Why Carrington College is among the most impactful companies in America

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IMPACT ONE AWARD WINNER I 2026

How Carrington College Turns Education Into Local Healthcare Impact

Carrington College has spent decades doing something quietly powerful: preparing people for careers in healthcare and strengthening the communities they go on to serve.

Across seven western states, Carrington College offers career-focused education in nursing and allied health fields, equipping students with hands-on skills and real-world experience designed for immediate impact. For many students, Carrington College represents access to education and the opportunity to build a better future for themselves and their families.

That impact is local and immediate. Graduates step into clinics, hospitals, and practices within their own communities. They become trusted caregivers. Families gain stability. Communities gain professionals trained to deliver care with confidence, competence, and compassion.

This work has now been recognized on a national stage. Carrington College has been named Local Impact: Company of the Year by the Impact One Awards, selected from more than 21,000 company applications across all categories.

Impact One was created to recognize companies whose work delivers meaningful, measurable impact and continues to matter beyond a single moment or milestone. Across the most impactful companies in the United States, that impact often begins locally, where decisions translate directly into outcomes people can feel.

Carrington College’s impact extends beyond graduation day. Programs are built around hands-on learning, simulation, and clinical experience that reflects the realities of healthcare work. Instructors bring their own field experience into the classroom, grounding learning in real situations students will face once they enter the workforce. Confidence is built through practice, responsibility, and real-world preparation.

In addition, Carrington College’s connection to its communities is also shaped through service. In a recent college-wide partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, every Carrington College campus participated in a month-long fundraiser supporting children facing critical illnesses. Students, faculty, and staff organized local events that turned everyday campus life into opportunities to give back.

Throughout the year, Carrington College campuses participated in Walk for Wishes events, local golf tournaments, and community fundraisers, while students united for a digital fundraising campaign that raised more than $30,000 to help grant life-changing wishes for children facing critical illness.

One campus, in Boise, Idaho, raised the highest amount per person and hosted a local check presentation with Make-A-Wish representatives, students, faculty, and community leaders. For many students preparing for healthcare careers, the experience reinforced the deeper purpose behind their work. Collective effort became something tangible, personal, and lasting.

Carrington College’s approach to impact has also guided its decisions during periods of intense pressure. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide healthcare worker shortage, demand for graduates increased sharply. Carrington College responded by investing in faculty training, expanding tutoring and student support, and strengthening simulation-based learning. These decisions protected educational quality and reinforced trust with the community’s graduates would one day serve.

That long-term perspective continues to shape Carrington College’s path forward. The college is expanding access to healthcare education through new and updated programs in fields such as nursing, medical assisting, and dental hygiene. Flexible learning models are opening doors for working adults and underserved populations, while deeper partnerships with hospitals, clinics, and nonprofit organizations ensure students gain experience that directly supports local healthcare systems.

Beyond academics, Carrington College continues to grow service initiatives that connect students with real community needs. These experiences reinforce a shared understanding that healthcare is a responsibility carried into every interaction, setting, and community served.

The Impact One Awards were created to recognize companies whose work delivers meaningful, measurable impact and continues to matter well beyond a single moment. Across the most impactful companies in the United States, that impact often begins locally, where decisions translate into outcomes that shape lives.

Carrington College’s recognition reflects a long-term commitment to education as a pathway to opportunity and care. Through healthcare training rooted in real-world experience, the college equips students to step into essential roles while strengthening the communities they serve. The result is impact that compounds over time, as graduates support patients, families, and local health systems.

Looking ahead, Carrington College’s focus remains on expanding access to healthcare education and deepening its connection to the communities that rely on it. New programs, more flexible learning models, and stronger partnerships with healthcare providers are all aimed at meeting the demand for well-prepared professionals.

Impact-driven companies matter because they operate at the intersection of people and progress. They create opportunity, respond to real needs, and build systems that endure. Carrington College’s work demonstrates how sustained investment in people can produce outcomes that extend far beyond campus walls. That is why it was named Local Impact Company of the Year, and why its impact will continue to be felt for years to come.

Learn more about Carrington College and its programs.