City: Branson, MO

Category: Education

Telephone: (417) 873-7879, (800) 922-2274

Address: 900 North Benton Ave.

Description: The oldest of Springfield’s colleges, Drury was founded in 1873. Its 88-acre campus is situated in the elegant, old part of the city. The college has an enrollment of 1,550 and offers both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. President Todd Parnell, 16th president, Drury alumnus, and adjunct professor, has taken the reins from former president John Moore, who had done much to reaffirm the college’s excellent academic reputation after a decade and a half during which the school lived on its past reputation. It has an undergraduate faculty of 108, of which 98 percent have terminal degrees. Drury has an endowment of just over $100 million, and students paid tuition and fees of $17,900, plus room and board of $6,934, in 2009. The college has one of the highest academic standards in the state, and no student who has an ACT score below 25 is accepted. Notable alumni of Drury include John Morris, founder and president of Bass Pro Shops, Inc.; Tom Whitlock, Academy Award winner; and Betty Dukert, producer of Meet the Press. The college often features nationally known guest speakers, poets, and writers.