Private nonprofit · University

Ottawa University-Surprise

Surprise, Arizona · Large suburb

#4 most selective in Arizona
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.

Private nonprofitSmall · 836 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 78% admitNAIA Division I · Golden State Athletic Conference

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

Selectivity78.1%

More selective than 48% · #4 most selective of 13 in Arizona

SAT average972

Higher than 5%

Graduation rate18%

Higher than 5% · #15 of 18 in Arizona

First-year retention50%

Higher than 6%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,552

Higher than 55% · #6 of 19 in Arizona

Average net price$33,393

Cheaper than 10% · #13 cheapest of 17 in Arizona

Median debt at graduation$21,500

Lower than 63%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment836

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

911students
  • Undergraduate83692%
  • Graduate758%

Undergraduates by gender

836undergrads
  • 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)

All students
14%
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
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)

Football180
Soccer99
Baseball79
Volleyball70
Basketball68
Other Sports53
Golf35
Water Polo29
Softball26
Beach Volleyball24
Tennis23
Swimming22
Weight Lifting22
Track and Field (Outdoor)17
Track and Field (Indoor)15
Cross Country8
Bowling7

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.

4.7reported offenses a year
0 violent a year4.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary
4.7

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
$28,636
$30–48k
$30,096
$48–75k
$31,252
$75–110k
$35,696
$110k+
$35,922

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
$136,715

$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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$14,386
average award, among those who get one

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.

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
105°F
Winter low
40°F
Annual rain
8.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
30°70°110°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.61.2JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Youngtown, AZ US station (4.5 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-Surprise

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

Colleges near Ottawa University-Surprise

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.