College of the Ozarks

What a pleasure!! Great atmosphere, great food, excellent service by young, polite and respectful collage students working for their tuition at what is known as Hard Work University!! What a Beacon of the right way to run a college!! I implore anyone reading this to make the effort to come to this "Island" of the way things should be !!!

Kids loved the experience, students did great with them. We saw a brand new baby, kids fed all the calves after watching the mother's be milked.

I attend college here. Beautiful campus, wonderful program that helps students graduate debt free, and an incredible staff of professors and work managers. Has awesome memorials that are a must see!

Excellent time looking around the campus and having lunch. Zach was an excellent server. The food was AMAZING! Mac and cheese Brisket, Alumni Delux Burger, chicken Fried Chicken, and the Meat loaf all so good! And the desserts! Save room and take home some! So good! Will come again!

Love this place. Food is amazing. But as a kid that grew up on a farm whomever decided to get rid of the barn cats is crazy.

Beautiful campus. No cost to enter. We'd enjoy more products from the mill like a high protein flour.

The concept to attend a college and get bachelors degree debt free is a great boon to many. Each student participates in the on-campus work program for 15 hours per week and two forty-hour work weeks per school year. The school has rules and guidelines that students must follow but that is part of growing up - being responsible adults and adhere to codes of conduct and discipline. The campus is beautiful and well maintained. Students work the various programs and restaurants etc so it is nice to see. They also sell many student made products on campus. The school is a Christian faith based college campus.

5 stars for a beautiful campus and the whole "debt free" thing, but I'm glad my child has graduated and is free to be herself now and have her own opinions without fear of reprisal. She worked her tail off for that degree. I wish they cared as much about the students as they do their money.

I heard about this place years ago and always wanted to check it out. I had to miss the college experience because it was way too expensive for my family growing up, plus some other issues but I would have loved to go to a college for free, just working. Our waitress, who was wonderful, did explain that they usually work about 15 hours in total each week which really is not bad at all and that she changed her major quite a few times, but its free so she has that luxury of changing majors, may have to stay an extra year or so but it's okay because she works. We waited about 30 minutes for a table; it was pretty busy for a Monday but there was so much to see while waiting. We checked out the ice cream stand which we sampled and it was so creamy and delicious, walked around a shop or 2 and then we were called. My husband and I tried the 'The Orchard Spritzer' which was Mint, Blueberry, Lemon and the 'The Point Spritzer' which was Orange, Cranberry, Strawberry. I much preferred the Point Spritzer. They were both good and refreshing, but the flavoring of the Point Spritzer was much better. I do not remember what entree my husband had unfortunately, but he enjoyed it. Infact, this was my husband's favorite dining experience of our trip. He really didn't know much about it but learned a lot while there. I wish I had something more exciting for my entree but at this time in our trip, I was sick of eating bad so I got the 'House Harvest Salad' which was Baby Lettuces, Dried Cranberries, Toasted Almonds, Tomatoes, and Crumbled Feta Cheese. It was really good and I enjoyed it; just wish I could have gotten something else to try but by the end of vacation, I was done. We both skipped out on dessert as well. Regardless, it was a great experience. I wish a place like this was by me because I would continually support them. If you are in the area, 100% check them out and I will go back if I was in the area again one day.

What a Remarkable College Visit Experience! This college stands out as a special place combining education with practical skills and sustainable living. Here are some highlights that make it so impressive: Work-Study Program: The students' ability to work while attending college and graduate debt-free after four years is exceptional. This hands-on approach provides valuable work experience and helps offset the cost of education. Diverse Skill Development The range of skills students develop is impressive: Animal husbandry (cattle raising) Horticulture Candle making Jelly production Pottery Quilting This diverse skill set prepares students for various career paths and self-sufficiency. The campus environment sounds idyllic: Spotlessly clean, with constant maintenance Quiet and safe atmosphere Friendly and welcoming community Culinary Delights The food offerings are a highlight: Homemade ice cream from their dairy cows Coffee shop with amazing pastries Rumored to have the best carrot cake

Beautiful Christian college that graduates.students debt free and ready to be a productive member of society. Located on campus is a museum a gift shop with items produced by students and a restaurant open to public run by the students serving up fresh homemade food .If you are in the area it is definitely worth a visit and the community appreciates the patronage.

The ambiance is the best feature: out in the country, in a farm-type setting. The college does not charge tuition. Instead the students work for their education. I wish my university had provided that option. There is a dairy, where the students care for the cattle and make ice cream. The restaurant utilizes lots of student help - in the kitchen, as well as hosting and serving. The students are all really sweet. The food was well presented and had a nice flavor. There is also a boutique hotel upstairs. It is all a bit pricey, but it goes to supporting the students.

A MUST!!! This place is breathtaking! And the story behind it is even better. All of the servers are college students working for free tuition. They are the friendliest people and you can tell they hold to a high standard. Reservations highly suggested! Our server was so wonderful. She was very attentive and made suggestions for our meal. She went over and beyond serving us and made the effort to get to know us. The food is all made by the students. We were served cranberry muffins and rolls to start off. The muffins had a very weird taste to them-I believe they were made with cornmeal. Didn't care for them, but they looked delicious. The bread was really good, but again had cornmeal. I had a caesar salad and soup. They were both delicious. Husband had a steak and it was super tender and cooked perfectly. For dessert I had homemade Almond Joy ice cream-wow! Coconut ice cream with almonds and chocolate syrup. So good! I love the mission of this college-free tuition only requiring 15 hours of work a week and 2 weeks in the summer. These kids are making something of themselves, and the kids in culinary school are making great food at the same time!

Amazing customer service and delicious food. It's a delight to interact with students who work the farm to table restaurant.

Most tourists who visit the College of the Ozarks are not doing so for the educational experience. We have visited twice in the past seven years and both visits did not disappoint! The students who attend this educational wonder are free of tuition, rather they work to offset the expense. They do that while learning conventional courses and picking up real life skills and potential occupations. This visit, we conducted more of a tour than our first visit. We actually were staying in Branson and needed a US Post Office. Well lo and behold the Hollister PO is right on campus. What a beautiful campus. After visiting the PO we explored and visited the student stained glass shop, and the Mill General Store. We purchased some items at both locations. Most of the goods for sale are the result of the students efforts. They farm, harvest, refine, produce, and create some wonderful things. The main attraction at the college is Keeter Center close to the entrance. This building serves as a Welcome Center and as close to a Five Star Hotel if you desire to stay overnight. There is also a gift shop with student produced goods and the Dining Hall. It is here that you are treated to a FABULOUSLY prepared and tasteful meal. From the moment you enter you are seated and served by students of Hard Work U. There are several dedications to our US war veterans througout the lobby. Very well presented and preserved, and you should spent some time walking through and paying respect. We did this after we ate dinner. The dining Room is large and tastefully decorated. If needed it can accommodate more than 200. There is a large balcony that overlooks the campus and worth the view. On several occasions I found myself saying "I wish I knew about this place when I was attending college!" The grounds are beautiful! We each started with a bowl of soup....Delicious! It was real difficult on deciding what to have, we were in between that lunch and dinner time frame. We each had BBQ Mac with Penne and Gouda for our main dish. We ended with a shared piece of Blackberry Cobbler Ala Mode. Service (by Ryan) was first rate. Are you hungry yet? The menu is very complete for either lunch or dinner. We didn't have a reservation. We stopped in about 3:30 and once we gave our name at check-in we only had a 10 minute wait. Just enough time for my wife to pickup two more gift items. Dinner reservations are highly recommended. We will be back....Bon appetite!

Dinner Thursday dinner was great. We eat here on every trip to Branson. The restaurant is beautiful and the young people are terrific who serve you. Had a 30 minute wait but worth it. The ribeye steak cooked medium rare was perfect. The fench fries and assorted vegetables were great.

This was our first visit. We did not have reservations and almost didn't wait the hour, but so glad we did. The food was excellent, and the service was good. Our server was willing to share a lot about the college, and very friendly. Everyone should take the opportunity to dine here.

Came here for a late lunch based on all the great reviews, and am happy say they weren't wrong! Unfortunately we didn't get to eat in the restaurant itself as there was a 2-hour wait (at 1:30!). However, they do offer "curbside" dining with mobile ordering, which we enjoyed at a table by the huge fireplace. We shared the turkey club, which had a delicious basil aoli and a mountain of house-roasted turkey breast, along with a cup of the hearty corn chowder. Bonus - the chowder came with a flaky cranberry biscuit! Oh and the lemonade - get it! I don't know what they put in it but it's soo good! Would love to come back for dinner, but they are booked up for two weeks! It's a testament to the great job by the students here at "Hard Work U" who make and serve the food

We came to Branson on vacation. We was watching Delicious destinations saw the College of the Ozarks Restaurant. This a "MUST" if come down to Branson. It was very delicious and the students run everything. If do come we recommend reservations, for dinner. All food and dairy its from the College grounds. All the chefs are students study to become chefs.

Stopped here for ice cream which was fantastic. The policies of the school are not particularly inclusive though

Ate and shopped at the Keeter Center of the college. Served by students who love Jesus and the campus cared for by the students. Amazing. Great food and gifts.

It's a pretty campus with some attractive buildings and a nice pond, a good restaurant and at least on friendly cow.There are other cows.College of the Ozarks is a school where students go tuition free and are expected to work.In the area, walk around the campus for a while.

Attended our first Associates Banquet which was informative and offered a delicious meal. We sat with parents of current students who felt blessed that their students had the opportunity to attend such an outstanding institution. Being a product of the educational community I feel qualified to make a judgment regarding the worth of this first class college. This college is very successful in turning out Christian, patriotic students who go on to join very prestigious corporations. I was impressed on my first visit where I received a one on one tour of the campus. The rest is history.

We came to the Freedom Celebration this year and we were very disappointed on this experience. We have came to others before this one and this experience was the worst. Dinner was good but the options were lessened than years before. In my opinion, the amount of money spent was not worth it. Second, in the itinerary the fireworks were said to start at 8:35 and didn't start till 9:45...WITH NO ANNOUNCEMENT ON ISSUES. My husband went and asked a manager at Keeter what time they thought the fireworks would start. She was very rude to him saying she had no clue and hopefully they'll start early next year. She did not offer to check or anything. With this being said people started to leave early and many people including my family were getting extremely frustrated. The fireworks started at 9:45 and ended at 10:00. There was no music up at Keeter during the show but there was down in the free guest entry. (which seems a little wrong since we did pay good money for our tickets). When leaving, there was again NO COMMUNICATION. We waited in the car line for 15 minutes without moving. There was a security guard just sitting there with his arms crosses. We called Keeter and asked them to look in and again, no help. After my husband (again) went walking up to the security guard we moved because he saw my husband coming to ask why we weren't moving. Cue everyone in the cars in front of us thanking him and saying he just needed confrontation. We have loved Keeter for years and eat there consistently and my family is Alumni. But we all have to say...this was the worst experience yet. I hope staff reads this and makes changes and addresses their staff on customer service.

The food at the Kettering Center that we had for lunch was so good that we came back for dinner the next day. There is a nice selection with most food grown or raised on campus. The student staff are very professional & friendly. We enjoyed wandering around the campus and visiting the Gaetz Tractor Museum. It had many examples of vintage tractors & farm equipment.

Great restaurant and beautiful campus. We loved touring and meeting students that made stained glass and candles.

The food at the Kettering Center is amazing. A must place to go eat at when in Branson. We had 4 different dishes so we could try a little of everything. All 4 were great, and did not disappoint. Their desserts were amazing as well. My kids ate everything off their plates. Nice campus to visit.

I ate at the Keeter Center. The food was phenomenal and very reasonably priced. The bread and apple butter was out of this world!! The barbecue mac and cheese was the best I ever had. The students working there were so friendly and polite. I highly recommend eating here.

our tour group stops here for lunch or brunch depending on the time, I think this is one of the neatest places I have ever been to. and when you hear the whole story about the funding and the students , etc. is is mind blowing. the portions are huge ! ( mind you , we are canadians, so ALL american size portions are enough to feed a small family ) . I can't wait until I get the opportunity to come back, and support the students here. what a great place ! ( best pot roast I ever did taste ! ) .

Excellent atmosphere and food! Fantastic service for our large group of 19. Also able to provide a birthday cake for our celebration. Only negative is no alcohol served.

The fried green tomatoes were phenomenal! My husband agrees, and he does not like tomatoes. The bread was great! I loved the trout and he loved the meatloaf. The prices were reasonable and the waitstaff very attentive. What's not to love?

I went to college of the Ozarks fall of 2017. It was hypocritical and sexist. During character camp you are assigned with your group to do a job for a few hours once or twice. We were picking weeds in a field that they didn't even use. They gave us gloves, and it was okay for a bit. Then 5/7 of us got rashes on our hands and arms due to these. They made us go back and pick more another day despite the painful and itchy rashes. Whatever, moving on. Later in character camp, they forced us to go to these late night mixer parties, even if we didn't want to. Also forced us to stay late there. It had very loud music, however I was so tired I slept through this on the gym floor (no mats or blanket down) for two hours. Got up, helped clean up and went to the dorm. Fast forward to another character camp night, where we were forced to walk through water (getting soaked, it was hot so it felt fine) then proceed to make us sort into boy girl boy girl line, and sit on the laps of these random dudes. I was VERY uncomfortable with this. I saw them separate a girl and boy in our common room for sitting too close on the couch together, however they just soaked us down ( the clothes most girls were wearing were acceptable, but surly you know how clingy they can get when wet) then forced us to sit on these random dudes laps. There is also the incident where we figured out that our girls dorm rooms were about the size of a parking space (not exaggerating), however when we were able to check out the boys dorm they were huge compared to ours. I also got in trouble for wearing sport leggings my first day there. They lock freshman cars up the first semester about a half mile away from my dorm, which is fine until your walking in cold ass weather. Literally you can't take your car anywhere during the weeks, and it must be locked up Sunday night or else you'll get a ticket for parking in a parking lot. (Tip, if you snag the ticket and keep it, you can put it back on your car later during the week making it look like you haven't moved and they won't give you another ticket.) I was super depressed during this time, and stayed in bed when I was wasn't working at the cafe (loved working there it was super fun!) but I did stop going to classes. Not one teacher reached out to see why I stopped going half way through the semester. Due to this, I failed most of them. Also, something that really got on my nerves was the attitude that because we got into this school we were better than everyone else. They say we work hard for our education, which is laughable because I worked more in high school than I did there. It was disgusting how the administration expected us to be super grateful and act like we were blessed to walk their halls. If this was the case, please at least remove the mold from our dorms. THEY SPEND ALL THE MONEY ON THE KEETER CENTER OR THE GYMNASIUM. They literally treat the Keeter center student employees like trash. I was lucky to work at the cafe, but my roommate worked at the Keeter center. She came to our room crying multiple times after shifts there. Also, they made us feel like we were being watched 24/7. I was talking to some friends at work and mentioned that some of the people I know from high school were going to the club, as soon as I said club they hushed me and warned me I would get in trouble. WHAT? LOL. Oh also they fired some cooks who worked there because they were going home together but weren't married. So overall, if you want to trade your soul for subpar teachers and being debt free, (which good luck getting a job without access to your car, have fun paying for insurance or a phone bill) than this is a good school for you. It would definitely help if you are a white, straight male with an ego and a stick up your ass.

We had lunch at the Kettering Center and the food and service was fabulous. They had homemade apple butter that was scrumptious, I would have licked the serving pan if it had been appropriate!

This was our first visit to this restaurant but we enjoyed it so much, we made reservations for another evening. Beside the food and atmosphere being over the top, I found out from our waiter the restaurant is run and operated by students going to the Christian based college. The college is run fully by generous donations and the students are able to work at the restaurant and in other positions, in exchange for their 4 year degree. They were all polite, well groomed, well spoken and love their college and experiences there. On the campus, they grow most of the food used in the restaurant, but it's not a culinary college. Our waiter, David, was very attentive and interesting to talk to. We had the Sunday brunch (suggestion: make reservations, they fill up fast), that had a beautiful spread of food sure to please. It'll be included in our Branson trips from now on.

Yesterday my son graduated "college" and is now a proud Kindergartner. I cannot thank all of the students and teachers at the College of the Ozarks Preschool enough for the amazing start you have given my son Fin. Even just yesterday he was awarded white and red necklaces for being the best "patriot" during the pledge of allegiance. Now he's stoked to find out that in Kindergarten he'll get to strive to be "on blue or pink" to get prizes too, because he says "I'm good at that!" I have always taken for granted the services we have experienced at the preschool until having our second child. It has truly been a struggle to find good childcare for our youngest son and I am so excited that he will be starting with your preschool in April when he turns two. It has been because of this struggle that my eyes have been opened to not just the services you provide, but the outstanding services you provide. From the safety locks on the doors, to the emergency drills, to the smiling faces of the students and faculty, to the anticipation my child had every day desiring to go to preschool every morning, to the field trips around campus that he talked about for weeks afterwards, to the summer swimming trips to the pool, to all of the wonderful friends he made while at your preschool. I could go on and on, so I think I will. The faculty: Kristy and her staff are absolutely amazing. You couldn't have a more organized, more caring, more loving, more supportive staff than what you have in that building right now. They are true leaders setting an exceptional example for each of the students that work there including the little ones they keep. I was always informed of schedules, things going on at the school, given great information about the community, and immediately contacted if there was ever an injury or emergency. I knew that even though students were watching my child, there was an outstanding leadership above them guiding them step by step and showing them how to succeed. Your faculty was not only caring for my child, and not only teaching these students how to do this profession, but they were and are showing these students how to be parents. How to care for their future children, how to set up others for success, how to be true leaders for their community. Wow. What a responsibility and your faculty does this with the utmost of grace and true sincerity. They deserve to be applauded, again and again. The students: Holy cow. To know that "college students" have been caring for my child should make any parent run for the hills. However, the students at College of the Ozarks truly break the mold. We have always been greeted with a smile and a "Fin! There's my main man!" or "Where's Fin! I've been waiting all morning for you to get here!" From "blue room" to "yellow room" Fin has talked about each and every one of his student teachers and some have made such a big impact on him that he even invited them to his birthday party. And...they came! Now what other "college students" do you know that would come to a 4 year old's birthday party? I'll tell you who, College of the Ozarks students. Fin was so excited to see them and show them off and introduce them to all of his friends and family. Again, wow. What an impact each student teacher has had on my little boy. Now I know the cuddles are supposed to be rare and kids are supposed to grow up, go off, and do things on their own. But I have to say as a parent, sneaking in a bit early to pick up my kiddo one day and seeing my little boy sitting in the lap of a student teacher at age 6 while getting a book read to him? There's something special about that. He loves his student teachers. He loves the faculty. And even though he never wanted to "go to Ms. Kristy's office" he loved Ms. Kristy too. For 4 years you have helped mold our child to be a great patriot, with great Christian morals. You have taught him to be a great leader and a truly great person. My husband and I will always be forever grateful for your care, love, and support. From the deepest part of our hearts, we thank you.

Great place to visit when in Branson! A breath taking lookout point, replica of the Liberty Bell and a museum with incredible exhibits makes this a must stop in Branson. The best part is their motto "Hard Work U", love it! This place is clean and filled with polite young people not afraid of hard work in exchange for an education and character building!

Famously known as Hardwork U this local university offers a small and beautiful campus that matches perfectly with the local area and is a must-see for families! What's really amazing is the fact that the school is largely run by the 1500 student population who work for their tuition and as a result graduate nearly debt-free. You'll see students basket weaving, making quilts, tilling the land, and even serving you in their amazing fine dining restaurant at the Keeter Center. Man is the food amazing there! Not only are many of the items made in-house from the campus's gardens and farm animals, the students are all incredibly friendly and exuberant; they are some of the most enthusiastic servers I have ever seen. Once you finish stuffing yourself, make sure to see the service desk for a map of campus in order to get your bearings and to make the most of your own special self-tour. There are a few museums and gardens that visitors can appreciate. Unfortunately we came a little late so we didn't get to visit the new Vietnam memorial museum but I hear it is definitely a must-see! Who knows if you end up loving the university and concept as much as me, maybe you'll even consider sending your kids to the University so that your wallet can be a little fatter and your kids a little more appreciative and independent.

The food at the Kettering center for dinner was amazing. This college is fascinating and candidly has a great solution for today's education needs. Hard Work U. The waiter Jesse was so professional and it was the best meal we had in Branson. It's a must do.

Great food and service. If you want to have motivated, courteous, and competent service as well as well prepared meals this is the place for you. Every time we are in Branson we make it a point to dine here. While there may be a wait it will be worth it.

A hidden treasure in the hills of Branson. A great family experience, be sure to dine at the Keeter Center a value you will never duplicate! Student staff efficent, polite, helpful, knowledgeable, respectfull.

What a cool place teaching young people work and ethical values. Restaurant was a wow experience too