Ottawa University-Surprise

Private · Moderately Selective · AZ

School data & stats

TypePrivate

LocationAZ · West

SettingSuburban

Undergrads836

Student:faculty11:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate13.6%

6-yr grad rate18.2%

Drop-out rate50%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$36k

Out-of-state tuition$36k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity64.5%

Gender diversity34.3%

International4.7%

IdentityAmerican Baptist

Overview

Ottawa University's Surprise campus is the Arizona residential branch of a Baptist-heritage Kansas university, opened in 2017 in the Phoenix suburbs. It was built around an athletics-driven enrollment model, fielding a large number of intercollegiate teams relative to its size, alongside career-focused academic programs.

Academics

Business, education, and health-related fields make up the bulk of majors, delivered in a small-campus format without the research breadth of a large university. The curriculum leans practical and career-preparatory rather than toward broad liberal arts exploration.

Campus & student life

Student life is heavily organized around athletics, with a large share of the student body participating in intercollegiate sports, giving campus life a team-and-schedule rhythm more than a traditional large-campus social scene. The Surprise, Arizona location places students in the Phoenix metro area's western suburbs rather than a self-contained college town.

Getting in

Admission is not highly selective, and athletic recruitment plays a substantial role in how the entering class is built, alongside general academic review for non-athlete applicants.

Worth knowing

As a young campus opened in 2017, Ottawa-Surprise is still a newer, evolving branch within the larger Ottawa University system rather than an institution with long-established traditions of its own.

ottawa.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate78.1%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 840–1160 · ACT 16–21

Test policyoptional

Rec letters—

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying