College Compass GuideTrue north for every college search.

Every accredited U.S. college

Colleges

Every accredited four-year college, rated on Academic Excellence and Value (what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and student debt), all from federal data.

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Compass Score sorts by outcomes, students and cost together. The other sorts order every college by a different measure.
Ratings
Compass ScoreCompass Score: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges from federal data: outcomes (40%), entering students (40%), cost (15%) and teaching (5%). Choose the lowest grade to show.
ValueValue: what families pay after aid, graduation rate, earnings and debt, from federal data.
Academic ExcellenceAcademic Excellence: a letter grade set by rank among rated colleges, from federal data on graduation, retention, test scores, faculty ratio, and spending. It never uses rankings or surveys.
Only Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.
Only the eight Ivy League universities.
Location1
Distance (miles)
A broad region of the country, as the guide groups the states. Territories are listed separately.
School
Type of college, as college guides group them (from the federal Carnegie Classification): national universities offer a full range of bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral programs and do research; liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduates in the arts and sciences; regional universities mostly offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees; regional colleges mostly offer bachelor’s degrees in many fields; specialized schools focus on one field, such as health, art or business.
Public or privatePublic: run by a state or local government. Private: nonprofit or for-profit.
Total enrollment: small is under 2,000 students, medium 2,000 to 9,999, large 10,000 to 24,999, and very large 25,000 or more.
Net price: what a typical student pays per year after grants and scholarships, from the federal College Scorecard.
Coed: men and women together. Single-sex: all-male or all-female.
Campus life
College sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.
Where the campus is, from federal data: in a city, a suburb, a town, or a rural area.
The college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).
The college offers study abroad (federal data).
Admissions and outcomes
How many applicants are admitted (federal data). Most: 65% or more. Selective: 25% to 64%. Highly selective: under 25%.
Your SAT or ACT, to sort colleges Target, Likely and Reach. Signed in, it is kept on your account (private to you); otherwise only in this browser.
Reach, Target or LikelyA rough guide from admitted students' scores and admission rates, not a prediction. Target: your score is in the college's middle range. Likely: above it, or the college admits most applicants. Reach: below it, or the college admits fewer than 1 in 5.
Small classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
Strong outcomes: 75% or more of students graduate (federal data).
Major
Colleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.
Clear all
RecommendedOnly Compass Recommended colleges: the top 35% of rated colleges by Compass Score.Honor RollOnly Honor Roll colleges: the top 10% of rated colleges by Compass Score.ValueOnly colleges with a Value score of 85 or higher (grade A), from federal data.AcademicsOnly schools with an Academic Excellence grade of A or better (the top 10% of rated colleges), from federal data.Ivy LeagueOnly the eight Ivy League universities.Clear
Division I sportsCollege sports level from federal data: NCAA Division I (the biggest programs), Division II, Division III, or NAIA.ROTCThe college offers Army, Navy or Air Force ROTC, on campus or with a nearby college (federal data).Study abroadThe college offers study abroad (federal data).NursingColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.EngineeringColleges that offer a bachelor's degree in this major or field, from the federal College Scorecard.Under $20kNet price under $20,000 a year: what a typical student pays after grants and scholarships (federal data).Small classesSmall classes: 12 or fewer students per faculty member (federal data).
State: OhioClear all

117 schools · Sorted by Compass Score

  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Bluffton University

    #77 in Ohio
    Bluffton, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 678 students

    $19,943 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus

    #78 in Ohio
    Mansfield, OH · Public · 4-year · 849 students

    $16,197 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Defiance College

    #79 in Ohio
    Defiance, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 511 students

    $26,337 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Ohio State University-Newark Campus

    #80 in Ohio
    Newark, OH · Public · 4-year · 2,422 students

    $14,767 a year after aid, on average

    ValueExcellentAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Antioch College

    #81 in Ohio
    Yellow Springs, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 127 students

    $14,834 a year after aid, on average

    Value not rated yetAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Wright State University

    #82 in Ohio
    Dayton, OH · Public · 4-year · 9,884 students

    $15,415 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Franklin University

    #82 in Ohio
    Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 8,697 students

    $25,243 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Chamberlain University-Ohio

    Top 3% for earnings
    Columbus, OH · Private for-profit · 4-year · 336 students

    $31,544 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    University of Rio Grande

    #85 in Ohio
    Rio Grande, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 2,168 students

    $23,686 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Bowling Green State University-Firelands

    #86 in Ohio
    Huron, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,928 students

    $17,480 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Ashtabula

    Top 22% for low net price
    Ashtabula, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,762 students

    $12,205 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Tuscarawas

    Top 23% for low net price
    New Philadelphia, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,885 students

    $12,542 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Ohio Dominican University

    #89 in Ohio
    Columbus, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,258 students

    $20,079 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Stark

    Top 18% for low net price
    North Canton, OH · Public · 4-year · 3,433 students

    $10,897 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Lake Erie College

    #91 in Ohio
    Painesville, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 942 students

    $20,961 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsStrong
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    University of Akron Wayne College

    Top 6% for low net price
    Orrville, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,361 students

    $6,032 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Trumbull

    Top 19% for low net price
    Warren, OH · Public · 4-year · 2,029 students

    $11,135 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Geauga

    Top 21% for low net price
    Burton, OH · Public · 4-year · 2,154 students

    $12,044 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at East Liverpool

    #95 in Ohio
    East Liverpool, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,056 students

    $13,392 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Kent State University at Salem

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Salem, OH · Public · 4-year · 1,463 students

    $13,799 a year after aid, on average

    ValueStrongAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Herzing University-Akron

    Solid: Compass grade C+
    Akron, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 381 students

    $18,934 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Tiffin University

    #98 in Ohio
    Tiffin, OH · Private nonprofit · 4-year · 3,598 students

    $26,500 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    DeVry University-Ohio

    #99 in Ohio
    Columbus, OH · Private for-profit · 4-year · 221 students

    $25,001 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Compass ScoreSolid

    Central State University

    #100 in Ohio
    Wilberforce, OH · Public · 4-year · 3,454 students

    $13,096 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsFair
  • Not yet rated

    ATA College-Cincinnati

    Cincinnati, OH · Private for-profit · 4-year · 264 students

    $27,055 a year after aid, on average

    ValueFairAcademicsStrong

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