William Jewell is a small liberal arts college with just under 1,000 students in Liberty, less than half an hour from Kansas City.
The college recently reduced its tuition in an effort to improve price transparency. In addition, William Jewell’s Journey Grant offers students in their junior year the funding to study abroad, do an internship, launch a small business or volunteer (“if you can imagine it, you can do it,” the website says). Past Journey Grant trips have ranged from taking medical courses in Mexico to researching elephants in South Africa. The college also has a prestigious honors program that includes a year of studying overseas at Oxford University.
The school has a rich history and tons of traditions, including Billy J Day, when classes are canceled and students can relax outside (or attempt an inflatable obstacle course, your choice). Its 66% graduation rate is nothing to sneeze at, either, especially because it’s slightly higher than expected based on the makeup of the student body.
Like many colleges, William Jewell is currently re-examining its founders’ links to slavery; in April, a commission recommended William Jewell take several steps, including changing the name of at least one building built by slaves and establishing scholarships for descendants of the college’s Black employees.
