Liberal arts college
#7 Best colleges in OhioThe College of Wooster
Wooster, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid About $23,000 a year
Median debt at graduation: $26,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Rankings
Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list
In America
- Best small colleges in America#73 of 906
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in America#62 of 690
- Best colleges for business in America#158 of 1,563
- Best colleges for education in America#142 of 1,318
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in America#135 of 1,238
- Best colleges in America#237 of 1,829
Show 14 more
- Best colleges for psychology in America#186 of 1,418
- Best test-optional colleges in America#204 of 1,481
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#189 of 1,358
- Best colleges for English in America#179 of 1,283
- Best colleges for history in America#187 of 1,247
- Best colleges for art and design in America#179 of 1,187
- Best colleges for mathematics in America#191 of 1,215
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in America#298 of 1,829
- Best colleges for chemistry in America#190 of 1,162
- Best colleges for music in America#176 of 1,063
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in America#186 of 1,116
- Best colleges for computer science in America#135 of 750
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in America#80 of 430
- Best colleges for economics in America#182 of 788
In Ohio
- Best small colleges in Ohio#1 of 58
- Colleges with the biggest discount off the sticker price in Ohio#1 of 33
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Ohio#4 of 59
- Best colleges for business in Ohio#5 of 72
- Best colleges in Ohio#7 of 99
- Best colleges for education in Ohio#5 of 63
Show 16 more
- Best colleges for psychology in Ohio#7 of 71
- Best colleges for computer science in Ohio#4 of 40
- Best colleges for English in Ohio#7 of 69
- Best test-optional colleges in Ohio#7 of 68
- Best colleges for history in Ohio#7 of 61
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in Ohio#7 of 60
- Best colleges for art and design in Ohio#7 of 59
- Best colleges for mathematics in Ohio#7 of 55
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Ohio#13 of 99
- Best colleges for chemistry in Ohio#7 of 52
- Best colleges for political science and pre-law in Ohio#7 of 50
- Best colleges for music in Ohio#7 of 48
- Best colleges for economics in Ohio#7 of 41
- Colleges that spend the most on teaching in Ohio#7 of 33
- Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Ohio#5 of 21
- Lowest net price for middle-income families in Ohio#8 of 33
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.74%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.82%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,353 · ACT 30
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$17,263
Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.
Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))
What families pay, by income
Average paid by families who received aid, by income. Families who get no aid pay the full cost of attendance: $75,656 a year.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.
Cost and value
Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,876 |
|---|---|
| Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023 | Men 47% · Women 53% |
| First-generation students College Scorecard | 14% |
| First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023 | 60% |
| Total students | 1,876 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | About $23,000 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $75,656 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $26,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 74% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years | 73% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years | 70% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years | 74% |
| First-year retention | 82% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $59,629 |
| Admission rate | 60% |
| Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24 | No application fee |
| Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026 | About $816 a month for a one-bedroom |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 21% |
| Average SAT | 1353 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 630–740 |
| SAT math | 590–720 |
| ACT composite | 27–33 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (how it’s computed)
Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.
Earnings by major
Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | |
| Economics | |
| Political science | |
| Communication studies | |
| Psychology | |
| Sociology | |
| English | |
| History |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Archeology, Area studies, Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Classics, Computer science, Dance, Data Science, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Environmental Geosciences, Ethnic and gender studies, Experimental psychology, Fine arts, Geology and earth science, German, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Liberal arts, Linguistics, Managerial economics, Music, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Philosophy, Physics, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Romance languages, Secondary education, Speech-language pathology, Teacher education, Theatre, Urban Studies/Affairs.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Social sciences | |
| Psychology | |
| Computer and information sciences | |
| Interdisciplinary studies |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 0% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 0% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,490 |
| Sports | NCAA Division III · North Coast Athletic Conference |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 10 to 1 |
| Undergraduates registered with the disability office | About 16%IPEDS, 2023–24 |
| Disability services | Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page |
| Faculty who are full-time | 83%College Scorecard, fall 2023 |
| Endowment per student | $211,256IPEDS, 2023, per student |
| Nearest airport with airline service | Akron Canton Regional Airport (CAK)About 27 miles away · about 55 minutes by car |
| Nearest major airport | Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE)About 42 miles away |
| Town population | 26,971Census, 2020–2024 |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ClevelandAbout 48 miles away · about 1 hour 10 minutes by car |
| Typical weather | 27°F in January · 72°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Wooster Exp Station, OH |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Questions families ask
- What is the College of Wooster’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 13% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
- How much does the College of Wooster cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is about $23,000 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
- How hard is it to get into the College of Wooster?
- The College of Wooster admitted 60% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do the College of Wooster’s graduates do?
- 74% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $59,629; the median federal debt at graduation is $26,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 206589
- Carnegie classification: Baccalaureate college (arts & sciences)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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Colleges like this one
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Compare side by side: The College of Wooster vs DePauw · The College of Wooster vs Centre · The College of Wooster vs Lawrence · The College of Wooster vs Gustavus Adolphus
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