Ottawa Hills High School was first accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA) in 1926-27, and along with Grand Rapids Creston High School was the seventh high school in Kent County to receive that accreditation.
Since 1992, students in the Ottawa Hills Tech Prep program have participated in the Tour de Sol (solar car), the Solar Splash competition (solar boat), and the US FIRST Robotics competition, often competing against colleges and universities from across the country.