National university
#20 Best colleges in OhioOhio University
Athens, OH · Public · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $21,637 a year
Median debt at graduation: $21,056 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
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
- Best colleges for criminal justice in America#189 of 1,046
- Best colleges for social work in America#142 of 605
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in America#224 of 950
- Best colleges for nursing in America#266 of 1,068
In Ohio
- Best colleges for social work in Ohio#7 of 42
- Best colleges for criminal justice in Ohio#10 of 57
- Best colleges for business in Ohio#14 of 72
- Best colleges in Ohio#20 of 99
- Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Ohio#11 of 51
- Best colleges for English in Ohio#15 of 69
Show 11 more
- Best colleges for nursing in Ohio#14 of 64
- Best colleges for communications and journalism in Ohio#13 of 59
- Best colleges for accounting in Ohio#12 of 54
- Best colleges for education in Ohio#14 of 63
- Best colleges for psychology in Ohio#16 of 71
- Colleges with the highest graduation rates in Ohio#23 of 99
- Colleges with the lowest student debt in Ohio#8 of 33
- Best colleges for marketing in Ohio#12 of 48
- Best colleges for art and design in Ohio#15 of 59
- Best colleges for history in Ohio#16 of 61
- Most affordable colleges with strong academics in Ohio#9 of 33
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.65%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.84%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,212 · ACT 25
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.18 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,470
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $30,586 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 19,100 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 38% · Women 62% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 34% |
| First-year students from another state Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS) | 13% |
| Total students | 24,937 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $21,637 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $30,586 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $21,056 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 65% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 47% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 49% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 52% |
| First-year retention | 84% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $52,581 |
| Admission rate | 85% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $50 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 21% |
| Average SAT | 1212 |
|---|---|
| SAT reading & writing | 550–650 |
| SAT math | 540–640 |
| ACT composite | 22–28 |
| Test policy | Considered but not required |
Value: Good (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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Air Transportation | |
| Industrial Engineering | |
| Electrical engineering | |
| Management information systems | |
| Computer science | |
| Mechanical engineering | |
| Nursing | |
| Chemical Engineering | |
| Industrial technology | |
| Accounting | |
| Finance | |
| Civil engineering | |
| Marketing | |
| Networking | |
| International business | |
| Human resources | |
| Business administration | |
| Mathematics | |
| Geology and earth science | |
| Public health | |
| Health administration | |
| Computing and information science | |
| Journalism | |
| Political science | |
| Apparel and Textiles | |
| Counseling and mental health | |
| Physiology and pathology | |
| Speech-language pathology | |
| Geography | |
| Kinesiology and exercise science | |
| Foods, Nutrition, | |
| Zoology/Animal Biology | |
| Communication studies | |
| Chemistry | |
| Romance languages | |
| Liberal arts | |
| Housing and Human Environments | |
| Allied health | |
| Sociology | |
| Special education | |
| Social work | |
| Criminology | |
| Design | |
| Psychology | |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | |
| Broadcasting | |
| History | |
| Family and human development | |
| Music | |
| Anthropology | |
| Teacher education | |
| Theatre | |
| Writing and rhetoric | |
| Fine arts | |
| Other english language and literature/letters |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Applied mathematics, Area studies, Arts management, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology, Biology, Botany/Plant Biology, Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences, Classics, Computer engineering, Criminal justice, Dance, Data Analytics, Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services, Ecology and evolutionary biology, Economics, Engineering (general), English, Entrepreneurship, Ethnic and gender studies, Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies, Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, Film and video, General studies, Geography and Environmental Studies, German, Health sciences, Hospitality management, Human services, International relations, Linguistics, Management science, Managerial economics, Microbiological Sciences and Immunology, Natural resources and conservation, Neuroscience, Nutrition Sciences, Other engineering, Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution, Philosophy, Physics, Rehabilitation and therapy, Religious studies, Secondary education, Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Urban Studies/Affairs, Visual and performing arts.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions | |
| Business | |
| Communication | |
| Education | |
| Psychology |
Campus life
| School colors | |
|---|---|
| Setting | Town |
| Part-time undergraduates | 15% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 15% |
| On-campus room and board (per year) | $14,162 |
| Sports | NCAA Division I · Mid-American Conference |
| ROTC | Army · Air Force |
| Study abroad | Offered |
| Students per faculty member | 18 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 75%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $32,910Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Dorm space | For about 44% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Mid Ohio Valley Regional Airport (PKB)About 35 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 23,3962020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | ColumbusAbout 65 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 30°F1991–2020 normal, from ATHENS OU, OH US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 73°F1991–2020 normal, from ATHENS OU, OH US, about 0 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.
Campus safety reports
On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.
| Category | This campus | U.S. rate |
|---|---|---|
| Rape | 0.25 | 0.07 |
| Robbery | 0.00 | 0.01 |
| Aggravated assault | 0.00 | 0.04 |
| Burglary | 0.13 | 0.08 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0.11 | 0.15 |
Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.
Questions families ask
- What is Ohio University’s Compass Score?
- Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 30% 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 University cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $21,637 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 University?
- Ohio University admitted 85% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Ohio University’s graduates do?
- 65% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $52,581; the median federal debt at graduation is $21,056.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 204857
- Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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