Ottawa University-Surprise is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Surprise, Arizona. It enrolls 836 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Fair
41/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes2
Value9
Affordability39
Selectivity26
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Ottawa University-Surprise admits 78.2% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
78.2%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
840 – 1160
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
16 – 21
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Ottawa University-Surprise is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
3.3 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $33,393 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$35,880
Room & Board (on-campus)
$16,500
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,500
Books & Supplies
$1,300
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$5,366
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$5,366
Total Cost of Attendance
$52,170
Application fee: $25 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$28,636
$30,001 – $48,000
$30,096
$48,001 – $75,000
$31,252
$75,001 – $110,000
$35,696
Over $110,000
$35,922
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$3,19710%percentile
$6,38325%percentile
$21,500Medianpercentile
$23,50075%percentile
$32,37590%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $13,100
↓ $8,400
No Pell $12,000
↓ $9,500
Dependent students $10,000
↓ $11,500
Independent students $17,123
↓ $4,377
Female students $14,680
↓ $6,820
Male students $10,500
↓ $11,000
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($21,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
27% of students who start here finish within six years, and 47% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
27%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
47%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $55,552 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,552
Earning > $25K
80%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$44,200
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$56,000
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$40,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$46,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$57,800
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $11,800, about 21% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
13.7 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 70% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 836 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 40% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
836
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
40%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 35.5%297
Hispanic 34.7%290
Black 12.9%108
Other 10.3%86
International 4.7%39
Asian 1.6%13
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Ottawa University-Surprise. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Ottawa University-Surprise offers
a varied set of programs:
15 distinct programs across
7 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$59,785
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
15 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
1
7%
$62,351
Associate Professors
4
27%
$59,842
Assistant Professors
9
60%
$60,260
Instructors
1
7%
$52,722
Pros & Cons of Ottawa University-Surprise
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Ottawa University-Surprise is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Ottawa University-Surprise is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ottawa University-Surprise
The questions families ask most about Ottawa University-Surprise, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Ottawa University-Surprise hard to get into?
Not especially. Ottawa University-Surprise admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 78.2%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Ottawa University-Surprise?
78.2% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Ottawa University-Surprise?
Aim for 1160 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 840 and 1160 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Ottawa University-Surprise?
Aim for 21 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 16 and 21 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Ottawa University-Surprise cost?
Budget around $33,393 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Ottawa University-Surprise worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $55,552 a year against a net price of $33,393, about 1.7 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Ottawa University-Surprise known for?
Mostly Kinesiology, Business Administration, Business Administration. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Ottawa University-Surprise graduates earn?
About $55,552 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Ottawa University-Surprise accredited?
Yes. Ottawa University-Surprise is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
How many students attend Ottawa University-Surprise?
836 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Ottawa University-Surprise?
27% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Ottawa University-Surprise a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Ottawa University-Surprise located?
Ottawa University-Surprise is located in Surprise, Arizona.
What programs does Ottawa University-Surprise offer?
15 different programs, most commonly Kinesiology, Business Administration, Business Administration. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Ottawa University-Surprise?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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