Enrollment: 1331
Average ACT: 22
Most Popular Majors: Agriculture, General,Business Administration and Management, General,Elementary Education and Teaching,
Regular Application Deadline: 02/15
Student Faculty Ratio: 13:1

Average Freshman Total Need-Based Gift Aid: $11,080.00

Alternative Lifestyles Not an Alternative
Best College Theater
Don't Inhale
Election? What Election?

Students Say - Academics
Tiny College of the Ozarks provides a very pre-professional liberal arts education and allows many students to graduate "debt-free" through four years of "honest, old-fashioned, hard work." You still need to cover books, room and board, and some fees but there are no tuition costs. Instead of paying tuition, students here are required to work 15 hours a week during school and two 40-hour weeks each year during breaks. "Students work in all offices and areas of the college." There are pedestrian jobs such as computer support and custodial work but there are cooler jobs, too. You might work for the campus fire department, or at the hog farm, or as a jelly cook in the jelly kitchen. Academically, the nursing and business programs are reportedly "excellent." There are "extraordinary, passionate" professors here and there are others who "just stand up there and read from PowerPoint." "The teachers aren't Einsteins," reflects an English major, "but most are very good teachers and are there for their students if needed." Without question, the administration at C of O is very good at soliciting all the donated money that is required to keep tuition free and it "seems to genuinely care about the students." However, campus rules are very, very strict.

Students Say - Campus Life
Some dorms and academic buildings at C of O "are in need of repair." ("Hello mold!") "Because the college runs on donations, some renovations simply can't be done until someone wants their name on a building," notes a junior. There is "a surplus" of spiritual events and a "Christian atmosphere" is pervasive. Men's and women's basketball and intramural sports in general are favorite pastimes. "We have movie nights and dances that are pretty cool," comments a sophomore. Mudfest is a campus-wide tug of war. "If you participate, the only part of your body left clean would be your eyes and teeth." "Outdoorsy activities are highly popular" and the Ozark area offers virtually everything. Just down the road, the "big tourist trap" of Branson offers "a lot of entertainment resources." In many ways, though, "life down here is pretty quiet" and "not necessarily a real world experience." Attendance at Chapel is required a few times each semester. "Most C of O students are not interested in partying" but there is "a zero-tolerance policy" just in case. Caffeine is the stimulant of choice. Drugs and alcohol are "strictly prohibited." You can't smoke cigarettes, either. Other rules include a 1:00 A.M. curfew and restricted dorm visits by members of the opposite sex. "Weekly room checks" thwart clutter. Students "aren't allowed to dress outrageously." Everyone must maintain "natural-looking hair color." Pretty clearly, this environment is not for everyone. It's really a question of priorities. "What's more important," asks one student, "being able to look trashy or getting out of college without huge amounts of debt?"

Students Say - Student Body
Ethnic diversity and diversity in general are paltry at College of the Ozarks. "The typical student here is a white, middle to lower class, conservative Christian," and almost certainly "from the Midwest." "There are a lot of homeschool students." "For the most part, we come from families who could not afford a 'normal' school and so we are here," asserts one student. "Stuck." "At C of O, you have the Crispies (those who are so Christian and religious that it's bad), the normal Christians who enjoy life but aren't hung up on reciting Bible verses to each other, and the partiers," describes a senior. "That's about all there is to it." The population overwhelmingly falls into the first two groups, though; partiers are a rare and exotic species. These "well-rounded, good Christian kids" are "extremely helpful," "friendly," "down to earth," and "used to earning every penny they have." They typically are involved in extracurricular activities and they enjoy each other's company. "At C of O, most students are personable and enjoy community. Students who seem to be loners or who don't enjoy a close-knit community would probably not enjoy things here."

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