20 Most Conservative Colleges in America in 2020-2021

Having a worthwhile college experience depends not only on the instructors you learn valuable knowledge from or the people you meet. A sense of comfort and belongingness also influence your college life.

Whether you are speaking your mind or doing what interests you, you must do so freely without fear of judgment or being questioned. If you want to be around people who share your strong political beliefs, or at the very least, respect them, you may want to consider going to a college that adheres to the same.

College is where you will meet people with different views for the first time. After all, higher education aims for students to interact and share ideas. You will gain a healthier understanding of the political differences that divide the country through these everyday exchanges. But if you already have strong political convictions, to begin with, you should be selective of your college choice. Only then can you count on a better college experience.

Which college should you go to?

Some conservative circles believe that the idea of inclusion on college campuses has evolved to, in fact, exclude them. Some argue that exclusion runs counter to colleges’ notion where divergent views should be embraced and discussed.

Assumptions that colleges are for liberalism are not new. A study in 2012 has shown that the average academic is left-leaning, and more are even moving towards that direction. And by 2014, the liberals to conservative ratio among colleges became 6:1 in the United States. Conservative thoughts may have received little attention on college campuses, which is a disservice to those who are inclined towards conservative views and those leaning towards liberalism. Why? Because liberals would miss the opportunity to understand the opposite side. They lose the chance to strengthen their beliefs further.

The Conservatives 

Conservatism emerges from secular points of view that includes Christian churches; if colleges had formal connections with these churches, there would be a direct effect on the campus culture. And that is the case for many of the top conservative colleges in the country.

A college’s reputation for conservatism, for the most part, is predominantly visible in its philosophy. Schools that are conservative-leaning subscribe to the secular viewpoint. They find solace in their familiarity with traditional values and practices. Conservatives embrace and promote exceptionalism and take pride in American achievements or that of the Western civilizations.

Conservative colleges take pride in their identity, whether they are religiously affiliated because of their traditional moral values and uphold themselves to a higher standard. They maintain strong religious ideologies or their affiliation to conservative political leaders and organizations that benefit them as a community. 

These beliefs and practices would have a direct impact on the overall culture of the campus. Some schools even get their sense of conservatism from their communities, such as being in predominantly conservative cities and states, while other schools are just conservative on their own. Some are considered to be conservative despite fervently denying their political leaning. Considering their professional approach towards education, it can be deduced that their adherence to conservative values. In contrast, others have conservatism written all over their school’s storied history.

In a 2011 article entitled “Conservatism Under Attack on College Campus,” author Jeremy Los firmly wrote that college must be a safe place for right-wing political ideologies to prosper. Choice and debate must be a welcomed interaction within college halls. For students avoiding a dismissal of their ideologies, a conservative college is the most logical choice.

This article lists 20 of the most conservative colleges in the United States.

Value of Conservatism in Higher Education

For clarity, conservative colleges are those that are politically right-wing. Students who find themselves embracing conservative views, either politically, socially, or both, would be comfortable in a Christian college since they are often both politically and socially conservative. These are campuses that value Christian ideologies –opposing abortion and same-sex marriage. Also, being pro-business is considered to be a conservative stance. This is where free trade or opposing trade unions limit the taxes on corporations, among many others. These colleges tend to attract Christian students and faculty since they adhere to traditional social values and conduct.

Conservative colleges are considered to be more rule-based and regulated than liberal colleges. Some are traditional religious colleges that implement rules for students to follow that support their conservative views. Rules such as proper grooming standards and having stricter campus regulations on drugs and alcohol consumption compared to liberal colleges. 

For the non-religious affiliated conservative colleges, there are armed service academies that offer unique college experience because of the military culture. Armed service academies are considered conservative for having stricter than usual rules and being champions of American tradition. Rules that uphold discipline and patriotism are manifested in their campus culture. They have strict guidelines to follow on how you dress, behave, and interact with people, which also applies to ROTC students at U.S. Military colleges. You will have the privilege of fully-funded tuition and receive book allowances when you choose to attend armed service academies. After graduation, you are obligated to render service for a minimum of 5 years. This is in keeping with the virtue of public service and debt of gratitude to the country.  

Conservative Colleges in America

Naturally, conservative states are home to many conservative colleges and universities. States like South Carolina, Alabama, and Utah are only three conservative states with public research higher education institutions within its charter. Alabama, Louisiana, South Dakota, and Mississippi are among the most conservative states in the United States. 

However, there are liberal states that are home to conservative colleges as well. Conservative colleges would still stand by their values and traditions dictated by history or their religious affiliation despite being located in liberal states. Pepperdine and Thomas Aquinas College in California remain conservative despite being in a liberal state. This only proves that conservative views, morals, and beliefs are unwavering. 

This list rounds up the most conservative-friendly and conservative colleges in America.

• Hillsdale College
• Liberty University
• Brigham Young University–Idaho
• Cedarville University
• Franciscan University of Steubenville
• Bob Jones University
• Colorado Christian University
• Biola University
• Utah State University
• Regent University
• Texas A&M University
• University of Dallas
• Harding University
• Pepperdine University
• Hampden-Sydney College
• Patrick Henry College
• Thomas Aquinas College
• Ave Maria University
• King’s College
• College of the Ozarks

Hillsdale College

Location: Hillsdale, Michigan
Average annual cost of attendance: $28,368
Acceptance rate: 36% Undergraduate enrollment: 1,466 Graduation rate: 84.4%

Hillsdale College is a private, conservative college in Hillsdale, Michigan, founded by Freewill Baptists in 1844. It has consistently retained its ranking as one of the best colleges in the country in terms of the value it offers. Year after year, Hillsdale has rejected state or federal funding to maintain its independence in every regard. The college does not accept one penny from taxpayer funding and draws support from political conservatives who acknowledge its absolutist stance against receiving federal money. It takes pride in their conservative ideals that bring together generous donors who share a common ideology – independence, integrity, and self-government.

Hillsdale is the first degree-granting institution to officially prohibit discrimination based on race, religion, or gender. The first in Michigan and the second in the country to accept women on par with men. 

Every student at Hillsdale is required to take the U.S. Constitution class regardless of their major. In addition to the rigorous core curriculum, college students also take classes on Western Heritage and American Heritage. These classes are especially useful for those who intend to apply for the Hillsdale-Washington Internship Program. Successful student applicants will take internships in the White House, Congress, and some of the most sought-after internship programs in the state and the country.

Staying close to its conservative roots, several conservative-leaning clubs thrive on-campus. Conservative-leaning students can join in College Republicans, Classical Liberal Organization, Fairfield Society, Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), and American for Freedom.

Liberty University

Location: Lynchburg, VA
Average annual cost of attendance: $40,977 (before aid), $27,883 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 55.5% Undergraduate enrollment: 47,025 Graduation rate: 33.8%

In 1971, Liberty University was founded to pursue a mission to develop “Christ-centered men and women with the values, knowledge, and skills essential for impacting the world.” It is a private Christian university with Christian-centered values and tradition, translated in its higher education programs.

Liberty has grown from 154 students during its inception in Lynchburg, Virginia, into a fully accredited university in 1985. Since then, it has produced graduates that set out to be champions for Christ. In 1985, it pioneered a distance learning program where they launched Liberty University Online. This innovation shifted the majority of its academic instruction online.

Being Christian-centric, students are required to commit a Christian life. Students of Liberty University are required to attend chapel at least three times a week, while three Bible studies courses are required for first-year students. Prohibition of interactions towards a member of the opposite sex in private is also in its honor code. Pre-marital sex is also frowned upon. The university also has strong anti-LGBT policies.

Liberty University has 100 student-led clubs where they aim to connect students who share the same interests. These include the Accounting Society, Criminal Justice Club, Society of Women Engineers, and Japanese Culture and Anime Club.

Brigham Young University–Idaho

Location: Rexburg, Idaho 
Average annual cost of attendance: $12,448 (before aid), $7,632 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 97.2% Undergraduate enrollment: 19,211 students (Winter 2020) Graduation rate: 48.6%

On August 10, 2001, what was originally known as the Bannock Stake Academy became Brigham Young University – Idaho. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded the school in 1888, and it is the country’s largest religious university and third-largest private university.

Being owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the university adheres to its students’ strict code of conduct. Recreational use of drugs or alcohol and extramarital sex are strictly prohibited on campus. Adherence to a strict grooming code is also expected of its students to admit only those who support its academic stance. Every applicant is required to have an ecclesiastical endorsement to enroll.

However, this comes as no surprise since most of the college Brigham University students belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Being a church member would entitle you to lower annual tuition and other fees than non-members. This only one of the many advantages that Brigham Young University – Idaho to its committed and upright student body.

Cedarville University

Location: Cedarville, Ohio
Average annual cost of attendance: $42,664 (before aid), $21,390 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 79% Undergraduate enrollment: 3,879 Graduation rate: 72.6%

A private Baptist University in its namesake city in Ohio, Cedarville University started offering undergraduate degree programs in 1887. The first building, the Old Main, now the Founders Hall, was built in 1895, made possible through its affiliation with the Reformed Presbyterian Church. To this day, Founders Hall still stands and is strengthened to be the symbol of the university’s humble beginning. In 2002, Cedarville University expanded its academic offerings and presence, which ultimately granted the change from Cedarville College to Cedarville University. 

Cedarville University emphasizes being faithful to the biblical-theological views, and campus rules and code of ethics reflect these views. University requires all students to be minor in Bible studies and to attend weekday church services. Being a conservative school that values its traditions and Christian beliefs implements a strict oversight of student materials. The school administration has a certain level of control over the media, literature, and art being distributed or taught within campus grounds. This is in line with the university’s expression of academic freedom.

Students are encouraged to be a part of their academic, student, and sports organizations, specifically their chapter of College Republicans.

Franciscan University of Steubenville 

Location: Steubenville, Ohio
Average annual cost of attendance: $40.630 (before aid), $23,964 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 77% Undergraduate enrollment: 2,242 Graduation rate: 76%

The Franciscan University of Steubenville provided refuge to World War II veterans by giving them access to higher education after the war. The WWII veterans were the university’s first-ever class members during its inception on December 10, 1946. 

The university’s core curriculum finds a solid foundation in Catholic faith and tradition. It finds direction from St. Francis of Assisi’s teachings emphasizing history, philosophy, and culture honed by Western Civilizations. A true Franciscan, it has earned recognition from the Young American’s Foundation, where they were rated as a leading conservative college in the country.

Volunteerism and joining conservative political groups are popular among its students. They may not have fraternities or sororities, but they do have “households.” Households are groups of three or more same-sex students who live together and participate in an annual Household Olympics. Students hone their conservative political leanings through student elections and the formation of student government.

Bob Jones University

Location: Greenville, South Carolina
Average annual cost of attendance: $29,480
Acceptance rate: 82% Undergraduate enrollment: 2,651 Graduation rate: 60.3%

Robert Reynolds “Bob” Jones, Sr., a devout American evangelist, observed, students’ faith is shaken by the time they reach college, prompting him to find a solution to this problem. This how Bob Jones University came to be in 1927 in response to secularism in higher education. His idea of a thoroughly Christian college-bound by the absolute authority of the Bible came to fruition. The university responds to its motto “Build Faith. Challenge Potential. Follow Christ”. This embodies the university’s beliefs and ideas while maintaining a high standard of academic excellence. 

Liberal Arts and Bible courses make up their core curriculum. Bob Jones University boasts its engineering graduates for having a high passing rate on the National Engineering Exam. It also produces qualified graduates for the field of medicine. Jones graduates also have high medical school acceptance rates of their premed students, which is greater than 80%.

Bob Jones University is traditionally a conservative school where drug and alcohol consumption, possession of pornography, and many other immoral acts are all grounds for expulsion. Its BJU press promotes Christian-centered K-12 educational materials that support homeschool and Christian school students. Online courses are also offered to cater to adult learners and professionals who are continuing their education.

Colorado Christian University

Location: Lakewood, Colorado
Average annual cost of attendance: $46,894 (before aid), $24,344 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 57% Undergraduate enrollment: 6,980 Graduation rate: 48.94%

A premier Christian college founded in 1914, Colorado Christian University (CCU) held its first class with only one teacher and two students. Today, over 8,000 undergraduate and graduate students come from 50 states in the U.S. and different countries in the world. Colorado Christian University emphasizes personal discipleship while still advocating investigative study and empirical reasoning. These strict policies made CCU rank in the Top 2% of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) for eight consecutive years.  

The university’s liberal arts programs are institutionally rooted and adhere to undiminished respect for the Scripture. Undergraduate students must follow the “Lifestyle Covenant,” which includes the necessity to attend church services, be respectful of the law, and Christ-like behavior towards everyone in the community. Failing to do so would result in immediate suspension or expulsion. 

Whether you want to grow your creative side by joining their student publication or are motivated to compete and participate in an intramural sports program, CCU has that and more. Revel in student-led ministries that covers academic, recreation, and sports aspects. Get a full college experience when you choose to enroll at Colorado Christian University.

Biola University

Location: La Mirada, California
Average annual cost of attendance: $9,176 (before aid), $31, 345 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 72% Undergraduate enrollment: 4,043 Graduation rate: 54.9%

You can find a humble private evangelical Christian university in the heart of Southern California. Biola University was established in 1908 by the Bible Institute of Los Angeles and officially became a university in July 1981. Biola’s values may be summarized in three words: Truth, Transformation, and Testimony. 

Biola University’s robust core curriculum includes biblical integration that requires undergraduate students to take up 30 credits of Bible and theology classes. It does not limit its student engagement to the scripture and Christian teachings. Various sports and student-led clubs and organizations foster their love for arts,  music, or adventure. 

Biola also encourages spiritual activities and ministry opportunities that range from being on-campus ministries to global ministries. University students participate in the Honduras Water Project, where they develop water irrigation in local Honduran villages during spring break. This is only one of the many immersion programs that the university develops in its students the virtue of community and transformative advocacies.

Utah State University

Location: Logan, Utah
Average annual cost of attendance: $21,106 (before aid), $13,150 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 91% Undergraduate enrollment: 24,669 Graduation rate: 58.6%

The Utah State University that we know now was once the Agricultural College of Utah. Founded in 1888 as the state’s land grant institution and chartered through President Abraham Lincoln’s Morrill Land-Grant Colleges Act, and became a USU in 1957. 

Despite not being affiliated with any religious groups, Utah State University maintains its conservative views. This is evident in its dedication to the land where it stands and the people and community that it serves. USU is home to the largest non-regular curriculum seminary in the country. Its student body is comprised of a high population of Mormon students. These factors add up to the overall conservative vibe of the campus.

Since 1888, it remains steadfast as it pursues its mission to become the country’s premier university by emphasizing student-centric education. Students at Utah State University are exposed to a unique college experience where academics come first. It produces graduates conditioned to be of service to the community and the public through learning, engagement, and knowledge discovery.

Regent University

Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia
Average annual cost of attendance: $30,143 (before aid), $18,403 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 86% Undergraduate enrollment: 4,413 Graduation rate: 58%

Regent University is a private Christian university with the beautiful Virginia Beach, California, in its background. It was founded by Pat Robertson in 1978 and stood as “one of the nation’s leading academic center for Christian thought and action.” Regent is a conservative school that provides education from a Christian perspective. Offering degree programs in the associate, bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels. You can pursue a degree in government, law, leadership, and divinity.

Regent’s curriculum emphasizes conservative aspects such as having a strong national defense, free trade, a smaller government, and traditional values. It provides high-quality online courses to make studying more accessible and affordable. 

Regent University sees the importance of students’ wellbeing in their overall academic performance. To address and cater to the mental health crisis on college campuses, the university put up the Center for Student Happiness. The center provides success coaching, new student orientation, tutoring, webinars, and making various resources available to everyone. It aims to increase the quality of every student’s campus experience at Regent University.

Texas A&M University

Location: College Station, Texas
Average annual cost of attendance: $30,083 (before aid), $18,944 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 67.6% Undergraduate enrollment: 56,272 Graduation rate: 81.7%

In 1876, Texas A&M University opened its doors as the public institution of higher education in Texas. From its early beginnings at its flagship campus at College Station, Texas, Texas A&M has evolved to become a research-intensive degree-granting institution and is the fourth-largest university in the country. 

In-state students could avail a significantly less tuition expense compared to out-of-state students. As it welcomes all students from different backgrounds, it does not affiliate itself with religious organizations. However, the university has a reputation for having a strong political and social conservatism. Military-friendly policies are in place, and more than 800 politically active student-led groups with conservative-leaning values thrive at Texas A&M. 

A&M used to stand for Agriculture and Mechanical. However, when it gained university status in 1963, the letters A&M sit atop the university banner as an homage to its rich history.

University of Dallas

Location: Irving, Texas
Average annual cost of attendance: $59,600 (before aid), $22,209 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 39% Undergraduate enrollment: 1,447 Graduation rate: 67.4%

The University of Dallas is a private, co-educational Catholic university in Irving, Texas, established in 1956. It is an affiliate of the Roman Catholic Church and has dedicated permanent facilities for its Rome Program. The university acknowledges its commitment to the Catholic Church’s teachings and is shaped by the religion’s traditions. 

It earned a Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) chapter, being one of the twenty-three Catholic universities in the United States. Phi Beta Kappa is arguably the most respected and oldest honors organization in the country. PBK pursues its mission “to champion education in the liberal arts and sciences, foster freedom of thought, and recognize academic excellence” since 1776.

University of Dallas’ academic curriculum requires its students to take up a 60-credit-hour sequence of classes covering the Greeks, Scholastic thinkers of the Middle Ages, scientists, philosophers, and men and women of the modern period. The university’s thirty undergraduate majors are designed to prepare graduates to face today’s challenges while anchoring on a classical foundation.

Harding University

Location: Searcy, Arkansas
Average annual cost of attendance: $31,911 (before aid), $19,563 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 74.6% Undergraduate enrollment: 3,579 Graduation rate: 64.6%

Harding University was what came to be when two junior colleges, Arkansas Christian College and Harper College, merged in 1924. The largest private university in Arkansas, Harding received its university status in 1979. 

Harding is committed to the tradition of liberal arts and sciences, but at its core, it is a Christian university. The university takes the “character, examples, and concerns of Jesus Christ” as its standard of life both in the university and in students’ personal lives. With an all-encompassing love for God and people, Harding University believes that graduates will have a worldly impact in the future. 

Harding University requires its students to fulfill their liberal arts terms, including spiritual, moral, social, and other conservative values. The university brings together more than 5,000 students from 50 states and 50 countries worldwide. It offers a safe place for everyone to turn passions into service.

Pepperdine University

Location: Malibu, California
Average annual cost of attendance: $75,312 (before aid), $34,701 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 36% Undergraduate enrollment: 3,583 Graduation rate: 79.5%

Pepperdine University is a private research university founded in 1937 by George Pepperdine College in California. Closely linked to the Churches of Christ, it offers a vast array of top-ranked undergraduate and graduate programs having separate schools dedicated to different fields such as business, education, law, and liberal arts, to name a few. 

As their core curriculum, students must take courses in the Western Heritage, three Religion classes, and the American Experience. The Young  Democrats, College Republicans, and College Libertarians are among conservative-leaning student organizations that bring more vibrance and diversity. Despite being affiliated with the Churches of Christ, chapel duties are not mandatory. This only shows the university’s commitment to embracing tolerance and student diversity.

Hampden-Sydney College

Location: Hampden Sydney, Virginia
Average annual cost of attendance: $63,602 (before aid), $30,321 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 59% Undergraduate enrollment: 993 Graduation rate: 65.9%

A private, men’s liberal arts college founded in 1776, Hampden-Sydney College is the tenth oldest college in the United States. It prides itself in its celebrated 40-year old rhetoric program. The program is a three-hour test graded on coherence, style, grammar, and quality of argument that all men must pass to graduate. Students gain contemporary liberal arts education with a strong adherence to the code of honor and conduct. 

Hampden-Sydney College  is dedicated to its mission “form good men and good citizens in an atmosphere of sound learning.” The Students for Liberty and the Madisonian Society are among the 40 clubs and organizations that add character to the campus. 

Patrick Henry College

Location: Purcellville, Virginia 
Average annual cost of attendance: $28,400
Acceptance rate: 86% Undergraduate enrollment: 311 Graduation rate: 61%

For Christ and Liberty is what Patrick Henry College (PHC) stands for. It is a private liberal art, non-denominational Christian college founded in 2000 with a commitment to prepare Christian men and women for leadership based on biblical values “and fidelity to the spirit of the American founding.” It aims to preserve America and the American dream by educating the best and brightest Christians and preparing them as future leaders of the country and shape our culture.

The college’s unique academic community emphasizes teaching Classical Liberal Arts, Government, Strategic Intelligence in National Security, Economics and Business. Patrick Henry College offers tracks in Classical Liberal Arts, International Politics, History, Literature, and Journalism, to name a few. Students gain practical experience through the Patrick Henry curriculum, where they would get top-level internships in Washington.

Student clubs and organizations, several of which are politically conservative, are welcomed on the campus, such as College Republicans and the International Justice Mission Club. PHC prepares every graduate to make an immediate and enduring impact for what it stands for – for Christ and liberty.

Thomas Aquinas College

Location: Santa Paula, California
Average annual cost of attendance: $26,000
Acceptance rate: 77% Undergraduate enrollment: 439 Graduation rate: 71%

Thomas Aquinas College is a small, private, four-year, co-educational, Roman Catholic college founded in 1971 in Southern California. The college was born out of mission after a small group of scholars and lay Catholics set their mission to fruition. What was once audacious in its scope and humble in its reliance on the Divine Providence is now a degree-granting higher education institution dedicated to Western intellectual heritage renewal. To this day, it continues to deliver its mission under the guiding light of the Catholic faith. 

Instead of offering majors, minors, electives, or specialization, Thomas Aquinas adopts a fully integrated curriculum based on the Great Books of the Western Civilization. Only a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts is being offered, and classes are taught using the Socratic method where there is no need to bring textbooks or prepare lectures for class. Instead of studying books and lectures, Thomas Aquinas students only study the original texts – the great books of Western civilization.

Ave Maria University

Location: Ava Maria, Florida
Average annual cost of attendance: $38,009 (before aid), $17,981 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 62% Undergraduate enrollment: 291 Graduation rate: 48%

Ave Maria University was founded by Tom Monaghan and stands today as a socially and politically conservative university known not just for its academics but also for its Catholic Church-centered teachings. It is a private, Catholic, liberal arts university devoted to Mary, the Mother of God. The core curriculum at Ave Maria uniquely integrates Latin and Theology and is required for all students to take regardless of their major. 

Ave Maria has “Faith Households,” which is a Christ-centered male or female student who supports each other throughout their campus lives. The mutual support the households provide its members extends to spending time with one another both in prayer and recreation. Faith Households follow the four pillars of Household life – Academic, Spiritual, Social, and Moral, which guide the different Faith Households. They have Student Activities Boards that host social events that include dances, gatherings, and a battle of the bands, which add more color to student life.

King’s College

Location: New York, New York
Average annual cost of attendance: $59,962 (before aid), $33,070 (after aid)
Acceptance rate: 53.8% Undergraduate enrollment: 544 Graduation rate: 53.2%

King’s College is a small but growing private Christian liberal arts college established in 1938 by the evangelist Dr. Percy Crawford in New Jersey and then moved to New York City in 1999. 

The college requires its students to finish an 18-course core curriculum that emphasizes Western Civilization, writing, politics, philosophy, and economics. With a core curriculum that combines the teachings of renowned scholars and master practitioners as their faculty, it is not a surprise that 99% of its alumni get full-time employment within six months after graduation. And 100% of King’s students receive grants or scholarships.

Student-led communities also thrive on campus. The college’s House System is one of the most impactful organizations there is. It is a safe place for students to build friendships and explore New York City and grow during their campus life. King’s College also has a chapter of Republicans Society and Democrats Society and Students for Life that support student life and prepare graduates for a productive life after college.

College of the Ozarks

Location: Point Lookout, Missouri
Average annual cost of attendance: $30,220
Acceptance rate: 12% Undergraduate enrollment: 291 Graduation rate: 63%

College of the Ozarks, a liberal arts Christian school in Point Lookout, Missouri, was founded in 1906 by Presbyterian minister Reverend James Forsythe. It is driven by its mission “to provide the advantages of a Christian education for the youth of both sexes, especially those found worthy, but who are without sufficient means to procure such training.”

The college has an intentionally Christ-centered academic program that is based on biblical and historical sources. Courses at Ozarks are taught from a biblical perspective. It has made no-tuition possible for students who are a part of their student work program with generous donations. This is an opportunity for full-time students to work on-campus jobs to help sustain their education.

College of the Ozarks has several events for students to get involved in activities such as the Mudfest. It is an opportunity where students get muddy in their version of Tug-of-War. But you have nothing to worry about, especially when you get dirty because there is a gigantic slip-n-slide waiting for you! They also have a character camp, which helps new students feel welcomed as they begin their college life.