Ohio’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
What are the best colleges and universities in Ohio if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.
Colleges and universities in Ohio deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.
The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.
Ohio’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.
Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.
How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Ohio’s Colleges and Universities
As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Ohio’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.
- Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
- Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
- We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
- Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.
Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.
Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families
The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:
- A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
- Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
- Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
- The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
- Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
Ohio’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
Tuition + fees
$26K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
53%
Student body
1K
Career Outlook for degree at Hiram College
Cost of Degree: $25,500Expenses: $13,972Starting Salary: $46,900Cost Recoup Time: 14 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Hiram College known for?
Hiram College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Psychology
- Mathematics
- Philosophy
- History
- Communications
- Religious Studies
- Economics
- Political Science
- Medical
Most Influential Alumni
Hiram College’s Online Degrees
BS in Accounting And Financial Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Management
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #9 50 Best Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities 2024 #4 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024 #6 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
52%
Graduation
66%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/26
Career Outlook for degree at Ohio Wesleyan University
Cost of Degree: $49,822Expenses: $16,785Starting Salary: $51,600Cost Recoup Time: 19 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Ohio Wesleyan University known for?
Ohio Wesleyan University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Religious Studies
- Physics
- Sociology
- Law
- Political Science
- Literature
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
50%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/21
Career Outlook for degree at Marietta College
Cost of Degree: $38,022Expenses: $15,022Starting Salary: $57,700Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Marietta College known for?
Marietta College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Physics
- Engineering
- Sociology
- Economics
- Communications
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Political Science
- Literature
- Mathematics
Most Influential Alumni
- #17 50 Best Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities 2024 #6 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #9 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$43K
Acceptance
94%
Graduation
57%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/24
Career Outlook for degree at Wittenberg University
Cost of Degree: $43,106Expenses: $14,480Starting Salary: $49,000Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Wittenberg University known for?
Wittenberg University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Sociology
- Communications
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Political Science
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- History
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$8K
Acceptance
89%
Graduation
25%
Student body
7K
Career Outlook for degree at Central State University
Cost of Degree: $7,596Expenses: $13,600Starting Salary: $28,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Central State University known for?
Central State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$30K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
45%
Student body
4K
Career Outlook for degree at Tiffin University
Cost of Degree: $30,120Expenses: $15,970Starting Salary: $47,900Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Tiffin University known for?
Tiffin University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Mathematics
- Communications
- Sociology
- History
- Psychology
- Education
- Computer Science
- Literature
Most Influential Alumni
- #7 Best Online Colleges in Ohio 2024 #23 Best Online Bachelor’s in Child Development Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
86%
Graduation
60%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1035/19
Career Outlook for degree at Muskingum University
Cost of Degree: $30,690Expenses: $15,318Starting Salary: $43,500Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Muskingum University known for?
Muskingum University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Physics
- Psychology
- Engineering
- Biology
- Political Science
- Mathematics
- Computer Science
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
Muskingum University’s Online Degrees
BS in Accounting
Degree Concentrations
- Public
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Business Management
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Human Resource Management
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Marketing
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Occupational Science
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Information Systems
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Early Childhood Education
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Intervention Specialist
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Communication
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSN in Nursing
Degree Concentrations
- Accelerated
- Required Credits: 71
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Community Health And Wellness
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Health Science
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Healthcare Management
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Medical Laboratory Studies
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Sport And Fitness Science
- Required Credits: 124
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #3 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024 #4 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024 #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
Other Rankings
- #12 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for English Degrees
- #13 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for a Biology Degree
- #14 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Anthropology Degrees
- #14 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Sociology Degrees
- #15 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Religious Studies Degrees
- #16 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Chemistry Degrees
- #17 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Philosophy Degrees
- #18 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Physics Degrees
- #18 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for History Degrees
- #19 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Political Science Degrees
- #19 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Degrees
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Economics Degree
- #22 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Math Degrees
Tuition + fees
$66K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
87%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1432/32
Career Outlook for degree at Kenyon College
Cost of Degree: $66,490Expenses: $17,310Starting Salary: $54,500Cost Recoup Time: 21 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Kenyon College known for?
Kenyon College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024 #3 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earning Business Degrees in 2024
Tuition + fees
$60K
Acceptance
22%
Graduation
85%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1365/30
Career Outlook for degree at Denison University
Cost of Degree: $60,000Expenses: $16,900Starting Salary: $57,600Cost Recoup Time: 19 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Denison University known for?
Denison University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #9 50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students #10 50 Best Small Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students in 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
- #2 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
- #4 Best Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #11 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for a Biology Degree
- #13 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology Degrees
- #13 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for English Degrees
- #14 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Political Science Degrees
- #17 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Economics Degree
- #17 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for History Degrees
- #18 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earning Computer Science Degrees 2024
- #18 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Philosophy Degrees
- #19 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Religious Studies Degrees
- #20 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Chemistry Degrees
- #23 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degree
- #24 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Physics Degrees
- #25 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Engineering Degrees
- #25 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Sociology Degrees
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
35%
Graduation
83%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1445/31
Career Outlook for degree at Oberlin College
Cost of Degree: $62,024Expenses: $22,206Starting Salary: $45,500Cost Recoup Time: 23 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Oberlin College known for?
Oberlin College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Political Science
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Psychology
- History
- Physics
- Biology
- Economics
Most Influential Alumni
- #24 50 Best Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities 2024 #3 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024 #5 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
78%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1240/27
Career Outlook for degree at John Carroll University
Cost of Degree: $47,290Expenses: $17,950Starting Salary: $61,100Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is John Carroll University known for?
John Carroll University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Business
- Communications
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Economics
- History
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Physics
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
76%
Graduation
62%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1070/22
Career Outlook for degree at University of Mount Union
Cost of Degree: $34,400Expenses: $13,056Starting Salary: $48,600Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Mount Union known for?
University of Mount Union’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$58K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
74%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1350/29
Career Outlook for degree at College of Wooster
Cost of Degree: $57,500Expenses: $15,750Starting Salary: $53,000Cost Recoup Time: 19 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is College of Wooster known for?
College of Wooster’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #8 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024 #10 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Online Bachelor's of Theology Degree Programs in 2024 #7 Top 10 Best Online Business Management Bachelor's Programs
Tuition + fees
$31K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
76%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/25
Career Outlook for degree at Franciscan University of Steubenville
Cost of Degree: $31,080Expenses: $12,460Starting Salary: $42,700Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Franciscan University of Steubenville known for?
Franciscan University of Steubenville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Religious Studies
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Sociology
- Economics
- Anthropology
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Communications
- Nursing
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 Best Online Colleges for Students Who Work Part-Time #12 Top 15 Best Online Colleges for Transfer Students in 2024 #21 50 Best Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities 2024 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
- #4 Best Small Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #6 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Nursing Degrees
- #6 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Social Work Degrees
- #22 Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Criminal Justice Degrees
- #7 Top 20 Most Affordable Online PhD of Nursing (DNP) Programs
- #3 Fastest Accelerated Online PhDs in Education Degree Programs 2024
Tuition + fees
$24K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
60%
Student body
6K
Median SAT/ACT
1161/23
Career Outlook for degree at Ashland University
Cost of Degree: $24,140Expenses: $14,948Starting Salary: $42,900Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Ashland University known for?
Ashland University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
54%
Graduation
72%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1250/27
Career Outlook for degree at Ohio Northern University
Cost of Degree: $36,530Expenses: $16,433Starting Salary: $72,600Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Ohio Northern University known for?
Ohio Northern University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$40K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
61%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1073/21
Career Outlook for degree at Capital University
Cost of Degree: $40,350Expenses: $16,632Starting Salary: $48,400Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Capital University known for?
Capital University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Religious Studies
- Economics
- Political Science
- Law
- Literature
- History
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$34K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
69%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1147/23
Career Outlook for degree at Otterbein University
Cost of Degree: $34,274Expenses: $16,356Starting Salary: $46,900Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Otterbein University known for?
Otterbein University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024 #2 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #2 Best Grad Schools in Ohio 2024 #2 Best Research Universities in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$62K
Acceptance
27%
Graduation
86%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
1475/33
Career Outlook for degree at Case Western Reserve University
Cost of Degree: $61,584Expenses: $20,420Starting Salary: $89,300Cost Recoup Time: 15 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Case Western Reserve University known for?
Case Western Reserve University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Tuition + fees
$37K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
65%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1170/23
Career Outlook for degree at Baldwin Wallace University
Cost of Degree: $36,975Expenses: $20,696Starting Salary: $49,200Cost Recoup Time: 18 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Baldwin Wallace University known for?
Baldwin Wallace University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #2 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2024 #18 50 Best Christian Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities 2024 #5 Best Christian Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
- #9 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #1 Best Online Master’s in Forensics Degree Programs
- #3 Best Online Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #5 Best Online Christian Colleges and Universities for Master's Degrees
- #6 Best Online MBA Programs in Ohio
- #7 Best Online Master's Programs in Ohio 2024
- #10 Best Online Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs
- #9 Fastest Accelerated Online Bachelor's of Nursing Degree Programs 2024
Tuition + fees
$45K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
74%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1215/26
Career Outlook for degree at Xavier University
Cost of Degree: $45,000Expenses: $18,320Starting Salary: $58,200Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Xavier University known for?
Xavier University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Xavier University’s Online Degrees
BA in Organizational Leadership
Degree Concentrations
- Business
- Communication
- Information Systems
- Required Credits: 105-11
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #10 Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2024 #14 Most Affordable Online Computer Science PhDs (Doctorates) 2024
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
95%
Graduation
44%
Student body
12K
Median SAT/ACT
1040/20
Career Outlook for degree at Wright State University
Cost of Degree: $10,224Expenses: $15,256Starting Salary: $46,100Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Wright State University known for?
Wright State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Criminal Justice
- Medical
- Anthropology
- Engineering
- History
- Education
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #7 Most Affordable Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2024 #8 Best Grad Schools in Ohio 2024 #8 Best Research Universities in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
- #9 Best Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #1 Most Affordable Online Master's of Speech Pathology Programs
- #1 Best Online Bachelor's of Healthcare Administration Degree Programs for 2024
- #2 Best Online Associate Degrees in Ohio 2024
- #3 Best Online Master's Programs in Ohio 2024
- #3 Best Online Associate in Fire Science Degree Programs
- #4 Best Online Colleges in Ohio 2024
- #5 11 Fastest Accelerated Online Master's of Speech Pathology
- #10 20 Best Online Master's of Speech Pathology Degree Programs
- #11 Best Online Bachelor's in Organizational Leadership Degree Programs
- #11 Best Online Bachelor's in Sociology Degree Programs Ranked for 2024
- #18 Best Online Bachelor’s of Homeland Security Degree Programs for 2024
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
48%
Student body
17K
Median SAT/ACT
1105/21
Career Outlook for degree at University of Akron
Cost of Degree: $12,427Expenses: $15,930Starting Salary: $41,800Cost Recoup Time: 13 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is University of Akron known for?
University of Akron’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
University of Akron’s Online Degrees
BS in Organizational Supervision
- Required Credits: 62
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Criminology And Criminal Justice
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Emergency Management And Homeland Security
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Public Communication
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Public Relations
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BA in Sociology
- Required Credits: 120
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Nursing: RN to BSN
- Required Credits: 31
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
- #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Ohio 2024 #8 Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2024 #9 Best Grad Schools in Ohio 2024 #9 Best Research Universities in Ohio 2024
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$12K
Acceptance
85%
Graduation
49%
Student body
18K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/21
Career Outlook for degree at Cleveland State University
Cost of Degree: $12,254Expenses: $18,567Starting Salary: $46,400Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Cleveland State University known for?
Cleveland State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
- #8 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Ohio 2024 #10 Most Affordable Colleges in Ohio 2024 #6 Best Online Colleges in Ohio 2024 #7 Best Online MBA Programs in Ohio
Other Rankings
Tuition + fees
$10K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
49%
Student body
13K
Median SAT/ACT
995/21
Career Outlook for degree at Youngstown State University
Cost of Degree: $9,585Expenses: $14,566Starting Salary: $40,200Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Youngstown State University known for?
Youngstown State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
Most Influential Alumni
Youngstown State University’s Online Degrees
BS in Criminal Justice
Degree Concentrations
- Generalist Track
- Required Credits: 57
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: None Reported
BS in General Studies
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BS in Nursing
- Required Credits: 28
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
BSAS in Applied Science
Degree Concentrations
- Allied Health
- Required Credits: 60
- Completion Time: None Reported
- Format: Online
Ohio’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest
Colleges and Universities in Ohio
Ohio offers over 120 colleges and universities for students to earn their associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. The largest school in the state, Ohio State University, a public institution, serves almost 55,000 students. This university has five regional campuses, which have graduated alumni like writer Harlan Ellison and Wikipedia cofounder Larry Sanger. The majority of Ohio’s schools, however, are private.
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Tuition at these schools varies greatly, with costs as low as $7,000 at God’s Bible School and College, and as high as $56,000 at Kenyon University. The state is also home to nearly 40 higher education institutes with religious affiliations, offering plenty of options for students aiming to blend their faith with higher education. Although tuition costs in Ohio are higher than the national average, Ohio provides several loan forgiveness programs to those pursuing careers as public defenders and prosecutors, dentists, nurses, primary care physicians, and mental health providers. Many of these programs require individuals to work in shortage areas around the state for a certain time period in order to qualify.
If you’re someone with a wide variety of interests, Ohio might just be the place for you. In The Buckeye State, individuals can visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, take a trip through Amish Country, attend a professional sporting event, and hike waterfalls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It seems this state has something for everyone, including those pursuing a higher education degree.
Learn more about the numerous excellent degree paths and career prospects available in Ohio.
What are Ohio’s Colleges & Universities?
- 14 Research Universities
- 52 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 16 Graduate Schools
- 25 Public Colleges & Universities
- 41 Private Colleges & Universities
- 26 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 52 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 29 Affordable Colleges (below $20,000/year)
- 26 Community Colleges
- 14 Online Colleges