College of the Ozarks

This is the perfect school for the growing Christian and motivated student. There are opportunities to grow all around you, and a very little chance of failure because of the tight knit community, engaged staff, and welcoming atmosphere. This is the school I plan to attend because of the values, which are both Christian and Conservative, the joy of the staff, and the amazing campus and location in Branson, Missouri.

I think that CofO's students, faculty, and staff really try, and succeed at fostering a spirit of unity, and community around the campus. They truly care about not only the students' academic wellbeing, but also their emotional wellbeing. They achieve this through on campus activities, dorm events, and work stations.

College of the Ozarks is the No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest and the No. 1 Best Value School in the Midwest, per the recently released guide U.S. News & World Report, Best Colleges 2022-23. Also dubbed “Hard Work U,” College of the Ozarks is a school based around Christian liberal arts with a proud conservative heritage, committed to a five-fold mission of encouraging : Academic, Christian, Cultural, Vocational, and Patriotic growth in its students. C of O has a great environment and great college life. It is a lot of hard work with combining the work program with the education program, but it is totally worth it, and the college puts is a big promoter of community and has a lot of activities for students to be involved in. Overall, it's really great!

I have been here for 2-1/2 years, and deeply wish I had gone somewhere else for college. The classes are not always challenging (for example, our sociology textbook was a high school textbook, not a college-level text). The college presents a great face to prospective students/parents, and requires a clean, polished look so that donors believe it is a positive environment. The truth is far darker. Rooms are tiny, poorly ventilated, with three bathroom/shower stalls for 30 people. Harsh penalties are meted out for any infraction, and work environments are often abusive and repressive. An example: students who work at the very public-oriented Keeter Center have a long list of words and phrases that cannot be used, a wrinkle in a uniform causes loss of work points which leads to lowered grades, supervisors do not train from a positive perspective but from a punitive one. A large emphasis is placed on graduating without debt; I would rather pay off student loans than be depressed, afraid, and have to just get through each day till it's over. College should be a time of expansion and growth. At this college it is a time of fear, emotional scarring, and persevering through trial. As a Christian, the underground drug/alcohol/sex culture is jarring; because these behaviors are so strongly forbidden, students (and RA's) go to great lengths to hide them, but they do happen and there is no place to openly get help because any student deemed weak is quietly removed. We are told at the beginning by the president of the college that we are "replaceable". This attitude pervades this campus.

If I had it to do over, I would never come here. Students are terrified of breaking known and unknown rules, it is very patriarchal in structure, and blatantly racist--look at the statistics and compare them to national statistics. It is not safe to express any opposing viewpoint, and the vast majority of professors obtained their education here as well, contributing to an insular way of thought. Students are considered replaceable and dorm facilities reflect this clearly. A home-schooled student from an extremely conservative family would probably feel comfortable here. Anyone from another background will be miserable. In applying for graduate programs, I have found that this institution is not academically respected and having attended here for three years I understand this completely. It would be better to graduate with a few academic loans to pay off than to come here and find yourself in a stifling, prejudiced, culture of fear.

College of the Ozarks is a fantastic school. The opportunity to work for my tuition is brilliant, and I know I can graduate college debt-free. I work 15 hours a week, have a set schedule for classes, and so many opportunities to meet new people and develop my education. The school has a great system of operation, including five major values they follow. Each one has a Dean that overlooks these to keep a balance, which truly already stands out from a majority of colleges if free tuition doesn't already stand out. It is a friendly atmosphere with hundreds of opportunities to engage with other pupils. Club meetings, convocations, chapel, outdoor events, dorm events, are just a few things of availability to get involved. College of the Ozarks boasts of having a 100% crime-free campus and are developing higher security. They are constantly updating the campus. Currently, a wall, a new entrance, a roundabout, and a new student center are at the works. The staff is all friendly and helpful. Teachers are more than willing to assist any of their students or even ones that never have had a class with them. The security guards are easy-going but keep their jobs professional. The buildings are a bit outdated, but it isn't too major of an issue. The cafeteria food could be better. Yet, the constant change of students switching shifts and trying not to waste food to save money is an understanding. The meal plans are included with dorm fees, so students pay an average of $7,600 annually. It is incredibly cheap to have such a meal plan and dorm fee in one. Overall, the college's values and goals are shown each day. It so far has been an excellent and grand opportunity to be enrolled here. It is one I am for sure will continue forth in the future to successfully graduate with no tuition.

When I visited College of the Ozarks, it was a very friendly welcoming atmosphere. After my interview, they immediately scheduled a personal tour for me even when I didn't plan one ahead of time. Everything you need is on campus and their hard work U is incredible because it produces well-trained, well-rounded and highly skilled students to enter the workforce. I can't wait for my experience at College of the Ozarks!

College of the Ozarks is my top choice school. I agree wholeheartedly with the morals and high standards that are upheld on their campus and met by their students. The structure and work study program are ideal for me as I work well with structure and do my best when I remain busy.

College of the Ozarks seems like a great opportunity on paper. Students are promised free tuition by working on campus to obtain a four-year accredited degree. However, they fail to mention the hidden fees, overly strict and suffocating rules, and the fear complex that has developed within each student of getting expelled over silly reasons. For a "Christian" college, this school is extremely hypocritical, removing students for ridiculous charges (example, one student was removed for taking some foam plates that were to be trashed from the cafeteria for a dorm event) and not being there for their students in times of need. We are promised free, confidential counseling on campus, but if they feel you are too much to handle or too far gone, they expel you until you can be cleared by a professional. We get none of our Pell grant because it is all absorbed into our tuition (that we work for, mind you), which would've helped a lot in paying for books and a laptop for school work, or even the hidden Health/Technology/Service fee of $230 every semester. The HTS fee, we're told, help pays for our campus wifi and any clinic charges you may have. However, how can this be if the clinic charges are paid for by the students' banked hours from campus work? If the campus has 1,517 people and each one pays $230 each semester, that's $348,910 per semester to pay for wifi that crashes and stops working once a month. They don't tell us what the "Service" portion of the HTS fee is. Curfew is at 1am, and you will be haggled by security as to why you are late, keeping you in their custody for unnecessarily long periods of time, along with a bonus trip to the Dean's office. Room checks are held once a week to ensure you spend at least three hours--minimum--cleaning your parking spaced sized dorm room, and quite possibly still fail for a simple strand of hair on the bathroom floor. They have an excessive dress code policy in place that makes us all feel as if we are in middle school, sinfully showing our bra straps (however accidental it may be), resulting in a dress code violation and yet another trip to the Dean's office. This is only the tip of the ice burg. All in all, if you enjoyed high school and loved the athlete's take all environment, this is the college for you. That being said, the other students struggling to get by are amazing people and about 98% of the professors generally care for their students.

I think the school is an incredible institution that cares deeply for it's students. They won't let a student leave with debt and the alumni of the college gives back to it. A lot back to it. The tuition is free witch is incredible by itself but also the campus is based around the lord. I am proud to be planning on attending the college and hope that by making the choice to attend it. It will change my future to be even better.

It is a school that sets you up well for the rest of your life. It teaches you to work hard, keep your opinions to yourself and study even harder. I enjoy the events that the campus provides because they are varied and frequent. I feel as though the institution has a way to go to meet other colleges on a technological level.

It is a great Christian-based college that you can work for your tuition. There are multiple job opportunities on campus. I am an Animal Science major with plenty of job options within the Agriculture Department. This gives you the perfect chance to grow and experience different kinds of jobs. There are also many clubs on campus that you can be a part of. This will give you the chance for community togetherness. I am a graduating senior and I have enjoyed my time there. I believe you will have a wonderful and fulfilling experience at C of O.

Great school for people of faith

College of the Ozarks, like any college, has it's pros and cons. It is a Christian school, therefore it is crucial that a student's own values align with the college. The College takes the rules very seriously and any deviance from them is clearly outlined in the handbook. However, the campus size and community is a plus. People are typically friendly and because students are required to work 15 hours a week and two 40 weeks to pay for tuition, you get to know many of your peers.

College of the Ozarks is a very conservative Christian school with high expectations and strict rules. However, this does not take away from the college experience. CofO seeks to improve students in all aspects. Plus, who doesn't want to graduate debt free?