More selective than 57% of Arizona colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $52,170. College Scorecard.
Higher than 33% of Arizona colleges we cover and 4% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 56% of Arizona colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Ottawa University-Surprise acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,359 applicants, Ottawa University-Surprise admitted 542 and 211 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 840–1160 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Ottawa University-Surprise 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-Surprise costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ottawa University-Surprise 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 Arizona. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $28,636 | $121,989 | 6.5 years |
| $30–48k | $30,096 | $128,209 | 6.8 years |
| $48–75k | $31,252 | $133,134 | 7.0 years |
| $75–110k | $35,696 | $152,065 | 8.0 years |
| $110k+ | $35,922 | $153,028 | 8.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (17% 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 $36,661 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in AZ (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $18,891 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-Surprise majors, earnings & careers
Ottawa University-Surprise offers 18 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Science & Math · 2
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
- Engineering · 1
Highest-earning majors at Ottawa University-Surprise
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Psychology | $43,959 | $27,562 |
Quick list of all 18 majors
- Accounting$72,368
- Biology—
- Business Administration$64,798
- Communications$59,445
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$50,010
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering—
- English—
- Health Administration$82,317
- History—
- Human Resources$66,759
- Human Services$52,309
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Mathematics—
- Psychology$43,959
- Religious Studies—
- Special Education—
- 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 Phoenix
Overall prices in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,734. Housing costs 21% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 9 inches of rain a year, almost no snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: wildfire (relatively high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Maricopa County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Maricopa County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Ottawa University-Surprise with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Arizona 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-Surprise | 78% | $33,393 | 18% | $55,552 | This school |
| Arizona Christian University | 71% | $32,839 | 40% | $51,612 | |
| Prescott College | 95% | $22,583 | 56% | $42,359 | |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | 77% | $40,287 | 68% | $84,131 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ottawa University-Surprise would cost you $554 more per year than Arizona Christian University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Ottawa University-Surprise, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$2,760).
- Arizona Christian University gives aided families $3,176 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Arizona resident | Ottawa University-Surprise | Arizona Christian University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $35,880 | $35,098 | +$782 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,730 | −$530 |
| Housing & meals | $15,340 | $13,500 | +$1,840 |
| Personal & travel | $3,400 | $6,160 | −$2,760 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,650 | −$1,696 | −$1,954 |
| Sticker price | $52,170 | $54,792 | −$2,622 |
| Average grants | −$18,777 | −$21,953 | +$3,176 |
| You pay | $33,393 | $32,839 | +$554 |
“+” means Ottawa University-Surprise 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-Surprise
What is the Ottawa University-Surprise acceptance rate?
Ottawa University-Surprise accepts 78% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 542 of 1,359 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 840–1160 on the SAT or 16–21 on the ACT.
How much does Ottawa University-Surprise cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $52,170 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $33,393 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $28,636 and families earning $110k+ pay $35,922.
How much do Ottawa University-Surprise graduates earn?
Former Ottawa University-Surprise 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-Surprise graduation rate?
18% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 50% return for their second year.
How long does a Ottawa University-Surprise degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ottawa University-Surprise costs about $133,134 after grants ($31,252 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,552 ten years after starting, $18,891 more than high school graduates in Arizona ($36,661), so the cost is repaid in 7.0 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-Surprise: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ottawa-university-surprise (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).