History of the College
College of the Ozarks is a fully accredited, Christian, liberal arts college located just outside Branson, Missouri. Founded in 1906 by Presbyterian minister Reverend James Forsythe as a high school called The School of the Ozarks®, the institution became a junior college in 1956 before becoming a four-year bachelor’s program in 1965. It has been called College of the Ozarks since 1990.
The institution provides the opportunity for full-time students to work at one of more than 100 campus jobs or industries to help pay for part of their cost of education. The remaining portion of the students’ expenses is covered through scholarships provided by gifts and contributions from donors who believe in and support the programs and policies of the College. These student work programs and donor contributions allow C of O students to graduate debt-free.
In 2012, College of the Ozarks reopened School of the Ozarks, a classical laboratory high school. The addition of School of the Ozarks was followed soon after with the full implementation of a lower school in the fall of 2015, completing the K-college format.