Percentile rankings vs 1,600+ peer institutions. Higher is better.
Career OutcomesAzimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #527 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $44,258, placing College of the Ozarks in the 2.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #1451 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #527 for overall value on Azimuth's composite among nonprofit four-year institutions. A private master's university in Point Lookout, Missouri, College of the Ozarks enrolls roughly 1,444 undergraduates. Retention is 90.2% and the six-year graduation rate is 63.7%, reflecting solid completion outcomes for a residential liberal arts institution. Where College of the Ozarks performs strongest is return on investment. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #1451 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,061 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing College of the Ozarks in the 2.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. This performance reflects the institution's focus on Business and applied fields that connect directly to workforce outcomes. Access and affordability anchor the institution's mission. College of the Ozarks enrolls 49.2% Pell-eligible students and 32.7% first-generation college students, positioning it as a broad-access institution serving students who might otherwise lack pathways to a four-year degree. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks 91.1 percentile for access and 97.8 percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The combination of strong return outcomes paired with meaningful access to low-income and first-generation students makes College of the Ozarks a distinctive value proposition in the private nonprofit landscape.
College of the Ozarks stands out for its distinctive affordability model. The institution's published cost of attendance is $33,734, but the net price structure varies meaningfully by family income. Low-income families pay approximately $6,381; lower-middle-income families pay around $6,140; middle-income families pay about $5,022; upper-middle-income families pay approximately $6,409; and higher-income families pay roughly $10,426. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #32 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The college's affordability ranking reflects both the headline sticker price and how financial aid reshapes that cost across income levels, with particular strength in pricing for lower-income students. College of the Ozarks combines need-based aid with its distinctive work-study model, in which students contribute labor to offset costs. This approach shapes the net-price profile: families at different income levels experience different aid intensities, and the work requirement itself functions as a form of cost-sharing. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary based on demonstrated financial need and work-study participation, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is available through the institution's financial aid office and the net price illusion framework, which explains how published cost differs from what families actually pay. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $44,258, the relationship between debt service and earnings depends on the specific debt level and repayment path chosen. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios and detailed affordability planning, use Azimuth's Financial GPS tool.
College of the Ozarks is a particularly strong choice for students seeking a private, faith-based education with a focus on affordability and practical career preparation in MO. Its outcomes are especially compelling for Pell-eligible and first-generation students, who benefit from broad access and a work-study model that minimizes debt. Graduates earn median 4-year earnings of $44,258, placing College of the Ozarks in the 2.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. They also earn about $31,061 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing the institution in the 2.1 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. The institution enrolls a significant share of Pell-eligible and first-generation students — 49.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants and 32.7% are first-generation — and delivers mobility outcomes that place College of the Ozarks in the 2.0 percentile for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Fit depends on two realistic filters: the 12.0% admit rate makes the application process selective, and the program mix favors business and applied fields over research-oriented ones. Students whose interests align with those areas and who can navigate the application process will find the earnings trajectory and affordability among the strongest in the region.
This school profile was generated using Azimuth's proprietary ROI framework, developed by founder Daniel Rogers. Our methodology transforms federal education data into actionable insights for families.
College Azimuth is a private research initiative and is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Federal Student Aid. Data sourced from College Scorecard.
This content is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, investment, or professional advice. Consult a qualified advisor before making any financial decisions.
Comprehensive Analysis
Detailed metrics, charts, and full data breakdown
Financial GPS Tool
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This is the College Of The Ozarks hub overview page. Related admissions, cost, outcomes, majors, and similar-school pages provide the detailed school data.
Accounting and Related Services
14 graduates
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
16 graduates
Agricultural Business and Management
5 graduates
Business Administration, Management and Operations
34 graduates
Psychology, General
26 graduates
College of the Ozarks's program mix is anchored in business and applied professional fields, reflecting the institution's career-focused identity. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates annually, followed by Teacher Education, Psychology, General, Engineering, and Criminal Justice.
Across 0 ranked programs serving roughly 348 students, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes aligned with regional labor-market demand. The earnings pattern reflects strength in applied business and professional-services fields.
Accounting leads with median earnings of $60,422 four years after enrollment across 14 graduates, followed by Nursing with $60,192 and Business Administration with $47,665. Psychology, General and Subject-Specific Teacher Education round out the highest-earning cohorts, each delivering solid mid-career outcomes.
This concentration in Business — representing 16% of graduates — positions College of the Ozarks as a career-pipeline institution where program choice directly connects to workforce entry and earnings stability. The program portfolio emphasizes direct-to-workforce pathways rather than grad-school-dependent fields, meaning four-year earnings reflect actual labor-market outcomes for most graduates.
College of the Ozarks's regional location in Missouri and applied-professional focus align well with demand in business services, hospitality management, and applied health fields. The [supply and demand for college graduates](/analysis/supply-demand-map-college-degrees/) provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market trends.
Consider these schools with similar outcomes but higher acceptance rates:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Missouri Southern State University Higher acceptance rate (82.6 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 75 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MO | 97% | $42,620 | Compare |
Drury University Higher acceptance rate (44 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 42 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MO | 59% | $40,694 | Compare |
Drury University Higher acceptance rate (44 percentage points higher) with similar program focus and located 42 miles away; similar graduate earnings | MO | 59% | $40,694 | Compare |
Youngstown State University Higher acceptance rate (65.5 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | OH | 80% | $41,544 | Compare |
Campbellsville University Higher acceptance rate (83.5 percentage points higher) with similar program focus; similar graduate earnings | KY | 98% | $41,583 | Compare |
Peer institutions with comparable quality and outcomes:
| School | State | Accept Rate | Median Earnings | Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Jewell College Similar quality tier in Midwest (#19750 ranked) | MO | 38% | $59,268 | #19750 | Compare |
Central Methodist University-College Of Graduate And Extended Studies Similar quality tier in Midwest (#19236 ranked) | MO | 57% | $48,991 | #19236 | Compare |
Bryan College Of Health Sciences Similar quality tier in Midwest (#19755 ranked) | NE | 67% | $70,845 | #19755 | Compare |
Gettysburg College Similar quality tier (#19233 ranked) | PA | 39% | $71,517 | #19233 | Compare |
Grand View University Similar quality tier in Midwest (#19756 ranked) | IA | 99% | $52,824 | #19756 | Compare |
College of the Ozarks stands out for its distinctive affordability model. The institution's published cost of attendance is $33,734, but the net price structure varies meaningfully by family income.
Low-income families pay approximately $6,381; lower-middle-income families pay around $6,140; middle-income families pay about $5,022; upper-middle-income families pay approximately $6,409; and higher-income families pay roughly $10,426. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #32 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The college's affordability ranking reflects both the headline sticker price and how financial aid reshapes that cost across income levels, with particular strength in pricing for lower-income students. College of the Ozarks combines need-based aid with its distinctive work-study model, in which students contribute labor to offset costs.
This approach shapes the net-price profile: families at different income levels experience different aid intensities, and the work requirement itself functions as a form of cost-sharing. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary based on demonstrated financial need and work-study participation, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.
Median federal student loan debt at graduation is available through the institution's financial aid office and the [net price illusion](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/) framework, which explains how published cost differs from what families actually pay. For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $44,258, the relationship between debt service and earnings depends on the specific debt level and repayment path chosen.
For personalized projections across earnings scenarios and detailed affordability planning, use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).
Graduates of College of the Ozarks earn median 4-year earnings of $44,258, placing the institution in the 2.4 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $31,061 less than similar students at comparable institutions, placing College of the Ozarks in the 2.1 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.
Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #1451 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. The earnings pattern reflects the institution's concentration in business and applied professional fields.
Business Administration is the largest program by aggregate return, combining substantial enrollment with solid median earnings of $47,665 four years after enrollment. Teacher Education and Psychology, General round out the top enrollment cohorts, with Psychology, General graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $44,659 — roughly 0.9x the national benchmark for the field.
This program-level concentration in business and professional disciplines supports the institution's overall earnings performance and aligns with regional labor-market demand in Missouri.
