The College of Wooster
About
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college in Wooster, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1866 by the Presbyterian Church as the University of Wooster, it has been officially non-sectarian since 1969. From its creation, the college has been a co-educational institution. It enrolls about 1,900 students and is a member of the Five Colleges of Ohio, Great Lakes Colleges Association, and Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 14.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 42 Title IV programs, 8 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 34 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing8 · 19.0%
- No Data34 · 81.0%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 2
- Jul 2023Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Aug 2014Change in Agency recognitionNational Association of Schools of Music, Commission on Accreditation · Music (MUS) - Institutions and units within institutions offering degree-granting and/or non-degree-granting programs
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 446 students received $2.7M in Pell grants, alongside $8.0M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 342 borrowers who entered repayment, 4 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at College of Wooster
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 12
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus9
Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
College of Wooster vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions College of Wooster selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectThe College of Wooster | 74% | — | 1,738 | $23,458 | Baccalaureate |
| 62% | 80.7% | 1,308 | $14,301 | Baccalaureate | |
| 73% | 54.6% | 1,171 | $22,940 | Baccalaureate | |
| 79% | 17.4% | 2,394 | $40,007 | Baccalaureate | |
| 75% | 57.2% | 1,917 | $22,264 | Baccalaureate | |
| 69% | 73.1% | 753 | $24,714 | Baccalaureate | |
| 80% | 79.2% | 3,395 | $27,182 | Baccalaureate | |
| 76% | 75.3% | 1,166 | $19,072 | Baccalaureate | |
| 82% | 31.0% | 2,249 | $38,512 | Baccalaureate | |
| 81% | 34.2% | 2,909 | $38,645 | Baccalaureate | |
| 59% | 55.6% | 1,525 | $20,897 | Baccalaureate | |
| 77% | 63.3% | 866 | $24,336 | Baccalaureate | |
| Peer group median | 76% | 57.2% | 1,632 | $23,897 |
Institutions like College of Wooster
Explore the federal data for institutions in College of Wooster's comparison group.
- BaccalaureateMichigan
Albion College
Grad rate62%Admit rate80.7%Enrollment1,308Net price$14,301View data - BaccalaureatePennsylvania
Allegheny College
Grad rate73%Admit rate54.6%Enrollment1,171Net price$22,940View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Denison University
Grad rate79%Admit rate17.4%Enrollment2,394Net price$40,007View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
DePauw University
Grad rate75%Admit rate57.2%Enrollment1,917Net price$22,264View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
Earlham College
Grad rate69%Admit rate73.1%Enrollment753Net price$24,714View data - BaccalaureateMichigan
Hope College
Grad rate80%Admit rate79.2%Enrollment3,395Net price$27,182View data - BaccalaureateMichigan
Kalamazoo College
Grad rate76%Admit rate75.3%Enrollment1,166Net price$19,072View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Kenyon College
Grad rate82%Admit rate31.0%Enrollment2,249Net price$38,512View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Oberlin College
Grad rate81%Admit rate34.2%Enrollment2,909Net price$38,645View data - BaccalaureateOhio
Ohio Wesleyan University
Grad rate59%Admit rate55.6%Enrollment1,525Net price$20,897View data - BaccalaureateIndiana
Wabash College
Grad rate77%Admit rate63.3%Enrollment866Net price$24,336View data
College of Wooster Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research supports data-informed decision-making by providing accurate, timely, and meaningful information to campus partners. It helps advance the College’s mission by supporting strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, accreditation, and student success initiatives.
Visit IR office page- David PutmanDirector of Institutional Research
- Sarah AckermanAssociate Director Student Success & Institutional Research
Common Data Set
College of Wooster's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planFraming Our Future Strategic Plan2023The College of Wooster's 'Framing Our Future' strategic plan is a three-year initiative aimed at driving the institution's growth and success well beyond 2027. It is built upon three key pillars: achieving financial vitality, reigniting the college's mission and vision, and building a strong community. Key actions include enhancing student success through new programs, bolstering revenue streams, clarifying the college's brand identity, and fostering a collaborative campus culture.wooster.edu
Grants & funding (2)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
Notable alumni of College of Wooster (15)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Karl Taylor ComptonAcademia
- Ronald TakakiAcademia
- Victor J. AndrewBusiness
- Stanley GaultBusiness
- John DeanGovernment
- Donald KohnGovernment
- Arthur Holly ComptonScience
- Martha ChaseScience
- James V. NeelScience
- Larry ShyattSports
- Reggie MintonSports
- Caitlin CaryPerforming Arts
Frequently asked questions about The College of Wooster
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about College of Wooster.
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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