College of the Ozarks tops three lists for 2021 U.S. News & World Report college rankings

No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest, No. 1 Best Undergraduate Teaching in the Midwest, No. 1 Top Performer on Social Mobility in the Midwest

POINT LOOKOUT, MO. — College of the Ozarks is the No. 1 Most Innovative School in the Midwest and also ranked No. 1 Best Undergraduate Teaching in the Midwest, per U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2021.

The College also ranked No. 2 Best Value School in the Midwest, and No. 4 Best Regional College in the Midwest.

U.S. News & World Report has recognized College of the Ozarks as a best college since 1989.

College of the Ozarks ranked as the No. 1 Top Performer on Social Mobility in the Midwest. With a mission to serve students who exhibit financial need, this ranking is especially meaningful to administrators.

“We are pleased to once again be ranked so highly by U.S. News & World Report,” said Dr. Jerry C. Davis, president of College of the Ozarks. “Students at Hard Work U. do not pay tuition; rather they all work on campus each semester. Our goal is for our students to graduate debt free and become Christ-like citizens who are well-educated, hardworking, and patriotic. It’s nice to see our efforts are recognized nationwide.”

Additionally, the College was recognized in A+ Schools for B Students.

Methodology

Rankings evaluate colleges and universities on 16 measures of academic quality, allowing one to compare the relative quality of U.S. institutions based on such widely accepted indicators of excellence as first-year student retention, graduation rates, and the strength of the faculty.

U.S. News & World Report used indicators including outcomes (social mobility, graduation and retention rates, and graduation rate performance), faculty resources, expert opinion, financial resources, student excellence, and alumni giving.

To view U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2021 rankings, visit https://www.usnews.com/info/blogs/press-room/articles/2020-09-14/us-news-announces-the-2021-best-colleges-rankings.

To view full methodology, visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings.