262.524.7373
Rating
84
Verdict
STRONG
Rating confidence
Moderate
Sector
Undergraduate College (4-year)
Affiliation
Christianity

Official website

Reported finances

Revenue
$147,112,306
Expenses
$144,756,692
Assets
$292,670,600
Liabilities
$45,018,266

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Amounts in USD.

Leadership & pay

39 people listed

Executive titles in this filing

  • CINDY GNADINGER (PRESIDENT)

Highest reported compensation

  • CINDY GNADINGER (PRESIDENT): $602,581 total reported compensation
  • MARK BLEGEN (PRVST/VP ACAD AFFAIR (END 6/2025)): $270,016 total reported compensation
  • VICTORIA DOWLING (VP FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT): $265,931 total reported compensation

Source: IRS Form 990. Selected filing: tax year 2024. Names and roles reflect this filing, not necessarily current officeholders.

Overview

Mission

Carroll university provides a superior education, rooted in its presbyterian and liberal arts heritage, and draws upon its christian tradition to prepare all students for vocational success, lifelong learning and service in a diverse and global society.

What it reported doing in 2024

Instruction & academic support - carroll university offers more than 95 areas of study for students to discover and explore that are housed within two colleges (college of arts and sciences and college of health sciences) and two schools (school of business and school of education and human services). We structure those with the individual goals and needs of our students in mind. Our top majors are nursing, business, exercise science, psychology, biology and physical therapy (graduate). Many of our programs offer the flexibility to double major or add minors while still graduating in four years. We also offer the opportunity to complete select majors and get started on a career sooner with our carroll3 programs. In addition, our dual degree programs make it convenient for students to earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in just five years. Carroll isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of place and recognizes that everyone is different and we're here to help each student get the most out of their academic experience. In each of our areas of study, students will gain a strong, foundational knowledge and skills that will prepare them for their future. They will enjoy small class sizes and professors who get to know them and are invested in student success. At the graduate level, carroll offers students looking to take their expertise to the next level with accelerated, flexible programs that help them go farther, faster to reach their professional goals.

Operating model

Revenue model
Earned-program. 91% of the money available for current operations came from fees and other program revenue.
Distribution model
Hybrid. The nonprofit split its reported program spending across 57% for direct work, and 43% for grants.
  • Includes noncash contributions: Reported contributions include donated property or goods.

The verdict

STRONG - A large share of available resources goes toward mission work and the filed numbers largely add up. Fundraising costs are high for each dollar raised and expenses are high relative to revenue.

Rating breakdown

  • Financial Efficiency: 80
  • Transparency & Controls: 87
  • Accountability: 93
  • Sustainability: 53
  • Growth: 100

Detailed rating inputs

Financial Efficiency

  • Mission deployment rate: 85.9%; rating input score 86
  • Program expense ratio: 89.9%; rating input score 90
  • Fundraising efficiency: $5.43 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 23; 23rd percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

  • Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 68th percentile among comparable filings
  • Pay-setting controls: 4 of 6 controls in place; rating input score 67
    • Compensation committee: Pass
    • Independent consultant: Missing
    • Other Form 990s reviewed: Pass
    • Written employment contract: Missing
    • Compensation survey or study: Pass
    • Board or committee approval: Pass
  • Foreign activity oversight: Limited
  • Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 77th percentile among comparable filings
  • Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
  • Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

  • Independent voting board: 95.8%; rating input score 96; 49th percentile among comparable filings
  • Governance controls: 8 of 9 controls in place; rating input score 89
    • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
    • Whistleblower policy: Pass
    • Document-retention policy: Pass
    • CEO compensation review process: Pass
    • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
    • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
    • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
    • Audit committee oversight: Pass
    • Independent financial-statement audit: Pass

Sustainability

  • Operating margin: 1.6%; rating input score 41; 41st percentile among comparable filings
  • Total-asset coverage ratio: 2.02; rating input score 63; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Liabilities to assets ratio: 0.15; rating input score 75; 75th percentile among comparable filings
  • Officer compensation ratio: 2.3%; rating input score 51; 51st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

  • Program expense growth: 3.1% per year; rating input score 100; 23rd percentile among comparable filings
  • Revenue growth: 2.8% per year; rating input score 100; 21st percentile among comparable filings
  • Asset growth: 4.9% per year; rating input score 100; 36th percentile among comparable filings

Details

  • What they do: 5 programs and campaigns described on the official site · 1 operating location identified
  • Where the money goes: 85.9% of revenue deployed · 89.9% of spending went to programs
  • Governance: 23 of 24 board members independent · 8 of 9 filing controls reported
  • Programs: 3 filed program accomplishments · $130.2M in reported program spending
  • Leadership: top reported pay $603K · 39 people listed · 4 of 6 pay-setting controls reported
  • Highest-paid contractors: 5 contractors listed · $3.5M reported
  • Consistency: 40 of 40 current checks pass
  • Schedules: 11 filed schedules · includes major donors, grants, and executive pay
  • Filing history: 15 filing years from 2010 to 2024
  • Contacts: How to reach this organization
  • Money network: 15 filed money-flow records
  • Grant readiness: Federal tax and exclusion status, award history, and grant-maker relationships.
  • People: Everyone the filings name, and which of them the filings identify by more than a name.
  • Staff and benefit plans: Retirement and health plans the organization files with the Department of Labor, and the people in them.

Key Signals

Signals prioritize questions for review. They are not findings of misconduct.

  • High — Financial Efficiency: Fundraising efficiency scored 23/100.
  • Moderate — Sustainability: Operating margin scored 41/100.
  • Review — Accountability: Governance controls: Form 990 shared with the board not reported.
  • Review — Sustainability: Officer compensation ratio scored 51/100.