A public R1 research university in Columbus, OH, admitting 60.57% of applicants with 45,638 undergraduates and a $7.90 billion endowment.
Columbus, Ohio
The Ohio State University is a public R1 research university in Columbus, Ohio, founded in 1870. It enrolls 45,638 undergraduates and 14,628 graduate students across sixteen colleges, including the Fisher College of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Education and Human Ecology, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, and the Max M. Fisher College of Business. Business, engineering, biological sciences, social sciences, and communications account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees.
Ohio State holds a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification and is accredited through the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Ohio State is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center is one of the largest academic medical centers in the United States and a major driver of the university's research enterprise and healthcare training pipelines.
Official website: osu.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Ohio State scores 82.95 overall, rated Strong. Outcomes (94.36) reflects an 87.72% six-year graduation rate and strong placement in Ohio's industry base. Value scores 74.44, driven by an average net price of $17,339 relative to ten-year earnings of $60,409. Affordability scores 41.34. All scores use verified federal data only.
Ohio State admits 60.57% of applicants, making it among the more accessible selective flagship universities in the country while still applying holistic review. Ohio State is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. Students who submit scores typically average 1,387 on the SAT, with the middle 50% ACT range between 28 and 32.
Ohio State uses the Common App with a required short-answer question. The priority deadline for most programs is November 1; applications received after the priority deadline are reviewed on a space-available basis. Applicants to highly competitive programs, including engineering, business, and nursing, should note that these programs have substantially higher competition than the overall admit rate suggests.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Ohio State University-Main Campus is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
For Ohio residents, Ohio State charges $13,244 in tuition plus an estimated $14,738 in room and board, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $30,305 before aid. For out-of-state students, tuition is $40,022, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $57,000 before aid. The average net price across all enrolled students is $17,339.
For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $4,885. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $5,751. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $20,461. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $27,359. Ohio State's federal loan rate of 28.77% and median debt of $19,976 are above average for public universities, reflecting loan-inclusive aid packages for a portion of the student population.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $60 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Ohio State completes the large majority of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 87.72% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. First-year retention stands at 94.18%. The federal loan rate of 28.77% and median debt of $19,976 are among the higher figures for public flagship universities, reflecting that a meaningful portion of students carry loan-inclusive aid packages.
Ohio State graduates earn at or above the national median for large public research universities. Median earnings are $51,438 six years after first enrolling and $60,409 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 83.62% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate. The ten-year earnings figure is below the peer group median, reflecting Ohio State's broad program mix across education, social work, communications, and agricultural sciences alongside higher-earning fields like business and engineering.
Fisher College of Business and College of Engineering graduates typically earn above the institutional median, with strong placement in Columbus's growing finance, technology, and healthcare sectors. Columbus is one of the fastest-growing major metropolitan areas in the Midwest and a hub for financial services (JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide Insurance) and retail technology (Limited Brands, Abercrombie and Fitch headquarters).
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Ohio State enrolls 45,638 undergraduates in Columbus, Ohio, the state capital and largest city in Ohio with a metropolitan population of approximately 2.1 million. White students account for 59.75% of undergraduates; Asian 10.78%, Hispanic 5.81%, and Black 7.94%. Twenty percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 26.22% are first-generation college students, both at or above average for major public flagship universities.
Columbus's job market includes major employers in financial services, retail, defense, biomedical research, and technology within commuting distance or a short drive from campus. Ohio State's Buckeyes football program is among the most prominent in the country, and Big Ten athletics are central to campus culture across all seasons.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Ohio State University-Main Campus. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Ohio State University-Main Campus offers an extensive catalog of programs: 310 distinct programs across 29 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Ohio State operates at a student-to-faculty ratio consistent with large flagship universities. 62.72% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty, below the peer group average, reflecting Ohio State's very large enrollment and significant use of graduate teaching associates. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $23,612 per year.
The endowment stands at $7.90 billion, one of the largest at any public university in the country. The Wexner Medical Center, with six hospitals and a medical school, is one of Ohio State's largest enterprises. Ohio State's research output spans cancer (James Cancer Hospital), agriculture, materials science, and defense.
5,009 instructional faculty across 4 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 1,482 | 30% | $159,632 |
| Associate Professors | 1,429 | 29% | $107,989 |
| Assistant Professors | 2,082 | 42% | $98,066 |
| Instructors | 16 | 0% | $100,292 |
Ohio State's defining strengths are its 82.95 Strong UCD score, Columbus location in a large and growing metropolitan economy, a $7.90 billion endowment (exceptional for a public university), in-state tuition of $13,244, and a broad program range from engineering to agriculture to communications. UCD 82.95 Strong.
The trade-offs: ten-year earnings of $60,409 are the lowest in the current batch of flagship publics, reflecting the broad program mix; the federal loan rate of 28.77% and median debt of $19,976 are above average for public universities; and full-time faculty deliver only 62.72% of instruction. Best fit for Ohio residents who want a large, comprehensive flagship university with strong alumni networks in Midwest industry, access to a growing major city, and the full experience of Big Ten athletics and campus life.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about Ohio State: how competitive admissions are for specific programs, what Columbus offers as a college city, how cost compares to other flagships, and what graduates earn.
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.
Scout uses AI and can make mistakes. Verify important numbers on the page.
