William Jewell College
Liberty, MO500 College Hill, Liberty, MO 64068-1896
816-415-5979
William Jewell College is a private liberal arts college in Liberty, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1849 by members of the Missouri Baptist Convention, it is the oldest college in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the fifth-oldest Baptist-affiliated college in the United States. Jewell is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It enrolls approximately 1,100 undergraduate students and is ranked in the bottom third of the Midwest category of U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges.
In 1849, William Jewell, a Kentucky slaveholder and Baptist minister, donated $10,000 to the newly formed Missouri Baptist Education Society. At the time, it was the largest single gift to higher education in the United States. The gift was used to found William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, the first college west of the Mississippi River and the first college affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention. The college opened its doors in 1851 with a faculty of five and an initial enrollment of six students.
In the American Civil War, the college was closed for three years. Jewell students volunteered as soldiers for the Union Army, and the campus was used as a military hospital and headquarters for the Union Army. When the war ended, Jewell reopened and continued to grow.
In the early 20th century, Jewell was known as a "party school" and a "Southern school" due to its location in the slave state of Missouri. However, Jewell's student body became increasingly diverse, and by the mid-20th century the college was known more for its academic rigor than for its social scene. Today, Jewell is a small, private liberal arts college with a student body that is diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, and geography. The college offers more than 40 majors and programs and has an average class size of 19.
Jewell's campus is located in Liberty, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. The college's 100-acre campus includes several historic buildings, including Jewell Hall, the oldest building on campus. The hall is named for William Jewell, the Kentucky slaveholder and Baptist minister who donated $10,000 to the Missouri Baptist Education Society, the precursor to the college.
Jewell is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college is also a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the Missouri Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Approximately 1,100 students are enrolled at Jewell, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The college offers more than 40 majors and programs, and students can also choose to design their own major. The most popular majors at Jewell include business, education, English, history, psychology, and sociology.
Jewell's campus is located in Liberty, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City. The college's 100-acre campus includes several historic buildings, including Jewell Hall, the oldest building on campus. The hall is named for William Jewell, the Kentucky slaveholder and Baptist minister who donated $10,000 to the Missouri Baptist Education Society, the precursor to the college.
Jewell is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college is also a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, the Council of Independent Colleges, and the Missouri Association of Independent Colleges and Universities.
Approximately 1,100 students are enrolled at Jewell, and the student-to-faculty ratio is 11:1. The college offers more than 40 majors and programs, and students can also choose to design their own major. The most popular majors at Jewell include business, education, English, history, psychology, and sociology.
Quick Facts
Enrollment: 751
Acceptance Rate: 36.40%
Type: Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above
Main Website: https://www.jewell.edu/
Financial Aid: https://www.jewell.edu/afford
Annual Costs
Total Cost In-State On-Campus: $49338
Total Cost Out-State On-Campus: $49338
Return on Investment Rating
The estimated cost for four years as an undergraduate at William Jewell College is $178768.50. This includes the average cost of attendance for four years plus the interest on the average loan over a ten year repayment minus the average of grants and scholarships per student.
We then contrast this figure with average early-career and mid-career average incomes of graduates of four year programs at William Jewell College. For graduates of William Jewell College, we saw an average early-career income of $53400.00 and mid-career income of $101300.00. We then ranked the school's value based on how many years of mid-career income it takes to repay the educational costs.