College of Wooster (OH)

Step into a world where education is an extraordinary experience of Independent Minds, Working Together. At Wooster, you learn in the classroom and beyond, as we nurture you on your journey to what comes next — whether that's starting your career or continuing your education.

Imagine a place where learning is both academic and experiential; where you can shape your own path within a community of curious people from all over the world; and where every student dives deep into a project they're truly passionate about, chosen by them and guided by a dedicated faculty mentor. That's what our Independent Study (I.S.) program is all about: a dynamic intellectual partnership that fuels innovation and creativity. It's not your ordinary project—it's a shared community of experience for all our students, the heartbeat of our curriculum, and one reason we have been nationally recognized as a top school for both undergraduate teaching and undergraduate research.

And what's more, there are over 120 student-led clubs and organizations, 23 varsity athletic teams, seven music ensembles, and endless community and volunteer opportunities for you to pursue your passions outside of the classroom. At Wooster, we place no limits on your individual discovery.

Through the Wooster experience, you'll be empowered to influence world change in a big way. Whether you dream of developing treatments and cures for the world's most devastating diseases, studying the effects of climate change on melting glaciers, creating statistics that measure sports performance, or serving in the Peace Corps, Wooster gives you the tools to succeed.

You'll develop the context, empathy, insight, and drive to see opportunities where others see obstacles. You'll be prepared to listen to different perspectives and develop creative solutions to address challenges. The results speak for themselves. 96% of Wooster graduates are employed or in graduate school within six months of graduation and 94% of Wooster graduates are accepted into their top choice graduate schools.

Our diverse and international campus is welcoming, inclusive, and globally aware. Students thrive together and advocate for one another. It's what makes Wooster special. The community at Wooster is meaningful, transformational, and lifelong.

Our community of learners come from all over the world, each bringing a unique mix of experiences, interests, and ideas, to create our diverse — and truly global — community. Being surrounded by people from different backgrounds and perspectives can challenge your assumptions and help you discover new ways of looking at the world.

76 countries and 47 states are represented by Wooster students, and 14% of our student body is made up of international students, while 24% of U.S. students are students of color.

Join or be a leader as part of any number of Wooster's 120-plus student organizations across a variety of categories of interest, including: arts & culture, performance, service and civic engagement, to name a few.

100 stage performances hosted each year
7 music ensembles and 8 acapella groups
One-third of students involved in music as a major, minor, or extracurricular
12 Greek Life chapters, all locally affiliated
22 club and intramural sports
23 Intercollegiate NCAA Division III Athletic Teams: Baseball (M)
Basketball (M/W)
Cross Country (M/W)
Field Hockey (W)
Football (M)
Golf (M/W)
Lacrosse (M/W)
Soccer (M/W)
Softball (W)
Swimming & Diving (M/W)
Tennis (M/W)
Track & Field (M/W)
Volleyball (W)

"The life force of this school is really our fantastic student body," says a student. This "unparalleled" community is made up of "quite a range of people," but most are "quirky," "friendly," "open-minded," and "liberal." It's also a "very involved" student body ("school spirit is huge at Wooster"), so a typical COW kid "tends to be in a hodgepodge of sports, clubs, music groups, etc. that suit their fancy." There are "very few social cliques" and everyone is friendly and "willing to interact with one another." Students here are "very accepting of different personalities, beliefs, and ways of life."

The character of the campus community is friendly beyond measure at this "dazzling" campus. People are usually "busy in the library doing homework or working on their Independent Studies," but everyone finds time for (typically multiple) extracurriculars, which "run the gamut of recreational pastimes." "We have just as many students in our music ensembles as we do that play sports," says a student. People enjoy using the weekends to relieve the stress of a rigorous academic schedule, and the majority enjoy "socializing" at the fraternity or program houses, or going to the on-campus club called "the Underground" on Friday nights.

For those who choose not to party, there are "many other recreational activities for those who are not in sports or who do not enjoy drinking," and the college "is very good at bringing in entertainment," such as "comedians, professional music artists, and forum speakers which are all free to students." A student run weekly flyer, The Pot, helps "keep students up to date on all of the campus events happening." A lot of the time, though, "students will just hang out together and relax."

Wooster’s “outstanding” career services truly helps students prepare for their post graduate life. Students complete a Strengthsfinder questionnaire prior to matriculating, identifying strong innate abilities, so that career development can begin from the moment undergrads set foot on campus. Once they’ve arrived, they can visit APEX, Wooster’s center for Advising, Planning, and Experiential Learning, to begin exploring majors and which of the school’s optional Pathway programs—interdisciplinary programs that includes elements of coursework, experiential learning, and reflection—might be a good fit. As they ready themselves for their job and internship hunts, the Scots Career Hub centralizes all of the school’s career planning resources, and students can receive one-on-one advice on resume writing, interview prep, and even non-traditional career pathways such as gap years or fellowships. The attention to individual traits and desires clearly works, as Payscale.com reports that 65 percent of Wooster graduates find a great deal of meaning in their job.