Private nonprofit · University
Ottawa University-Surprise
Surprise, Arizona · Large suburb
- 78.1%
- Admit rate
- $33,393
- Avg net price
- 18%
- Graduation rate
- $55,552
- Median earnings
Ottawa University-Surprise is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Surprise, Arizona (large suburb setting), enrolling 836 undergraduates. It is a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI). It has a American Baptist religious affiliation.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against Ottawa University-Surprise's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 78.1%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 840–1160
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 2.84
Enter a test score to see where you land against Ottawa University-Surprise's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Ottawa University-Surprise's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About Surprise, Arizona
Surprise is a city in Maricopa County, in the U.S. state of Arizona. Statler was the daughter of another Arizona pioneer, Charles Gillett, who helped found Glendale, specifically as a temperance community. Gillett owned much land in Glendale as well as the Verde Valley. Surprise Regional Library, a $5.5 million, 20,000-square-foot (1,900 m2) library, is located in Surprise’s Recreation Campus. Surprise has two other city library branches, one in the original townsite (Hollyhock branch) and one in north Surprise (Asante branch). (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 21 miles to Phoenix, AZ
- To the ocean
- 165 miles
- Nearest airport
- 25 miles to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) · major hub
How Ottawa University-Surprise compares
More selective than 48% · #4 most selective of 13 in Arizona
Higher than 5%
Higher than 5% · #15 of 18 in Arizona
Higher than 6%
Higher than 55% · #6 of 19 in Arizona
Cheaper than 10% · #13 cheapest of 17 in Arizona
Lower than 63%
Lower than 68%
Larger than 32%
Percentiles compare Ottawa University-Surprise with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Arizona.
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate83692%
- Graduate758%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women52563%
- Men31137%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White36%
- Black13%
- Hispanic35%
- Asian1.6%
- Other or multiracial15%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 836
- Graduate enrollment
- 75
- Student–faculty ratio
- 11 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 40%
- First-generation students
- 40%
- Students over 25
- 4%
- Median family income
- $37,232
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $60,210
- Endowment
- $8,438,440
Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.
Admissions
- Admission rate
- 78.1%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 840–1160
- SAT average
- 972
- SAT reading
- 440–590
- SAT math
- 400–570
- ACT composite
- 16–21
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 2.84
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $35,880
- Room & board
- $16,500
- Books & supplies
- $1,300
- Total cost of attendance
- $52,170
- Average net price
- $33,393
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)
- 18%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 14%
- First-year retention
- 50%
- 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
- 73%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 38%
Graduating on time
By student background (4 years)
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
- 401
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 48%
- Housing charge (year)
- $9,000
- Meal plan (year)
- $6,430
- Application fee
- $25
- Athletics
- NAIA Division I
- Football conference
- Golden State Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 777 (502 men · 275 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)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- D
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 5.1 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 0
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 14
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (912 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$31,252/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.
A meaningful share of freshmen — 100% — get grant money from Ottawa University-Surprise itself, averaging $14,386, which softens the sticker price.
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 244 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.
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.
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
- 105°F
- Winter low
- 40°F
- Annual rain
- 8.3″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Youngtown, AZ US station (4.5 mi from campus).
What Ottawa University-Surprise graduates study — and earn
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-Surprise
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ottawa University-Surprise side by side →
University of Saint Joseph
West Hartford, Connecticut · Small city · 3 mi to Hartford
- Students
- 838
- Admission
- 79%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- 950
- GPA
- 2.8
- Earnings
- $60k
Ottawa University-Ottawa
Ottawa, Kansas · Distant town · 50 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 870
- Admission
- 83%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- 1000
- GPA
- 2.9
- Earnings
- $56k
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, Maine · Fringe rural · 16 mi to Portland
- Students
- 964
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $28k
- SAT
- 1040
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $59k
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Olathe, Kansas · Large suburb · 19 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 983
- Admission
- 79%
- Net price
- $32k
- SAT
- 1048
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $63k
Southwestern Adventist University
Keene, Texas · Fringe town · 25 mi to Fort Worth
- Students
- 570
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- 1031
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $53k
Adrian College
Adrian, Michigan · Distant town · 32 mi to Toledo
- Students
- 1,604
- Admission
- 73%
- Net price
- $25k
- SAT
- 1034
- GPA
- 3.0
- Earnings
- $56k
Colleges near Ottawa University-Surprise
Western Maricopa Education Center
Glendale, AZ · Public · Certificate · 245 students
Estrella Mountain Community College
Avondale, AZ · Public · Certificate · 4,512 students
Arizona Christian University
Glendale, AZ · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,165 students
Midwestern University-Glendale
Glendale, AZ · Private nonprofit · Graduate
Glendale Community College
Glendale, AZ · Public · Certificate · 11,975 students
Aveda Institute Tucson-Avondale
Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit · Certificate · 158 students
Empire Beauty School-Avondale
Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit · Certificate · 236 students
Universal Technical Institute of Arizona Inc
Avondale, AZ · Private for-profit · Associate · 1,957 students
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.











