1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. College of the Ozarks Research brief & institution hub Copy linkPrint brief # College of the Ozarks MO · Small private nonprofit institution · Overall rank #510 nationally Data snapshot September 27, 2026 · Updated October 1, 2026 Overview[Cost & aid](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/outcomes/)[Admissions](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/admissions/)[Majors](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/similar/) ## Azimuth’s composite score sits in the 65th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. ### Who it’s a good fit for College of the Ozarks is a private nonprofit university in Point Lookout, Missouri, where the degree mix is led by Business and Education. Affordability is among the highest we track, so the price case is the first thing to understand. Graduates earn less than the model predicts for students like them, and the model attributes the gap almost entirely to a remainder it does not explain. The factors it measures — field of study, enrollment and the local labor market — subtract only a small amount. Return is below the levels seen at many peers. Access is among the highest we track, and what families pay after aid is low across every income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is narrow, so what a family pays does not shift much with income. The admission rate is well below the median for comparable institutions, and most graduates are estimated to go into work rather than on to further study. A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones — Nursing and Accounting — are smaller. ## College of the Ozarks at a glance ### Admissions and outcomes **Admission rate[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)** 12.0% **Six-year completion[\[2\]](#hub-data-note-completion)** 63.7% **Four-year earnings[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)** $44,258 ### Cost and family borrowing **Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)** Not reported **Median student debt[\[4\]](#hub-data-note-student-debt)** Not reported **Median Parent PLUS debt[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps)** Not reported ## College of the Ozarks rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[\[5\]](#hub-data-note-rankings) College of the Ozarks is a private nonprofit university in Point Lookout, Missouri, enrolling 1,444 undergraduates. Its composite standing sits near the middle of the Azimuth ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Admission is selective: 12.0% of applicants are admitted, against a median of 75.7% for comparable institutions of the same type and size. Among full-time first-year students, 90.2% return for a second year, compared with a median of 74.2% for similar schools. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 63.7%, against a median of 54.9% at comparable institutions. An estimated 7.5% of entrants arrive as transfers or part-time students, so the graduation rate describes a large majority of the student body. The four pillars sit far apart. Affordability is the strongest, and access is also near the top. Return is the weakest, while mobility sits in the middle. Affordability is the clearest positive in this profile, but its return reading points in the other direction for families weighing cost against later earnings. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, affordability stands in the 98th percentile, the strongest pillar, and access is in the 91st percentile. Mobility is in the 61st percentile, while return, the weakest pillar, is in the 2nd percentile. Very high affordability sits alongside a very low return reading. 49.2% of undergraduates at College of the Ozarks receive Pell Grants. The middle 50% of submitted SAT scores fell between 1,050 and 1,220, and the middle 50% of submitted ACT scores fell between 20 and 25. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #132 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. The access pillar is supported by a Pell share that reaches nearly half the undergraduate body. The mobility pillar sits at #456 in the Azimuth rankings. [How value-added outcomes are assessed](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) · [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) College of the Ozarks rankings in context | Geography | Rank | | --- | --- | | National | #510 | Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group. ### National pillar percentiles **Economic mobility** National percentile: 61 **Access & reach** National percentile: 91 **[Affordability](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/cost/)** National percentile: 98 **[Return on investment](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/outcomes/)** National percentile: 2 01 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## [College of the Ozarks cost & financial aid](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/cost/)[\[6\]](#hub-data-note-net-price)[\[7\]](#hub-data-note-gps) College of the Ozarks has a low post-aid price relative to its published charges, giving it an affordability profile that stands apart from comparable institutions. The published cost of attendance is $33,734, including $22,320 in tuition and fees and $8,800 for room and board. Among comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price is $22,347; the college’s average is below that figure by $16,247. Azimuth ranks College of the Ozarks #34 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The low post-aid price and peer comparison point in the same direction. A published cost of attendance of $33,734 sits alongside low average prices after aid at College of the Ozarks. The average [net price](/analysis/is-college-worth-it-part-1-the-net-price-illusion/), what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships, is $6,381 for families in the lowest income band, $6,140 in the next band, $5,022 in the middle band, $6,409 in the next-highest band, and $10,426 for families in the highest income band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $4,045. Azimuth places the university in the 98th percentile for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 82% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, with average financial-aid savings of $27,634 against the sticker price. At comparable institutions (same type and size), the peer median net price, the middle value for that group, is $22,347; the college's average is $16,247 below it. Published tuition and fees are $22,320, and room and board are listed at $8,800. The low average price and the comparison with peers point in the same direction on cost. Your family income Choose a household income range to see estimated net price. $0–30K$30–48K$48–75K$75–110K$110K+ Reported average annual net price · $48–75K**Not reported** After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ. Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary. ### Borrowing and repayment at College of the Ozarks Affordability is the stronger part of the picture at College of the Ozarks, while the available earnings measures point to a weak return picture. Azimuth places that earnings level in the 8th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) also runs low. That gap is what graduates earn compared to what the model expects for similar students. Azimuth places this measure in the 1st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios based on the program mix put downside earnings at $38,687, typical earnings at $44,258, and upside earnings at $69,329. The higher upside scenario does not change the weaker median and model-comparison results. It is a place to consider how grants, published charges, and potential borrowing fit a family budget. [How Financial GPS measures payment burden](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) · [The four risk-and-reward zones](/analysis/4-zones-of-college-risk-and-reward/) Financial GPS ### What does repayment look like? **Institution median student debt** No federal loan data **Institution Parent PLUS debt** No federal loan data Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included. **Estimated student payment · monthly** No federal loan data **Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly** No federal loan data Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s. Payment assumptions Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. [Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS](/financial-gps/?tool=student&school=college-of-the-ozarks#student-tool) [Read the full cost & aid brief](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/cost/) 02 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## [College of the Ozarks career outcomes & earnings](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/outcomes/)[\[3\]](#hub-data-note-earnings)[\[8\]](#hub-data-note-scenarios)[\[9\]](#hub-data-note-value-added) Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $44,258, at the 8th percentile nationally. That is $11,657 below the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Azimuth places the university at the 2nd percentile for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures subtracts $369. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $31,562. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $65. The earnings result is therefore low relative to the national coverage cohort. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/), the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students, also points downward. The typical scenario modeled from the program mix matches the observed median, rather than describing a separate observed group. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure estimated from the program mix. The low percentile and lower-than-expected earnings point in the same direction. Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $44,258, in the 8th percentile, from a cohort of 321. That is $11,657 below the $55,915 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). [Azimuth ranks](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/) College of the Ozarks #1,437 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions. [Earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) measure the gap between what graduates earn and what the model expects for similar students. That places the earnings gap at the 1st percentile. The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) subtracts $369. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $31,562. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $65, with degrees concentrated in business, education and health-related fields and very few in technical or scientific areas. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, range from a downside of $38,687 to an upside of $69,329. An estimated 27.7% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix. These scenarios reflect the spread between lower-earning and higher-earning program clusters at the institution. Earnings vary across the university’s modeled program-mix scenarios, so the schoolwide median does not describe every field. The downside scenario is $38,687, and the upside scenario is $69,329; both are earnings scenarios rather than observed groups of graduates. Among the higher-earning fields, median earnings four years after completion are $60,422 in Accounting, $60,192 in Nursing, and $49,360 in Agricultural Business and Management. Those program medians sit across a wide modeled scenario range, making field choice especially relevant to the earnings picture. Affordability is the clearer financial strength at College of the Ozarks, even though its earnings picture is weak. Aid covers about 82% of the published cost for the average aid recipient. Across family-income bands, average net price is $6,381 for the lowest band, $6,140 for the next-lowest band, $5,022 for the middle band, $6,409 for the next-highest band, and $10,426 for the highest band. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $4,045. Low average costs and lower-than-expected earnings pull the financial picture in different directions. [Read the full outcomes brief](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/outcomes/) 03 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## [College of the Ozarks acceptance rate & admissions](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/admissions/)[\[1\]](#hub-data-note-admission)[\[10\]](#hub-data-note-sat)[\[11\]](#hub-data-note-retention) College of the Ozarks admitted 12.0% of applicants in the reported entering-class cycle, a much smaller share than its comparable institutions. That rate is below the median of 75.7% for comparable institutions (same type and size). It summarizes the result for the full applicant pool in that year, rather than setting a threshold for admission. SAT: approximate enrolled-student range **Admission rate** 12.0% **Approximate lower endpoint** 1050 **Reported average** 1118 **Approximate upper endpoint** 1220 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. The endpoints add section percentiles; they are not verified composite-score percentiles. A separate SAT-equivalent average is not plotted as a median. Source: College Scorecard; sum of section 25th/75th percentiles; enrolled score-submitters. [Read the full admissions brief](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/admissions/) 04 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## [What are the largest majors at College of the Ozarks?](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/majors/)[\[12\]](#hub-data-note-programs) Program-level earnings at College of the Ozarks range from higher-earning accounting and nursing fields to more moderate business outcomes. At the higher end, Accounting had median earnings of $60,422 four years after completion, alongside 14 degrees awarded. Nursing followed at $60,192 with 16 degrees awarded. Agricultural Business and Management recorded $49,360 four years after completion and 5 degrees awarded. Business Administration and Management, the largest of these programs by awards, showed $47,665 with 34 degrees awarded. The figures show that earnings differ materially across fields, including among programs with comparatively substantial numbers of degrees awarded. College of the Ozarks has a varied program picture: Business accounts for 17.8% of bachelor’s degrees awarded, while reported earnings differ by field. Published four-year earnings cover 8 bachelor’s programs. The reported results vary by both field and degree volume. The program mix at College of the Ozarks is led by Business, which accounts for 17.8% of bachelor's degrees awarded. Education is next at 11.2%, followed by Health Professions at 9.5%. The university has 8 programs with published four-year earnings data. The largest single program is Business Administration and Management, at 34 degrees awarded a year. Graduates from that program earn a median of $47,665 four years after completion, a benchmark ratio of 0.70x against the national median for its field. Psychology is the second-largest program with published earnings, with 26 degrees awarded and median earnings of $44,659. The highest-earning programs are Accounting and Nursing, with medians of $60,422 and $60,192 respectively. Accounting awards 14 degrees a year, and Nursing awards 16. Both sit below the national median for their fields, with benchmark ratios of 0.79x and 0.68x. The pattern is one of modest scale and concentrated strength: the largest programs are not the highest-earning, and even the best-paid fields fall short of national medians. 10.4% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields. A smaller program, Agricultural Business and Management, awards 5 degrees a year at a median of $49,360. Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields **Business Administration, Management and Operations 34 degrees awarded** $47,665 **Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods 27 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Psychology, General 26 degrees awarded** $44,659 **Engineering, General 22 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Criminal Justice and Corrections 16 degrees awarded** Too few graduates to report **Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 16 degrees awarded** $60,192 Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings. [Read the full majors brief](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/majors/) 05 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## How does College of the Ozarks serve students from different backgrounds? Affordability is College of the Ozarks’s strongest pillar, while its mobility picture is more mixed. Azimuth places the mobility pillar in the 61st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The first-time full-time cohort has a 63.7% [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/). Completion is one part of the picture, but the model’s earnings comparison is weak. College of the Ozarks centers access in its profile: 49.2% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. Azimuth places its access pillar in the 91st percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Its 12.0% admission rate accompanies undergraduate enrollment of 1,444, with an estimated 7.5% entering as transfers or part-time students. Pell participation, admission, and transfer entry all describe the routes into this private nonprofit university. 06 / College of the Ozarks briefing ## [What colleges are similar to College of the Ozarks?](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/similar/)[\[15\]](#hub-data-note-peers) Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. [How matching works](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/similar/#peer-matching). ### A shortlist for different decisions Choose a row to compare the figures with College of the Ozarks. Admissions peerFlorida Agricultural and Mechanical University20.6% admitted+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $52,657+$8,399 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $13,739+$7,639 vs College of the Ozarks · higher cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 20.6% | [Explore Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University →](/school/florida-agricultural-and-mechanical-university/) Higher-admission alternativeEvangel University71.6% admitted+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | Evangel University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $46,593+$2,335 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $18,669+$12,569 vs College of the Ozarks · higher cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 71.6% | Nearby alternativeEvangel UniversityNearby option · MO+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | Evangel University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $46,593+$2,335 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $18,669+$12,569 vs College of the Ozarks · higher cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 71.6% | Higher-earnings alternativePrinceton University$108,590 earnings+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | Princeton University | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $108,590+$64,332 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $6,128+$28 vs College of the Ozarks · higher cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 4.6% | [Explore Princeton University →](/school/princeton-university/) Lower-cost alternativeSan Diego Christian College$992 average net price+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | San Diego Christian College | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $50,741+$6,483 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $992\-$5,108 vs College of the Ozarks · lower cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 30.8% | Similar profileMoody Bible InstituteMatched across several measures+ Comparison with College of the Ozarks | Measure | College of the Ozarks | Moody Bible Institute | | --- | --- | --- | | Peer earnings · 4 years | $44,258 | $46,905+$2,647 vs College of the Ozarks | | Average annual net price | $6,100 | $22,221+$16,121 vs College of the Ozarks · higher cost | | Admission rate | 12.0% | 82.7% | Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable. [Read the full similar schools brief](/school/college-of-the-ozarks/similar/) ## Data scope & methodology Structured payloads generated September 27, 2026 · Governed hub narrative September 27, 2026 · Governed spoke corpus September 27, 2026 Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection. Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them. Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects. Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. [Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations](/methodology/) · [About College Azimuth](/about/) Read the analysis behind [value-added earnings](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) and the [change to four-year graduate earnings](/analysis/college-scorecard-2026-4-year-vs-10-year-earnings-2-2/). These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com. ## Data notes & source fields Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the [U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/files/InstitutionDataDocumentation.pdf); notes with a different source link it below. 1. **Admission rate.** Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability. Source fields: `ADM_RATE` 2. **Six-year completion.** First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree. Source fields: `C150_4` 3. **Four-year institutional earnings.** Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion. Source fields: `MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` 4. **Median federal student debt.** Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students. Source fields: `GRAD_DEBT_MDN` 5. **National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks.** Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ. Source fields: `Azimuth rankings` [College Azimuth · Ranking methodology](/methodology/) 6. **Annual net price by family income.** Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers. Source fields: `NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV` 7. **Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration.** Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance is 150% of the federal poverty guideline for one person, for the year the API serves. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. The parent table is the 10-year payment on the median Parent PLUS as a share of household income above 200% of the guideline for a household of three: under 6% Safe, 6–10% Caution, over 10% High pressure. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations. Source fields: `PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations` [College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/) 8. **Downside and upside earnings; yellow band.** The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median. Source fields: `Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios` [College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology](/analysis/median-roi-hides-a-harsh-reality/) 9. **Value added and its components.** Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality. Source fields: `Azimuth statistical model` [College Azimuth · Value-added methodology](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) 10. **SAT score range and reported midpoint.** Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range. Source fields: `SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG` 11. **First-year retention.** Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions. Source fields: `RET_FT4` 12. **Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots.** Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity. Source fields: `EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE` [College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/assets/FieldOfStudyDataDocumentation.pdf) 13. **Pell recipients.** Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year. Source fields: `PCTPELL` 14. **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group.** This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns. Source fields: `1 − PFTFTUG1_EF` 15. **Peer earnings and signed differences.** Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure. Source fields: `Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR` [College Azimuth · Comparison methodology](/methodology/) [How to interpret program rankings](/analysis/college-program-rankings-how-to-actually-evaluate-programs/)