Private nonprofit · University

William Woods University

Fulton, Missouri · Distant town

71.0%
Admit rate
$26,569
Avg net price
47%
Graduation rate
$42,401
Median earnings

William Woods University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Fulton, Missouri (distant town setting), enrolling 1,300 undergraduates. It has a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,300 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 71% admitNAIA Division I · American Midwest ConferenceCold winters

About Fulton, Missouri

Fulton is the largest city in and the county seat of Callaway County, Missouri, United States. Fulton was founded and became the seat of Callaway County in 1825, although it would not be incorporated until March 14, 1859. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
22 miles to Columbia, MO
To Great Lakes shore
306 miles
Nearest airport
15 miles to Columbia (COU)

How William Woods University compares

Selectivity71.0%

More selective than 62% · #18 most selective of 44 in Missouri

Graduation rate47%

Higher than 33% · #35 of 51 in Missouri

First-year retention58%

Higher than 11%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$42,401

Higher than 18% · #41 of 53 in Missouri

Average net price$26,569

Cheaper than 25% · #46 cheapest of 51 in Missouri

Median debt at graduation$21,983

Lower than 60%

Student–faculty ratio16 : 1

Lower than 28%

Undergraduate enrollment1,300

Larger than 45%

Percentiles compare William Woods University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Missouri.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,004students
  • Undergraduate1,30065%
  • Graduate70435%

Undergraduates by gender

1,300undergrads
  • Women95173%
  • Men34927%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White57%
  • Black15%
  • Hispanic9.5%
  • Asian0.9%
  • Other or multiracial17%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,300
Graduate enrollment
704
Student–faculty ratio
16 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
35%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
30%
Median family income
$52,479
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$51,363
Endowment
$18,717,963

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
71.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite

Cost

In-state tuition
$30,340
Room & board
$13,050
Books & supplies
$1,300
Total cost of attendance
$49,094
Average net price
$26,569

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
47%
Graduated on time (4 years)
43%
First-year retention
58%
Transferred to another college
11%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$39,265
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$42,401
Median debt at graduation
$21,983
Students with federal loans
49%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
64%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
43%
Low-income (Pell)
54%
First-generation
52%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
741
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
57%
Housing charge (year)
$5,614
Meal plan (year)
$6,788
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
American Midwest Conference
Varsity athletes
698 (383 men · 315 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)151
Other Sports95
Football76
Soccer67
Baseball50
Golf45
Basketball44
Wrestling40
Tennis34
Volleyball34
Softball28
Lacrosse20
Bowling14

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
4

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (2,046 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.7
Motor vehicle theft
0.7

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$24,014
$30–48k
$22,967
$48–75k
$24,218
$75–110k
$29,491
$110k+
$29,428

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$100,178

$24,218/year × about 4.1 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$19,299
average award, among those who get one

William Woods University discounts heavily: 98% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $19,299. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 213 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$42,401
Typical debt at graduation
$21,983
Debt vs. one year's pay
52%
Out-earn a HS grad
60%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.2 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$39,720
Men
$52,414

Men out-earn women by $12,694 (32%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
44.3″
Annual snow
18.9″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fulton, MO US station (0.9 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to William Woods University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare William Woods University side by side →

Colleges near William Woods University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.