What is Ohio State University’s Compass Score?

Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.

How much does Ohio State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price is $17,339 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.

How hard is it to get into Ohio State University?

Ohio State University admitted 61% of applicants in the most recent federal data.

How do Ohio State University’s graduates do?

88% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,409; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,976.

National university

#14 Best colleges for social work in America

Ohio State University

Columbus, OH · Public · 4-year

Honor Roll badge

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

Show 29 more

In Ohio

Show 28 more

Academic Excellence

Exceptional · Top 6%

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score88%
First-year retention 20% of score94%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,387 · ACT 30
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score16 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$23,612

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family income	Price after aid
Up to $30,000	$4,885
$30,001–$48,000	$5,751
$48,001–$75,000	$9,807
$75,001–$110,000	$20,461
Over $110,000	$27,359

Full cost of attendance before aid: $30,305 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	45,728
Total students	60,046
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$17,339
Cost of attendance (per year)	$30,305
Median federal debt at graduation	$19,976
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	88%
First-year retention	94%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$60,409
Admission rate	61%
Students receiving Pell grants	20%

Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1310–1480ACT 28–32

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1387
SAT reading & writing	640–720
SAT math	670–760
ACT composite	28–32
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value: Very good · Top 21% (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
Major	Median earnings
Computer engineering	$123,731
Applied mathematics	$120,495
Computing and information science	$118,833
Management science	$111,500
Management information systems	$110,192
Industrial Engineering	$106,932
Electrical engineering	$99,400
Chemical Engineering	$98,851
Finance	$97,986
Other engineering	$97,144
Managerial economics	$96,843
Mechanical engineering	$96,418
Physics	$94,543
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering	$92,999
Real Estate	$91,213
Engineering Physics	$90,938
Accounting	$90,850
Biomedical/Medical Engineering	$90,065
Other agricultural/animal/plant/veterinary science	$88,205
Materials Engineering	$86,084
Business administration	$85,586
Civil engineering	$85,202
Human resources	$82,371
Agricultural Engineering	$81,917
Mathematics	$81,909
Nursing	$81,795
International business	$81,473
Marketing	$81,119
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	$80,775
Health administration	$80,315
Air Transportation	$79,114
Economics	$75,485
Clinical laboratory science	$74,601
Medical assisting	$73,594
Chemistry	$71,559
Pre-health	$71,189
Food Science and Technology	$70,537
Pre-law and legal studies	$70,429
Public health	$70,369
Allied health	$68,942
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$68,688
Neuroscience	$68,480
Design	$68,151
Biochemistry	$67,381
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies	$67,018
Global studies	$66,995
Agricultural business	$66,603
Apparel and Textiles	$66,256
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	$66,222
Architecture	$66,131
International relations	$66,064
Political science	$65,972
Dental assisting	$65,920
Public Policy Analysis	$65,894
Landscape Architecture	$65,828
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration	$65,407
Business (general)	$65,374
Biology	$64,324
Genetics	$63,767
Communication studies	$62,096
Public administration	$60,678
Geography	$60,363
Interdisciplinary studies	$59,072
Criminology	$58,865
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services	$58,821
Romance languages	$58,235
Natural resources and conservation	$58,119
Foods, Nutrition,	$57,859
Speech-language pathology	$57,797
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning	$57,573
Kinesiology and exercise science	$57,541
Plant Sciences	$56,812
Philosophy	$55,823
Other communication, journalism, and related programs	$54,860
Liberal arts	$54,529
Psychology	$54,182
Geology and earth science	$53,381
Hospitality management	$53,039
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	$52,528
Secondary education	$52,459
Music	$51,310
Journalism	$51,280
Family and human development	$50,921
Animal Sciences	$50,769
Social work	$50,596
Film and video	$50,565
Sociology	$50,457
Special education	$50,194
Anthropology	$50,055
History	$49,986
English	$48,301
Fine arts	$46,899
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics	$46,527
Teacher education	$45,969
Zoology/Animal Biology	$45,501
Linguistics	$44,941
Educational leadership	$42,187
Ethnic and gender studies	$40,713
Theatre	$37,445

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Agricultural Mechanization, Agricultural Production Operations, Agricultural Public Services, Agricultural and Food Products Processing, Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory Programs, Applied Horticulture and Horticultural Business Services, Architectural Sciences and Technology, Area studies, Arts management, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Botany/Plant Biology, Classics, Dance, Education (general), Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians, Experimental psychology, German, Health sciences, Insurance, Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Modern Greek Language and Literature, Nutrition Sciences, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Social sciences, Statistics, Sustainability Studies, Teaching English as a second language.

Campus life

Setting	City
Part-time undergraduates	6%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older	6%
On-campus room and board (per year)	$14,738
Sports	NCAA Division I · Big Ten Conference
ROTC	Army · Navy · Air Force
Study abroad	Offered
Students per faculty member	16 to 1

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Questions families ask

What is Ohio State University’s Compass Score?: Exceptional (grade A). It ranks in the top 8% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Ohio State University cost after financial aid?: The average net price is $17,339 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Ohio State University?: Ohio State University admitted 61% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Ohio State University’s graduates do?: 88% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $60,409; the median federal debt at graduation is $19,976.

Ask the school

Something you want to know that isn’t on this page? Ask it here. We send it to the school, and their answer appears on this page. Your name is never shared.

Reviews

Personal experiences from signed-in readers. Reviews are moderated automatically and never change a school’s grades.

No reviews yet.

My rating and notes

About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 204796
Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
Report an error or a newer source
Respond as this school

Colleges like this one

The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.

Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%Rutgers University-New BrunswickNew Brunswick, NJAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 9%University of Massachusetts-AmherstAmherst, MAAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 10%University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMinneapolis, MNAlso a state flagship university Compass ScoreExceptional · Top 6%University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WIAlso a state flagship university

Compare side by side: Ohio State vs Rutgers University-New Brunswick · Ohio State vs University of Massachusetts-Amherst · Ohio State vs University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Ohio State vs University of Wisconsin-Madison