Gates of Opportunity
Gates of Opportunity

Accolades & Accreditation

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Accolades

U.S. News and World Report

Best Colleges 2024-25: https://tinyurl.com/7eyszrad

  • No. 2 Best Performers on Social Mobility - Regional Colleges Midwest
  • No. 4 Best Regional Colleges in the Midwest
  • No. 8 Best Value Regional College in the Midwest

The Princeton Review

The Best 390 Colleges, 2025 Edition: https://www.princetonreview.com/college/college-ozarks-1023957

  • Best Midwestern
  • Best Value Colleges
  • The Best 390 Colleges
  • Tuition-Free Schools

Washington Monthly

  • No. 3 Best Bang for the Buck
  • No. 2 Bachelor's Colleges

College Consensus

https://www.collegeconsensus.com/schools/college-of-the-ozarks/

  • No. 10 Best Tuition-Free Colleges
  • No. 24 Underrated Colleges Doing Great Things
  • No. 45 Best Colleges and Universities

Niche 2025 Best Colleges Rankings

https://www.niche.com/colleges/college-of-the-ozarks/rankings/

  • No. 5 Best Christian Colleges in America
  • No. 1 Best Small College in Missouri
  • No. 1 Best Christian College in Missouri
  • No. 2 Top Private University in Missouri
  • No. 2 Best Colleges for Education in Missouri
  • No. 2 Best Colleges for History
  • No. 3 Best Colleges in Missouri
  • No. 3 Best Colleges for Communications
  • No. 4 Best Value Colleges in Missouri
  • No. 4 Colleges with the Best Academics in Missouri
  • No 5 Best Colleges for Business in Missouri
  • Grade A- School

Wall Street Journal

www.wsj.com

  • No. 48 -- Social Mobility: Best U.S. Colleges for Social Mobility
  • No. 233 -- Best Value
  • No. 394 -- Student Experience: Best U.S. Colleges for Student Experiences
  • No. 389 -- Main Survey Link: Best U.S. Colleges 2025 - WSJ / College Pulse Rankings
  • No. 446 -- Salary Impact: Best U.S. Colleges for High Salaries
  • Inclusion in the ranking puts us in the Top 6% of colleges and universities nationwide!  
     

Registered Nursing.org

 

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Great Colleges to Work For

  • Job Satisfaction and Support
  • Mission and Pride
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Accreditation

College of the Ozarks is accredited by 
Higher Learning Commission 
30 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2400 
Chicago, IL 60602-2504 
800-621-7440

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TRACS logo
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Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) 
15935 Forest Road, Forest, VA 24551 
Telephone: (434) 525-9539 
e-mail: info@tracs.org 
College of the Ozarks is a member of the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) having been awarded Accredited status as a Category II institution by the TRACS Accreditation Commission on November 4, 2019. This status is effective for a period of five years. TRACS is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDOE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

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NC-SARA
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NC-SARA

College of the Ozarks has been approved to participate in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.

SARA/Distance Learning Grievance Process

SARA (State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements) provides a voluntary, regional approach to state authorization of postsecondary distance education. Complaints against College of the Ozarks when it is offering distance learning opportunities and thus operating under SARA policies go first through the College’s own procedures for resolution of grievances.
If a student is not satisfied with the outcome of the institutional process for handling complaints, the complaint (except for complaints about grades or student conduct violations) may be appealed, within two years of the incident about which the complaint is made, to the SARA State Portal Entity at the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.  By contacting info@dhewd.mo.gov or finding the Missouri SPE’s contact information here.

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The Nursing Program is approved/accredited by 
Missouri State Board of Nursing 
P. O. Box 656     
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0656 
575-751-0681 
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education 
655 K. Street, NW, Suite 750
Washington, DC 20001
202-887-6791

The Culinary Arts Program is accredited by 
American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission 
180 Center Place Way 
Saint Augustine, Florida 32095 
904-824-4468

The Education Programs are accredited by 
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education     
P.O. Box 480 
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0480 
573-751-4212

The Engineering Program is accredited by     
ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission 
415 North Charles St. 
Baltimore, MD 21201 
410-347-7700

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Recruitment

The College has long been committed to Christ-like goals and practices in its recruitment efforts: to operate with honesty, integrity, kindness, and respect. Additionally, the College belongs to the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) which is also committed to sustaining professional ethics and practice.

Other Interesting Facts

  • Founded as the School of the Ozarks in 1906. The Junior College started in 1956. Four-year program started in 1965. Renamed College of the Ozarks in 1990.
  • No. 1 Best Value Regional College in the Midwest
  • Located on a 1,000 acre campus overlooking Lake Taneycomo at Point Lookout, Missouri, 40 miles south of Springfield, near Branson and Hollister, Missouri.
  • Special Recognition:
    • U.S. News & World Report, "Best College" yearly since 1989,     
      Forbes, "Top Colleges" and "Best Buy Colleges,"     
      Templeton Honor Roll, "Character Building College,"     
      Money Magazine's "Best Buy College Guide,"     
      Barron's "300 Best Buys in Higher Education,"     
      Princeton Review, "The Best 331 Colleges,"     
      and many more.
  • Currently, the College has 91 full-time faculty members; the majority hold the doctoral degree. 190 staff members.
  • The current student-faculty ratio is 15:1.
  • Enrollment: 1,500
  • Residential campus
  • The College offers Bachelors of Arts, Bachelor of Science, and Bachelor of Nursing degrees.