William Woods University

Admission to William Woods University is moderately accessible, while its placement in national evaluations has softened in recent years. In the US News Best Colleges rankings, the university held rank 293 in 2020 and placed at rank 395 in 2026. In the 2025 admissions cycle, the school recorded an acceptance rate of 71%, which is higher than 50% of peer schools in the all private comprehensive universities comparison group. This reflects an admissions process that accommodates a substantial majority of applicants who meet baseline standards. Meanwhile, the university achieved an undergraduate yield rate of 23.6%, which is higher than 69% of peer schools in the same peer group. While less than a quarter of accepted students ultimately matriculate, this rate still demonstrates a stronger draw than typical among comparable private institutions. For prospective applicants, these patterns indicate that gaining admission is generally attainable, though families should weigh the university's downward ranking movement alongside their specific academic and career priorities.

Standardized test scores at William Woods University are optional, considered if submitted. For the 2020 entering class, the middle range of ACT composite scores was 20 to 26. In that 2020 cycle, 83 percent of freshmen submitted an ACT score. High school academic records offer a clear picture of incoming student performance. For the 2023–2024 academic year, 15 percent of entering students achieved a high school GPA of 4.0, while the majority of the class held grades in the B to A range across their secondary coursework. These figures show that admitted students generally present consistent classroom records alongside mid-range standardized test performance. Prospective applicants can use these benchmarks to assess their preparation, keeping in mind that solid secondary school marks remain an essential component of an application.

Degree completion at William Woods University is heavily concentrated in a small group of vocational and applied disciplines. In 2025, the top three bachelor's degree programs accounted for 57.9% of all undergraduate degrees awarded. The largest undergraduate major was Business Administration and Management, General, which produced 67 graduates, followed by Sign Language Interpretation and Translation, and Exercise Science and Kinesiology. The university does not hold national rankings for any of its major programs, meaning its largest offerings are driven by practical regional demand rather than ranked prestige. Earnings data from 2023 indicate that bachelor's degree recipients in Business Administration, Management and Operations achieved median first-year earnings of $47,677, while graduates in American Sign Language earned $39,453. At the graduate level, credentials concentrate heavily in educational leadership and business administration. Prospective students should recognize that academic options focus on specific professional paths, where specialized training in fields like business and interpretation provides direct entry into the workforce.

The student population at William Woods University is predominantly domestic and White, with limited racial and geographic diversity across degree levels. In 2025, total enrollment stood at 2,046 students. Within the incoming freshman class, international students numbered 15, making up 5.7% of the cohort, while Asian students numbered 1, accounting for 0.4%. Both continuing undergraduate cohorts and the graduate division reflect similar patterns, where White students comprise the vast majority of enrollment, and international and Asian scholars represent very small proportions of each division. Female students form the majority across most undergraduate and graduate levels, though male enrollment is balanced among first-year undergraduates. For prospective students seeking an intimate campus setting, the community is largely composed of local and regional domestic learners, with only modest representation from overseas and Asian demographic groups.

William Woods University exhibits a clear generational separation between its undergraduate and graduate populations. The undergraduate student body is predominantly traditional college age, with ages 18 to 19 making up 30.5% of the 1,342 undergraduates, and ages 20 to 21 accounting for another 24.1%. In contrast, the graduate division serves an older, career-established demographic, where students aged 40 to 49 form the largest segment at 27.7%. For prospective students, this profile indicates that typical daytime student activities and campus social life are centered around young adults, whereas graduate programs largely accommodate mature professionals.

International enrollment at William Woods University remains modest, though both undergraduate and graduate divisions have experienced upward growth over the past decade. At the undergraduate level, the international share rose from a minimal baseline to reach 2.8% in 2025, placing the university higher than 33% of peer schools in the all private comprehensive universities comparison group. Graduate international representation also trended upward, reaching 1.3% in 2025. International completions are concentrated in a very narrow set of academic disciplines. In the 2025 graduating class, international students made up a small fraction of bachelor's degree recipients, with Exercise Science and Kinesiology being the primary program awarding degrees to international undergraduates. At the master's level, international graduates concentrated exclusively in Business Administration and Management, General, where they represented 17.9% of all degree earners. Prospective international applicants should anticipate a small peer community on campus, with international engagement centered predominantly in business and kinesiology programs.

Students considering William Woods University in Fulton, Missouri, can explore several alternative higher education institutions within the surrounding region. Located just 21.2 kilometers away, the University of Missouri-Columbia is a major public National University ranked 95 in the 2027 US News rankings. For students seeking technical programs, Missouri University of Science and Technology is a National University ranked 191, situated 63.3 kilometers from campus. Those interested in private education can look toward Principia College, a Liberal Arts College ranked 74 located 86.2 kilometers away, or Washington University in St Louis, a National University ranked 16 that is 89.6 kilometers away. These neighboring institutions provide families with diverse alternatives spanning large research universities, specialized engineering programs, and private liberal arts colleges.

Campus safety reports for William Woods University show that recorded incidents are primarily administrative conduct violations rather than violent offenses. In 2025, the university recorded a crime rate per 1,000 students of 7.6. Across the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, disciplinary referrals for alcohol violations formed the largest category, totaling 44 incidents. Disciplinary referrals for drug policy infractions were the second most frequent category across those same years, with 10 total cases. Law enforcement actions and serious property offenses were far less common during this period, consisting of minor counts of liquor arrests, motor vehicle theft, and burglary. These patterns demonstrate that safety considerations on campus are largely defined by student conduct enforcement related to substance policies rather than broader security threats. For families and students assessing campus life, the environment reflects typical small-college conduct issues within a relatively secure setting.