Mathematics at Ottawa University-Ottawa

A mathematics bachelor's degree from Ottawa University appears to position students reasonably well based on what peer programs typically produce. With estimated first-year earnings around $48,800 and debt near $21,750, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 suggests graduates could manage their loans on a math teacher's or analyst's starting salary—roughly half a year's income, which is manageable territory. Nationally, mathematics programs at similar institutions show comparable outcomes, though Kansas programs tend to vary more widely, from $43,000 to nearly $49,000 in early earnings.

The challenge here is that we're working entirely with estimates derived from other programs since Ottawa's mathematics graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to report. That means you're evaluating this program without knowing how Ottawa's specific graduates actually fare. The university's 35% Pell grant population and 1011 average SAT suggest it serves students who may need more support to reach those national benchmarks, but whether Ottawa delivers that support remains unclear from the data.

The practical question: Are you comfortable with your child taking on $22,000 in debt for a program where the outcomes are essentially unknowable from federal data? If Ottawa has strong placement rates for its math graduates—information the school itself should provide—that could justify the investment. Without that transparency, you're betting on outcomes that might match peer schools, or might not.