The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

With a mission "to provide the advantages of a Christian education for youth of both sexes, especially those found worthy, but who are without sufficient means to procure such training," the College of the Ozarks has been offering students a liberal arts education in an intimate, Christian setting since its founding by Presbyterian missionary James Forsythe in 1906. Located in Point Lookout, Missouri, (near the city of Branson) the College of the Ozarks ranks as the nation's sixth most desirable rural school and the tenth most desirable small school by Newsweek.  
 
Nicknamed "Hard Work U," the College is able to waive tuition for full-time students through generous financial aid packages and a student-work program, in which undergraduates work on campus 15 hours a week during the semester and two 40-hour work weeks each year during breaks. While this arrangement contributes to the school's desirability, it also makes for stiff competition--only 12 percent of applicants are accepted, adding up to a student body of just 1,500.