Ozark Christian College
Joplin, Missouri · Private Nonprofit · 93.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 32/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ozark Christian College earns the Below Benchmark tier with an ROI score of 32 out of 100, and the math here is clearly mission-driven rather than market-driven. The Joplin, Missouri Bible college posts a low sticker tuition of $16,000 but the net price after aid is actually $20,580 annually, a flag worth examining: the net price exceeds tuition because room, board, and required fees push total costs above the headline number. Four-year cost-of-attendance lands near $82,320. Average 6-year earnings of just $27,000 produce a 35.3-year payback period, which is the headline problem. By the standard ROI math, this degree never recoups its investment in a normal working life. Median 10-year earnings climb to $41,297, but that's still well below the $40K typical-bachelor's threshold. The 63.6% completion rate is decent and 73.7% three-year repayment shows graduates manage their debt despite low incomes. Students choosing OCC are choosing vocational ministry preparation over financial return, and that's a legitimate choice as long as families understand what the numbers actually say.
How Ozark Christian College scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score32/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- Payback period35.3 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Ozark Christian College
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $16,000/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $16,000/yr |
| Average net price | $20,580/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $82,320 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $41,297 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $27,000 |
| Median debt at graduation | $16,772 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $178 |
| Estimated payback period | 35.3 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 63.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 602 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $16,000/year, which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $20,580/year, or roughly $82,320 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $17,900/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,451/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $16,772, which works out to about $178 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($27,000) and comes to 0.62, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $17,900 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $15,098 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,463 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,083 |
| $110,001+ | $22,451 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning $0-30K pay $17,900 net annually, while $30,001-48,000 households actually pay less at $15,098. That four-year burden of roughly $60K-$72K sits on top of $27,000 expected early-career earnings, which is structurally hard to service. Pell-eligible students should pursue every available denominational scholarship before committing.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-110,000) pay $19,463 to $21,083 net annually, putting four-year costs near $78K-$84K. With 6-year earnings of $27,000, this bracket carries the most concerning mismatch: aid is too low to make the math work, and earnings are too low to service the debt outside an extended income-driven repayment plan.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110K pay $22,451 net per year, or $89,804 over four years. At that price for a $27,000 expected income, the financial case is essentially absent and the decision must rest entirely on calling and denominational fit. High-income families committed to OCC should plan to fund the degree without borrowing.
Earnings by Major
Top 2 most popular majors at Ozark Christian College with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Bible/Biblical Studies | $40,548 | D |
| Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology | $21,498 | - |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Bible/Biblical Studies
Bible/Biblical Studies is OCC's flagship program with 21 graduates per year, a first-year median income of $31,345, and a four-year median of $40,548. With $23,500 median debt, the 0.75 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a D ROI grade. These numbers reflect ministry compensation, not market failure. Graduates serving in pastoral, youth ministry, or denominational education roles often supplement salaries with parsonage allowances, mission support, or part-time bivocational work, which the Scorecard data doesn't capture.
Missions/Missionary Studies and Missiology
Missions/Missionary Studies graduates (7 per year) report a first-year median income of just $21,498, with four-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade not reported due to the small cohort. Missionary graduates often raise support rather than draw conventional salaries, which makes Scorecard earnings figures particularly misleading for this track. Students serious about international missionary work should evaluate denominational placement support and field income models, not earnings comparisons.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 67.0% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 73.7% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 60.3% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 71.1% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ozark Christian College’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 93.6% |
| Enrollment | 602 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 42.5% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $5,805 |
Ozark Christian College admits 93.6% of applicants, making it functionally open admission for any student with a serious interest in Christian ministry. SAT and ACT score ranges are not reported in current Scorecard data. The high admit rate combined with the moderate 63.6% completion rate suggests the school's selectivity hurdle comes through self-selection rather than credentials.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
OCC's ROI score is 32.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozark Christian College (this school) | 32 | $20,580 | $41,297 |
| William Carey University | 34 | $14,258 | $43,087 |
| Lancaster Bible College | 34 | $25,480 | $44,096 |
| North Central University | 33 | $25,817 | $45,064 |
| Mississippi College | 33 | $27,712 | $47,485 |
| The King's University | 31 | $14,140 | $41,471 |
Who Thrives Here
Ozark Christian College fits students called to vocational ministry, missionary work, or Christian education roles where compensation is part of the calling. Enrollment of 602 students creates an intimate denominational community, and the 42.5% Pell rate signals meaningful access for lower-income families of faith. The school is not a fit for students seeking conventional career ROI: 6-year earnings of $27,000 indicate that most graduates enter church or mission roles with compensation structures unlike the broader labor market.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Ozark Christian College scores 32/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,580 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $41,297 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 35.3 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, a long payback period.
Median debt of $16,772 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $27,000 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Ozark Christian College: Common Questions
Is Ozark Christian College worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Ozark Christian College scores 32/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,580 a year after aid against $41,297 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 35.3 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Ozark Christian College cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,580 a year, or roughly $82,320 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Ozark Christian College graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $41,297 ten years after enrolling, at or below the $41,800 median for high-school graduates (NCES, 2022). With little earnings gap to cover the cost, the financial return is hard to make.
How long does it take to pay off Ozark Christian College?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 35.3 years for Ozark Christian College. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ozark Christian College graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $16,772, against average earnings of $27,000 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.62. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Ozark Christian College?
The six-year graduation rate is 63.6%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.