College Consensus, a new college review aggregator that compiles published rankings and student reviews as a means for ranking colleges and universities, has rated William Woods University (WWU) as the 10th best university out of 37 four-year institutions in the state of Missouri. The ranking is part of the organization’s latest survey, Best Colleges and Universities in Missouri for 2018, which rated all four-year institutions in the state, both public and private.
Only two other mid-Missouri universities were ranked ahead of WWU, including the University of Missouri-Columbia (6) and Central Methodist University (9). Criteria for the rankings consists of a comprehensive aggregate of published rankings from the most respected national college rankings publishers, and verified student reviews.
In rating William Woods, College Consensus cited its “strong reputation throughout the Midwest for working adult and professional education. The university’s offering of Master’s degrees in business and education, with numerous specializations, as well as a Doctor of Education degree program, help fill Missouri’s need for qualified professionals. William Woods has also emerged in recent years as a regional leader in online education, with accelerated, 8-week courses helping working adults earn credentials around the current schedules. With one of the lowest graduate debt rates in the Midwest, and 94% success rate placing MBA graduates in their careers, William Woods is well on its way to national status.”
“With impressive new rankings, the addition of new academic programs and our increasing enrollment, the momentum we are experiencing at The Woods at the start of the 2018-2019 school year continues,” said Jahnae H. Barnett, President of William Woods University. “The recognition of our strong standing compared to our higher education peers in the state of Missouri further reinforces the vitality of our strong, growing university.”
One week ago, the university announced its total enrollment for the 2018 fall semester was 2,227 students, including online, graduate and traditional on-campus students. Overall, William Woods’ total enrollment has now grown more than 300 percent since President Barnett became president in 1990.
Much of the growth has been in response to new academic programs added to the university’s curriculum. Just last week, William Woods announced the establishment of the Show-Me GOLD program, a partnership with the Missouri Army National Guard to train and prepare WWU students to serve as future commissioned officers in the Guard, becoming the only private university in the state to host the GOLD program. Over the past year, WWU also announced the addition of other new academic degree programs including Nursing and Cybersecurity.
William Woods’ current rating by the U.S. News and World Report’s national survey of best colleges and universities stands at 75th among Midwest regional universities, which is the highest rating in the prestigious ranking WWU has ever attained. New U.S. News rankings for 2018 are due out next month.
