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The Ohio State University is a top-ranked university located in Columbus, Ohio known for the combination of academic excellence and a vibrant sports culture. Students choose Ohio State for the strong sense of community, inclusivity, and educational opportunities. Among Ohio State’s top programs are business, engineering, health sciences, and agriculture.
Ohio State has many specialized programs that give students unique educational experiences. One example is the Entrepreneurial Business Law Program, which combines business and law into a program that prepares students to enter specialized fields like legal divisions of start-ups.
Sports plays a major role in the campus experience at The Ohio State University. School spirit is strong, with loyal students who support the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Ohio State teams compete at the NCAA Division I level as members of the Big Ten conference.
Ohio State is a land, sea, and space grant university. This means that the university is qualified to receive funding for research, training, and programs to support the community (land-grant), local water sources like the great lakes (sea-grant), and STEM initiatives (space-grant).
"I was surprised by the actual size of the campus. We were able to go into the stadium—huge and nice looking. The student center was a really nice size and I can tell it’s a happening spot."
"Go Visit OSU. My kid fell in love. Still has a couple schools to visit on the east coast, but I think wants to end up at Ohio."
The Ohio State University is a public, state school in an urban setting in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State was founded in 1870 and now enrolls around 61,391 students a year, including 46,818 undergrads. Ohio State offers housing for up to 14,496 students. Most students live in off campus housing.
There are many ways for students to get involved at Ohio State! Love music or performing? Join a campus band, sing in a chorus, or perform with one of Ohio State's theater groups.
Interested in journalism or communications? Ohio State students can write for the campus newspaper, host a radio show or be a producer for the student-run television channel.
Thinking of pledging? Ohio State has fraternities and sororities.
Planning to play sports? Ohio State has many options for athletes. See them all and learn more about life at Ohio State on the Student Life page.
Learn more about life at Ohio State on the Student Life page.
Mark your calendar! February 1, 2022 is the final deadline to submit an application for Fall. Regular decision applicants for Fall 2022 should find out if they got admitted by March 31.
2021 Ohio State Facts At-A-Glance | |
---|---|
Academic Calendar | Semester |
Overall Acceptance Rate | 54% |
Early Decision Acceptance Rate | ED not offered |
Early Action Acceptance Rate | 79% |
Applicants Submitting ACT scores | 79% |
Applicants Submitting SAT scores | 39% |
In-State Tuition | $8,197 |
Out-of-State | $30,181 |
Percent of Need Met | 73% |
Average First-Year Financial Aid Package | $16,288 |
Different people have different ideas about what makes a "good" school. Admissions difficulty and admitted student statistics can give you a sense of how competitive a university is, but they don't say much about the quality of the education or the student experience. However, there are a few good ways to get a better sense how satisfied students are and how well a school supports its student body.
Let's take a closer look at all of these areas to get a better idea of what Ohio State offers and if it could be a good fit for you.
It is very difficult to get into Ohio State. Ohio State admitted 54% of all applicants in 2021. Last year, 47,703 students applied to Ohio State and 25,634 were admitted.
Retention is the number of students that stay enrolled at a school over time. This is a way to get a sense of how satisfied students are with their school experience, and if they have the support necessary to succeed in college.
Out of all the first-year, full-time undergrads who start at Ohio State, around 94% are still enrolled their sophomore year. Around 86% of students who started at Ohio State earn their Bachelor's degrees within six years. The average six-year graduation rate for U.S. colleges and universities is 61% for public schools, and 67% for private, non-profit schools.
Job placement rates after graduation and average starting salaries can all give important clues about the value of a degree from a specific school.
Check with Ohio State directly, for information on any information on starting salaries for recent grads.
An endowment is the total value of a school's investments, donations, and assets. Endowment is not necessarily an indicator of the quality of a school, but it can give you a sense of how much money a college can afford to invest in expanding programs, improving facilities, and support students. Ohio State's endowment was valued at $5.2 billion in 2021, compared to a national average of $905 million. For each full-time student, Ohio State spends about $9,235 a year.
Cost is another important factor when choose a college. Some colleges may have high tuition, but do a better job at meeting students' financial need. Ohio State meets 73% of the demonstrated financial need for undergraduates. The average financial aid package for a full-time, first-year student is around $16,288 a year.
Students in the class of 2021 who had taken out student loans graduated with an average of $27,242 of debt. For context, compare this number with the average national debt, which is around $36,000 per borrower.
The 2022-2023 FAFSA Opened on October 1st, 2021
Some aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so fill out the FAFSA asap. Visit the FAFSA website to apply for student aid. Remember, the first F in FAFSA stands for FREE! You should never have to pay to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), so don't give your money (or info!) to any website that claim you do.
Learn more about Tuition and Financial Aid at Ohio State. Based on this information, how does Ohio State sound? Remember, the best school for one person may be a terrible fit for another! So ask yourself: Is Ohio State a good school for you?
If The Ohio State University seems like a school you want to apply to, click the heart button to save it to your college list.
Click below to find out more about the admissions requirements and deadlines, student life, academics, majors and more.
Then use the college admissions predictor to take a data science look at your chances of getting into some of the top schools in the U.S.
Ohio State is located in the urban setting of Columbus, Ohio.
If you want to see Ohio State for yourself, plan a visit. The best way to reach campus is to take Interstates 71/70 and State Rt. 315 to Columbus, or book a flight to the nearest airport, John Glenn Columbus International.
You can also take a virtual campus tour to get a sense of what Ohio State and Columbus are like without leaving home.
See a full list of colleges in Ohio and save your favorites to your college list.
First-Year Applications are Due
Transfer Applications are Due
The deadline for Fall first-year applications to Ohio State is Feb 1.
The deadline for Fall transfer applications to Ohio State is May 15.
Check the school website for more information about deadlines for specific programs or special admissions programs
Composite SAT Range
Math SAT Range
Reading SAT Range
SAT Score
Estimated Chance
1430 and Above
1270 to 1430
1270 and Less
The median SAT score for Ohio State students is 1340. Applicants with SAT scores of 1430 and above have a good chance of being admitted to Ohio State, while applicants with SAT scores between 1270 to 1430 have an average chance of admittance, and prospective students with an SAT score below 1270 have a low chance of being offered a spot at Ohio State.
Tuition & Fees
$26,451
In State$50,688
Out-of-StateWant funding for college that doesn't need to be paid back? Explore College Confidential's new scholarship tool and search for scholarships that are tailored to you.
Wondering what life at Ohio State is like? There are approximately 60,540 students enrolled at Ohio State, including 46,267 undergraduate students and 14,273 graduate students. 92% percent of students attend school full-time, 80% percent are from OH and 20% percent of students are from other states.
92%
Full Time8%
Part Time80%
In State20%
Out-of-StateData Source: IPEDs and Peterson's Databases © 2022 Peterson's LLC All rights reserved
Total Enrollment
Campus Setting
Acceptance Rate
Fall Freshmen
Application Deadline
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