College of the Ozarks — ROI, Cost & Payback
College of the Ozarks charges a net price of $6,100/yr after aid — a 4-year total of $24,400. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,592, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, College of the Ozarks does not clear its cost — it ranks #35 of 71 Missouri colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $6,100/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (4 yrs) | $24,400 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $41,592 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$6,768/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$159,760 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on College of the Ozarks's own numbers. Net price $6,100 × 4 years = $24,400 total. Median earnings $41,592 fall $6,768 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $24,400 bill in about 2.4 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of College of the Ozarks students graduate?
64% finish their degree — 36% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $24,400 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $38,125 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is College of the Ozarks expensive compared with other Missouri colleges?
Its $6,100 net price runs $11,986 below the $18,086 median across the 71 Missouri colleges we profile, and $47,944 less across the full degree.