Communication and Media Studies at Ottawa University-Surprise

Ottawa University-Surprise's communication program produces concerning outcomes for Arizona students. While the debt load is reasonable, first-year earnings of $33,465 fall more than $9,000 below the state median for communication majors—ranking in just the 25th percentile among Arizona's eight programs. You could attend Arizona State or University of Arizona and potentially earn 33% more right out of college.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.81 looks manageable on paper, but that calculation masks the real problem: Arizona's communication job market typically pays significantly better than what these graduates are seeing. Every other major public university in the state reports higher starting salaries for this degree. The program does keep debt below the national median, which matters, but lower debt doesn't offset being among the lowest-earning communication graduates in Arizona.

The sample size here is quite small—under 30 graduates—so these numbers could shift with more data. But for now, families should recognize they're paying similar tuition costs to Arizona's flagship universities while seeing substantially lower returns. If your child is set on communication and staying in Arizona, the state's public universities offer demonstrably better outcomes. This program might work for students with specific reasons to attend Ottawa, but purely as an investment in earning potential, stronger alternatives exist at comparable costs.