More selective than 48% of Kansas colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $51,856. College Scorecard.
Higher than 11% of Kansas colleges we cover and 10% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 74% of Kansas colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Ottawa University-Ottawa acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,600 applicants, Ottawa University-Ottawa admitted 2,881 and 293 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 750–1000 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Ottawa University-Ottawa tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Ottawa University-Ottawa costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ottawa University-Ottawa took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Kansas. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,449 | $95,857 | 4.5 years |
| $30–48k | $22,912 | $97,834 | 4.6 years |
| $48–75k | $25,525 | $108,992 | 5.1 years |
| $75–110k | $30,199 | $128,950 | 6.0 years |
| $110k+ | $30,771 | $131,392 | 6.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (23% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($55,552) minus $34,216 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in KS (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $21,336 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Ottawa University-Ottawa majors, earnings & careers
Ottawa University-Ottawa offers 35 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 7
- Education · 5
- Health & Medicine · 5
- Humanities & Languages · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 2
- Science & Math · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Ottawa University-Ottawa
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,782 | $34,747 |
| Health Administration | $82,317 | $29,198 |
| Accounting | $72,368 | $35,854 |
| Human Resources | $66,759 | $30,736 |
| Business Administration | $64,798 | $27,000 |
| Communications | $59,445 | $27,000 |
| Human Services | $52,309 | $39,775 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $50,010 | $25,583 |
Quick list of all 35 majors
- Accounting$72,368
- Biology—
- Business Administration$64,798
- Business Economics—
- Communications$59,445
- Criminal Justice—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,010
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- English—
- Finance—
- Health Administration$82,317
- History—
- Human Resources$66,759
- Human Services$52,309
- Information Science / Studies—
- Information Technology—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Management Information Systems—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Music—
- Nursing$92,782
- Parks, Recreation, Leisure, Fitness, and Kinesiology, Other—
- Philosophy, Politics, and Economics—
- Psychology$43,959
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Special Education—
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services—
- Studio Art—
- Theology and Religious Vocations, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Accounting → Accountant / auditor
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Ottawa
2 bedrooms $1,179.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 38 inches of rain a year, 9 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Franklin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Ottawa University-Ottawa with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Kansas by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ottawa University-Ottawa | 83% | $27,963 | 28% | $55,552 | This school |
| McPherson College | 77% | $26,441 | 34% | $52,084 | |
| Southwestern College | 76% | $29,824 | 36% | $55,646 | |
| University of Saint Mary | 87% | $22,519 | 48% | $59,483 | |
| Bethel College-North Newton | 94% | $32,917 | 41% | $49,898 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ottawa University-Ottawa would cost you $1,522 more per year than McPherson College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Ottawa University-Ottawa, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,838).
- McPherson College gives aided families $277 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Kansas resident | Ottawa University-Ottawa | McPherson College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $35,880 | $37,310 | −$1,430 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,420 | −$220 |
| Housing & meals | $12,160 | $10,322 | +$1,838 |
| Personal & travel | $3,640 | $3,762 | −$122 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,024 | −$2,203 | +$1,179 |
| Sticker price | $51,856 | $50,611 | +$1,245 |
| Average grants | −$23,893 | −$24,170 | +$277 |
| You pay | $27,963 | $26,441 | +$1,522 |
“+” means Ottawa University-Ottawa costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Ottawa University-Ottawa
What is the Ottawa University-Ottawa acceptance rate?
Ottawa University-Ottawa accepts 83% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,881 of 3,600 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 750–1000 on the SAT or 16–22 on the ACT.
How much does Ottawa University-Ottawa cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $51,856 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,963 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,449 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,771.
How much do Ottawa University-Ottawa graduates earn?
Former Ottawa University-Ottawa students earn a median $55,552 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Ottawa University-Ottawa graduation rate?
28% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 58% return for their second year.
How long does a Ottawa University-Ottawa degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ottawa University-Ottawa costs about $108,992 after grants ($25,525 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,552 ten years after starting, $21,336 more than high school graduates in Kansas ($34,216), so the cost is repaid in 5.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ottawa University-Ottawa: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ottawa-university-ottawa (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).