William Woods University is an American co-educational, independent, private university in Fulton, Missouri with 3,800 students. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines in campus and outreach settings and online. First known as the Female Orphan School, the institution was founded in 1870 in Camden Point, Missouri in response to the needs of female children orphaned during the war. The university was founded 1870 and although independent, has a historical affiliation to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).