Discover the potential you hold by seeing how William Jewell College students and alumni impact their profession and their communities.
William Jewell College seeks to give you a quality education that inspires and enriches you. Through our student and alumni stories, you can envision how choosing Jewell truly means becoming part of something bigger. You can go anywhere you set your mind to after graduation—and you’ll always be able to call Jewell home.
TIME released its America’s Best Colleges list, focused on three pillars: student outcomes, learning environment and attractiveness. The magazine placed particular emphasis on what students gain from attending an institution relative to its cost.
Of the 500 top colleges of all sizes across the country, Jewell ranked in the top 30% at No. 141. Jewell was the highest ranking college in the Kansas City area, and the second highest in Missouri behind Washington University in St. Louis.
Money magazine named Jewell to its Best Colleges in America 2025 list. To find colleges that combine quality and affordability, Money reviewed more than 2,400 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges, then narrowed the list to 732 schools based on those with more than 500 students, that were not in financial distress and had graduation rates above the median.
U.S. News and World Report announced its 2027 Best Colleges list, placing Jewell at No. 16 (tie) for the Top Private Colleges.
Jewell also tied as the No. 16 Best Midwest College, based on factors such as graduation rates first-year retention, financial resources, student-faculty ratio, borrower debt, standardized tests and more.
Jewell ranked at No. 50 in Top Performers on Social Mobility. This is based on schools’ success in advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of economically disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants.
Forbes named Jewell to its 2027 list of America’s Top College that produce successful, high-earning and influential graduates from all economic backgrounds, with less student debt.
Jewell was named to Washington Monthly’s Best Colleges for Your Tuition and Tax Dollars, rated on contribution to the public good (access, affordability, outcomes and promoting public service).
Of the 396 best Midwest schools, Jewell ranked No. 14 for students who enter AmeriCorps/Peace Corps and No. 38 for graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D.
“To do well on our ranking, colleges must recruit students of modest means without overcharging them on tuition or loading them with too much debt.” Washington Monthly
The Princeton Review placed Jewell on its 2027 list of The Best 392 Colleges. Only 15% of the country’s four-year schools earn this distinction. In addition, Jewell was named a Best Midwest College, and one of the 209 Best Value Colleges for academic rigor, affordability and career outcomes.
SmartAsset, a financial advice website, released its list of Best Value Colleges in March 2026, placing Jewell at No. 23 in the country. Only three Missouri colleges were named, with Jewell being the only Kansas City-area school
The website based its rankings on the median cost of attendance, scoring colleges and universities according to graduation rates and the earnings of students who received financial aid 10 years after enrollment.
Rachel Bell, 2026
Margo Evilsizor, 2020
Ben Shinogle, 2019
Caeley Pittman, 2019
Bradley Dice, 2015
Thais Quiroga, 2018 (finalist)
Finalists:
Emily Castillo, 2026
Luke Zahnd, 2023
Emily Dema, 2018
Zak Carroll, 2018
Sydney Bass, 2021
Seki Anderson, 2020
Parker Jenkins, 2020
Ethan Hawn, 2019
Ben Shinogle, 2017
Brooklyn Bradley, 2016
Kothney-Issa Guillaume Bush, 2016
Margaret Perko, 2016
Our students and alumni have been placed at highly selective companies and organizations for their employment. Notable placements include:
As noted in our 2025 executive summary, our placement rate (employed or in graduate school) continues to be excellent, with 98.9%. A majority of graduates (68%) are employed full time within six months of graduation and 30% are enrolled in graduate school.
Additionally, graduates continue to report preparedness for critical thinking and problem solving: in 2025, 89% report that their jobs require them to use specific critical thinking skills (whose job was their primary career outcome), and 93% reported being “very prepared” or “prepared” to perform the critical thinking required for their jobs while 97% reported being “very prepared” or “prepared” to problem solve in their workplace.
Many students choose to pursue graduate school after their education at William Jewell College, for master’s degrees as well as PhD, JD, MD, DO, DDS, DPT, ODT, OD and more. These educational institutions include:
There’s a place for you among these students. Use our major match tool to explore your possibilities at William Jewell College.
