Bible Belt Ivy: How College of the Ozarks Became One of America's Most Exclusive Schools

On the first floor of a drab stone administrative building more reminiscent of a middle school than a nationally ranked college, a massive map of the United States holds hundreds of thin multicolored tacks. Each represents a $100-plus donor, and Dr. Jerry C. Davis moves his finger cross-country to talk about his favorite points.While some schools employ vast development staffs—and even legions of telemarketers—to keep up with alumni, Davis retains just one development officer. That’s astounding given his school’s half-billion-dollar endowment and, more importantly, its endowment-per-student ratio, which ranks No. 59 among the 650 schools on the Forbes Top Colleges list.