Fifty years ago, a newspaper reporter dubbed College of the Ozarks "Hard Work U" — a nickname that has not only stuck but also since been trademarked. The private Christian liberal arts college requires all students to work on campus 15 hours a week. Together with state grants, federal grants and college scholarships, that covers a student's entire tuition. The college discourages students from taking out loans, and extra work opportunities over school breaks are available for those who need help paying room and board or living expenses. As a result, most students pay nothing out of pocket and carry no student loan debt upon graduation.
At 71%, the graduation rate is higher than the median of Money’s 2023-2024 rated colleges, and academic programs in business, education and agriculture are especially popular.
The oft-cited 1973 Wall Street Journal article that gave College of the Ozarks its nickname also described it as a "most unusual" little college, and rightfully so. The college boasts about its Fruitcake and Jelly Kitchen, where student employees bake and sell between 20,000 and 30,000 fruitcakes a year. Other on-campus gigs include working on the campus dairy farm and grinding flour in the mill. Potential students should note, however, that the college is a conservative school with a student handbook that strictly prohibits "homosexual conduct" and "gender expression inconsistent with sex assigned at birth."
