Private nonprofit · University

Ottawa University-Ottawa

Ottawa, Kansas · Distant town

83.0%
Admit rate
$27,963
Avg net price
28%
Graduation rate
$55,552
Median earnings

Ottawa University-Ottawa is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Ottawa, Kansas (distant town setting), enrolling 870 undergraduates. It has a American Baptist religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 870 undergradsDistant townAccessible · 83% admitNAIA Division I · Kansas Collegiate Athletic ConferenceCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Ottawa University-Ottawa's admitted students.

Admit rate
83.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
750–1000
Avg GPA (est.)
2.90

Enter a test score to see where you land against Ottawa University-Ottawa's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Ottawa University-Ottawa's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Ottawa, Kansas

Ottawa is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Kansas, United States. In the spring of 1864, title to the land was obtained from the tribe through treaty connected to the founding of Ottawa University, the Ottawa having donated 20,000 acres of land to establish and fund a school for the education of Indians and non-Indians alike. Ottawa's two major employers are Walmart and American Eagle Outfitters, who both maintain distribution centers in the city. Ottawa has freight rail service from BNSF railway. There is also a grain elevator operated by the Ottawa Co-Op. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Distant town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To Great Lakes shore
461 miles
Nearest airport
57 miles to Kansas City (MCI) · major hub

How Ottawa University-Ottawa compares

Selectivity83.0%

More selective than 39% · #14 most selective of 24 in Kansas

SAT average1000

Higher than 8%

Graduation rate28%

Higher than 10% · #25 of 27 in Kansas

First-year retention58%

Higher than 12%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,552

Higher than 55% · #7 of 27 in Kansas

Average net price$27,963

Cheaper than 21% · #21 cheapest of 26 in Kansas

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment870

Larger than 34%

Percentiles compare Ottawa University-Ottawa with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Kansas.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

999students
  • Undergraduate87087%
  • Graduate12913%

Undergraduates by gender

870undergrads
  • Women54663%
  • Men32437%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White50%
  • Black15%
  • Hispanic19%
  • Asian1.0%
  • Other or multiracial15%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
870
Graduate enrollment
129
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
40%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$37,232
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$61,002
Endowment
$6,264,121

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
83.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
750–1000
SAT average
1000
SAT reading
420–500
SAT math
330–500
ACT composite
16–22
Average GPA (estimated)
2.90

Cost

In-state tuition
$35,880
Room & board
$13,646
Books & supplies
$1,300
Total cost of attendance
$51,856
Average net price
$27,963

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
28%
Graduated on time (4 years)
20%
First-year retention
58%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,139
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,552
Median debt at graduation
$21,500
Students with federal loans
76%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
38%

About 8% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
20%
Low-income (Pell)
39%
First-generation
38%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
633
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
73%
Housing charge (year)
$5,360
Meal plan (year)
$6,800
Application fee
$25
Athletics
NAIA Division I
Football conference
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
936 (582 men · 354 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (17)

Football134
Baseball116
Soccer92
Basketball88
Wrestling79
Volleyball74
Other Sports60
Weight Lifting47
Track and Field (Indoor)38
Track and Field (Outdoor)38
Bowling36
Lacrosse35
Softball28
Beach Volleyball24
Cross Country18
Tennis17
Golf12

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
A
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.3 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
0
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (999 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

0.3reported offenses a year
0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$22,449
$30–48k
$22,912
$48–75k
$25,525
$75–110k
$30,199
$110k+
$30,771

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$113,298

$25,525/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$20,122
average award, among those who get one

Ottawa University-Ottawa discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $20,122. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 243 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$55,552
Typical debt at graduation
$21,500
Debt vs. one year's pay
39%
Out-earn a HS grad
66%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,904
Men
$59,911

Men out-earn women by $7,007 (13%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
89°F
Winter low
18°F
Annual rain
39.9″
Annual snow
9.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.95.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ottawa, KS US station (1.1 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Ottawa University-Ottawa

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ottawa University-Ottawa side by side →

Colleges near Ottawa University-Ottawa

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.