Fulton's institutions of higher education are making a good impression on national assessment websites.
According to press releases issued by both schools, Westminster College was ranked among the "Top 5" colleges and universities of Missouri by Niche.com and has also been ranked in Missouri's "Top 5" by SmartAsset.com, which assesses the number of students who step into positions with the highest starting salaries post graduation.
Likewise William Woods University was ranked third among Midwest universities for graduates with the lightest debt load. This ranking will be reflected in the upcoming 2016 edition of U.S. News & World Report's annual Best Colleges issue.
William Woods President Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett credited the school's affordability to WWU's LEAD program, which rewards students with a $5,000 tuition reduction each year for attending events such as lectures, art openings, educational programs and other community happenings.
According to Barnett, "LEAD is designed to expand students' interests and enrich their university experience. It is available to any student, regardless of financial need, who agrees to make the commitment to campus and community involvement."
Discussing the success Westminster has had in drawing and maintaining student interest, Jennifer Bondurant, executive director of Marketing at Westminster College, attributes part of their success to the fact that they continually look at the market and analyze their programs.
"We consider which of our courses and programs do particularly well and which ones benefit our students the most," she said.
Niche.com utilizes statistical factors such as student return rates and graduation percentages as well as student reviews for their rankings, while SmartAsset.com is a financial technology company that advises on personal financial decisions.
According to Niche.com, Westminster sits at number 224 in relation to the 1,164 schools they assess overall. And of the 620 universities evaluated by the U.S. News and World Report guide, William Woods University ranks among the top 100 universities in the Midwest for the sixth year in a row.