Best colleges for art and design in Ohio
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in art or design, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for art and design in Ohio59 schools
59 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Ohio.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in art or design, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Denison University
Granville, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#1 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 2Tie
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 2Tie
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#2 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 4
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 5
Ohio State University
Columbus, OH · PublicHonor Roll#5 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 6
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH · Private nonprofit#6 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 49%
- 7
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH · Private nonprofit#7 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 8
Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH · Public#8 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 9
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH · Private nonprofit#11 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
- 10
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH · Private nonprofitTop 12% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 11
Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH · Private nonprofitTop 8% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 42%
- 12
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH · PublicTop 15% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 13Tie
Otterbein University
Westerville, OH · Private nonprofit#18 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
- 13Tie
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit#18 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 15
- 16
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, OH · Private nonprofit#22 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 17
The Modern College of Design
Kettering, OH · Private for-profitTop 11% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 18
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, OH · Private nonprofit#25 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
- 19
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH · Private nonprofit#26 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 20
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, OH · Private nonprofitTop 24% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B-
- 21
Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH · Private nonprofit#28 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 38%
- 22
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH · Public#29 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 23
Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, OH · Private nonprofit#33 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B
- 24
Walsh University
North Canton, OH · Private nonprofit#34 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade B · Top 50%
- 25
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH · Public#35 in Ohio
- Bachelor’s program in art or design
- Value grade C+
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denison University | $40,007 | $26,000 | $67,753 | 79% |
| Case Western Reserve University | $41,190 | $24,000 | $87,989 | 87% |
| Kenyon College | $38,512 | $18,527 | $71,830 | 82% |
| Oberlin College | $38,645 | $26,000 | $58,343 | 81% |
| Ohio State University | $17,339 | $19,976 | $60,409 | 88% |
| University of Dayton | $29,533 | $23,250 | $75,537 | 80% |
| The College of Wooster | $23,458 | $26,500 | $59,629 | 74% |
| Miami University-Oxford | $28,384 | $23,000 | $55,076 | 80% |
| Cedarville University | $24,468 | $20,937 | $55,443 | 73% |
| John Carroll University | $28,746 | $26,000 | $62,860 | 79% |
| Ohio Northern University | $24,478 | $27,000 | $80,928 | 75% |
| University of Cincinnati | $25,648 | $21,250 | $54,810 | 75% |
| Otterbein University | $19,237 | $26,000 | $53,313 | 68% |
| Xavier University | $32,997 | $23,250 | $64,873 | 69% |
| Ohio University | $21,637 | $21,056 | $52,581 | 65% |
| Baldwin Wallace University | $27,603 | $27,000 | $54,122 | 67% |
| The Modern College of Design | $39,359 | $12,000 | $42,187 | 69% |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | $29,208 | $27,000 | $42,509 | 58% |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | $20,897 | $27,000 | $55,624 | 59% |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | $22,421 | $25,000 | $49,555 | 68% |
| Ursuline College | $16,164 | $26,250 | $56,878 | 67% |
| University of Toledo | $17,249 | $22,250 | $50,632 | 57% |
| Mount St. Joseph University | $16,530 | $26,827 | $51,509 | 56% |
| Walsh University | $20,493 | $27,000 | $59,764 | 59% |
| Bowling Green State University | $24,022 | $25,000 | $47,896 | 64% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 19
- Alaska 3
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 17
- California 75
- Colorado 15
- Connecticut 21
- Delaware 3
- District of Columbia 7
- Florida 29
- Georgia 32
- Hawaii 5
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 47
- Indiana 36
- Iowa 24
- Kansas 21
- Kentucky 22
- Louisiana 16
- Maine 13
- Maryland 20
- Massachusetts 44
- Michigan 30
- Minnesota 30
- Mississippi 7
- Missouri 32
- Montana 7
- Nebraska 15
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 8
- New Jersey 26
- New Mexico 6
- New York 85
- North Carolina 39
- North Dakota 5
- Oklahoma 15
- Oregon 14
- Pennsylvania 74
- Puerto Rico 17
- Rhode Island 9
- South Carolina 25
- South Dakota 9
- Tennessee 27
- Texas 54
- Utah 8
- Vermont 8
- Virginia 33
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 11
- Wisconsin 29