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Ottawa University-Ottawa logo
Private nonprofit Ottawa, KS · Town · Plains · 100% data
B Earnings B Diversity C- Selectivity
Graduation Rate
28% F
Lower completion rate than most colleges
Earnings (10yr)
$55,552 B
Well above the typical college graduate
Net Price
$27,963 F
63% more than the typical college
Acceptance Rate
83% C-
Accessible to most qualified applicants
Earnings +36% vs avg
Graduation -51% vs avg
Net Price 63% vs avg

Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 11.5× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $11.5 over 20 years. Ranked #10 in Best Psychology Colleges in Kansas.

11.5× return on investment

Every $1 spent returns $11.5 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,169,327.

What The Data Says

  1. A C- overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.

  2. Earnings 36% above the national college median.

  3. Graduation of 28% — 51% below the national average.

  4. Every $1 invested returns $11.5 over 20 years — an exceptional return.

Why Ottawa University-Ottawa Matters

Ottawa University-Ottawa is a private college in Ottawa, KS and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: graduate earnings well above the typical college.

Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.

Institutional Profile

Institution Type
Private College
Carnegie Class
Baccalaureate College
Enrollment
870
Setting
Town
Designations
52
Primary Strengths
Business & Marketing, Psychology, Education, Biology & Biomedical

Why students choose Ottawa University-Ottawa

Influential alumni network
High cross-class social capital and reach
Close mentorship
A small, undergraduate-focused community
Strength in Business & Marketing
Its most-awarded field of study

CollegeRanker Report Card

Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.

C-
Top 57% overall
B
Earnings
$55,552 median
C-
Value
2.0× net price
F
Affordability
$27,963/yr net
F
Graduation
28% graduate
C-
Selectivity
83% admit rate
B
Diversity
0.68 index

Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.

How we grade →

Overview

With an enrollment of 870 students and an acceptance rate of 83%, Ottawa University-Ottawa is a welcoming choice for those looking to pursue a more intimate college experience. This school tends to attract students interested in fields like Business & Marketing, Psychology, Education, Biology & Biomedical, and Communications. If you thrive in a close-knit environment where you can build relationships with classmates and professors, this might be a good fit for you.

Looking at life after graduation, the earning potential is a notable factor. Graduates report an average salary of $55,552 ten years after completing their degree. This can be an important consideration as you weigh your options. The financial landscape is also manageable; about 37% of students receive Pell Grants, which can ease the burden on those who qualify.

When considering the practical side, the net price for attending Ottawa University after financial aid is around $27,963, with a median debt of $21,500 for graduates. This means that while the costs are significant, they are in line with what many students can handle. Those who tend to thrive here are often those who appreciate a supportive environment and are driven to succeed in their chosen fields.

Rankings

Can I Get In?

How selective Ottawa University-Ottawa is — and how your numbers stack up.

Tool

Will I Be Accepted?

Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.

3.0
Test Score
1050
21

Academics & Admissions

Is It Hard to Get Into Ottawa University-Ottawa? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Ottawa University-Ottawa, located in Ottawa, Kansas, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,000. The graduation rate is roughly 28%.

Acceptance Rate
83%
Retention Rate
58%
SAT Average
1000
ACT Midpoint
18
SAT Range
750–1000
ACT Range
16–22
Full-Time Faculty
94%
Faculty Salary (mo)
$6,778
Student–Faculty Ratio
11:1
Diversity Index
0.68
First-Gen Students
40%
Applicants
3,331
Admitted
2,606

Can I Afford It?

What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.

Cost & Financial Aid

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Ottawa University-Ottawa? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Ottawa University-Ottawa is $35,880, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $27,963. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,449 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,500 in federal student loans.

In-State Tuition
$35,880
Out-of-State
$35,880
Avg Net Price
$27,963
Median Debt
$21,500
Pell Grant Rate
37%
Federal Loan Rate
76%

What Families Actually Pay

Family Income $0–$30K
$22,449
Family Income $30K–$48K
$22,912
Family Income $48K–$75K
$25,525
Family Income $110K+
$30,771

What Happens After?

Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.

Students Like You

Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at Ottawa University-Ottawa — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.

Compare schools in the full simulator →Sources: College Scorecard, Common Data Set, Opportunity Insights · today's dollars (CPI-adjusted) · descriptive, not predictive

Graduate Outcomes

Is Ottawa University-Ottawa Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Ottawa University-Ottawa earn a median of $55,552, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

6 Years After Entry
$49,139
8 Years
$53,089
10 Years
$55,552
Debt-to-Earnings
0.39x
Earning > $25K
70%

Earnings Trajectory

$49,139 6yr $53,089 8yr $55,552 10yr

Graduation by Timeframe

100% (46)
27%
100% (46)
27%
100% (46)
27%
100% (46)
27%

How Ottawa Compares

Dot right of center = above national average.

NATIONAL AVGGraduation28%Earnings 10yr$56KNet Price$28KRetention58%Median Debt$22KPell Grant Rate37%

Net Price by Family Income

What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.

$22K$0-30K$23K$30-48K$26K$48-75K$31K$110K+

College ROI Calculator

Is Ottawa University-Ottawa Worth It?

A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.

Yes — for most students, Ottawa University-Ottawa delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $27,963/year ($111,852 total). Graduates earn $55,552 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,281,179 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,169,327 (11.5× your investment). The median debt is $21,500, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 28% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.

Total Cost (4yr)
$111,852
Projected 20yr Earnings
$1,281,179
Net Return
$1,169,327
ROI Multiple
11.5×
Cost Per Year
$27,963
Median Debt
$21,500
Debt Payback
Less than 1 yr
Graduation Rate
28%

Does It Change Lives?

Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?

Social Capital

Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas

How Connected Is Ottawa University-Ottawa? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Ottawa University-Ottawa. Its economic connectedness score is 1.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

Economic Connectedness
1.70
Cross-class friendships
Friending Bias
-0.05
Lower = more inclusive
Volunteering Rate
3.5%
Support Ratio
1.00
Community support

Research Note

267%
Low-income students at colleges in the top quartile of economic connectedness are 267% more likely to reach the top income quintile than peers at the least-connected schools.
Data from CollegeRanker’s review of 5,745 U.S. colleges (n=1,503). Quartile comparison of mean bottom-quintile success rate, split by economic connectedness (Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas × Mobility Report Card).

Institutional Finances

Data: NCES IPEDS

Federal Grants
$3,815,741
Investment Income
$-1,073,080

Top Programs

The fields Ottawa University-Ottawa awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.

Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is It Hard to Get Into Ottawa University-Ottawa? Acceptance Rate & Requirements

Ottawa University-Ottawa, located in Ottawa, Kansas, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 83%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,000. The graduation rate is roughly 28%.

How Much Does It Cost to Attend Ottawa University-Ottawa? Tuition, Net Price & Aid

Published tuition at Ottawa University-Ottawa is $35,880, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $27,963. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $22,449 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $21,500 in federal student loans.

Is Ottawa University-Ottawa Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI

Ten years out, alumni of Ottawa University-Ottawa earn a median of $55,552, roughly in line with the national average for college graduates.

How Connected Is Ottawa University-Ottawa? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks

Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at Ottawa University-Ottawa. Its economic connectedness score is 1.70, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (-0.05), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 4% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.

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The State of American Higher Education Outcomes

Every state graded on what graduates earn, how far they climb, and what college really costs — the hidden geography of economic mobility, in one report.

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