The College of Wooster

Admission to the College of Wooster is moderately selective, while its institutional standing has declined in recent editions of the US News Best National Liberal Arts Colleges rankings. The college fell from 66th in 2020 to 91st in 2027. In 2025, Wooster admitted 59.5% of applicants, indicating that gaining acceptance is relatively accessible for prospective students. However, the college faces notable challenges in convincing admitted students to enroll. Wooster recorded a yield rate of 11.4% in 2025, a figure higher than 14% of peer schools among similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. A yield rate at this level demonstrates that the institution does not hold a strong pull over accepted applicants, and many admitted students opt for other options. For prospective families, these patterns indicate that while securing an offer of admission is realistic, the college must compete vigorously against peer institutions to persuade admitted candidates to matriculate.

Admission testing at the College of Wooster is optional, considered if submitted. For the 2025 entering class, published score ranges show that students who submitted standardized testing presented strong academic profiles. Wooster recorded a median SAT score of 1330, which is higher than 85% of peer schools among 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges. For students who submitted ACT results in 2025, the middle composite score range stretched from 27 to 33, reflecting consistent achievement across both reading and mathematical subject areas. Standardized test submission represented a modest share of the class, with 25% of enrolled students submitting SAT scores and a slightly smaller proportion submitting ACT scores in 2025. Because Wooster evaluates test results within a test-optional framework, prospective applicants seeking to understand their academic alignment can look to these score ranges as a general benchmark for admitted students who shared their testing.

Undergraduate studies at the College of Wooster are distributed across the liberal arts and sciences rather than concentrated in a single discipline. In 2025, the top three bachelor majors accounted for 22.3% of all bachelor graduates, showing that degrees are spread broadly across many fields. The single largest major was Computer Science, which produced 40 graduates and attracted strong interest from international students. Other popular programs include general biology, research psychology, biochemistry, and neuroscience. Wooster does not have major-specific national rankings on record. Earnings data from 2023 show modest starting pay one year after graduation across different fields. Graduates in Communication and Media Studies recorded the highest median earnings at $43,623, followed closely by Neurobiology and Neurosciences graduates at $42,675, with social science and education fields following further behind. For prospective students, Wooster offers balanced academic options across the natural and social sciences, leading to standard entry-level salaries typical of undergraduate liberal arts graduates.

The College of Wooster is an entirely undergraduate institution where continuing students form the majority of the campus population alongside incoming freshmen and transfers. White students constitute the largest racial group across all cohorts. International students maintain a noticeable presence, with 39 incoming freshmen making up 10.5% of the entering class, joined by continuing international undergraduates. Asian representation includes 17 freshmen, who comprise 4.6% of the first-year cohort, alongside upperclass Asian peers. Other student groups include Black, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander students, while women make up slightly more than half of the undergraduate body. For prospective applicants, these demographics portray a traditional residential campus centered on full-time undergraduate study, where international and Asian students form visible minority communities within a predominantly White student environment.

The student body at the College of Wooster is heavily concentrated among traditional college-age individuals. In 2025, undergraduates aged 20 to 21 constituted the largest single group at 49% of the student population, followed by students aged 18 to 19, who made up 40.2%. Only 8.9% of undergraduates were between 22 and 24 years old, and the college enrolls no graduate students. With virtually no older or non-traditional students enrolled, campus life is entirely organized around full-time, four-year undergraduates progressing through college together directly out of high school. This concentrated age profile creates a cohesive residential atmosphere focused on standard undergraduate milestones and campus-centered activities.

International enrollment at the College of Wooster has expanded significantly over the past decade. In 2025, international students made up 14.2% of the undergraduate student body, rising from earlier years. Compared with 30 similarly ranked private liberal arts colleges, Wooster's undergraduate international share is higher than 80% of peer schools. Because the institution does not offer graduate programs, there are no international graduate students, keeping all global engagement focused entirely on undergraduates. Among graduating seniors in 2025, international students earned 15.4% of all bachelor degrees. These graduates are heavily concentrated in STEM disciplines rather than humanities or social sciences. Specifically, international students represented 40.7% of graduates in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and an equally prominent portion in Computer Science, while holding much smaller shares in fields like political science. For prospective international applicants, Wooster provides a substantial peer presence, particularly for those pursuing laboratory sciences and technical degrees.

Families exploring liberal arts and university choices in northeastern and central Ohio have several alternatives near the College of Wooster. Located 36.4 kilometers away, Oberlin College ranks 59th among national liberal arts colleges in the 2027 rankings. Another selective liberal arts peer is Kenyon College, situated 38.7 kilometers away and ranked 41st. Further south, Denison University is located 59.7 kilometers away and holds the 31st spot among liberal arts institutions. Students seeking a comprehensive research university setting rather than a small college can look 51 kilometers away to Case Western Reserve University, which ranks 44th among national universities.

Campus safety at the College of Wooster has shown notable improvement over time. The crime rate per 1,000 students dropped from 52.8 in 2016 to 17.8 in 2025. From 2023 to 2025, the overwhelming majority of recorded campus incidents involved institutional substance policy enforcement, led by 97 drug disciplinary referrals and 80 alcohol disciplinary referrals. Over those same years, reported crimes also included instances of rape, dating violence, sexual harassment, and stalking. Substance violations thus constitute the bulk of security records, while interpersonal and violent crimes remain far less frequent. For prospective students and families assessing safety, these records show a campus environment where administrative drug and alcohol enforcement represents the primary safety activity, alongside ongoing reporting of sexual misconduct that warrants familiarizing oneself with residential support resources.