Best Private Colleges in Ohio 2024

Published: May 3, 2021
Updated: Oct 16, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Ohio.

Case Western Reserve University
Oberlin College
Kenyon College
Denison University
University of Dayton
Wilberforce University
Ohio Wesleyan University
College of Wooster
Wittenberg University
Xavier University

Wittenberg University 94%
Hiram College 93%
Muskingum University 86%
Xavier University 85%
Tiffin University 83%
Marietta College 83%
John Carroll University 82%
Notre Dame College 79%
Malone University 78%
University of Mount Union 76%

Wilberforce University 19 to 1
Tiffin University 17 to 1
Franciscan University of Steubenville 16 to 1
Cedarville University 16 to 1
University of Dayton 15 to 1
John Carroll University 14 to 1
Walsh University 14 to 1
Muskingum University 13 to 1
Ohio Northern University 13 to 1
University of Mount Union 12 to 1

Kenyon College $66,490
Oberlin College $62,024
Case Western Reserve University $61,584
Denison University $60,000
College of Wooster $57,500
Ohio Wesleyan University $49,822
John Carroll University $47,290
University of Dayton $46,170
Xavier University $45,000
Wittenberg University $43,106

Case Western Reserve University $50,838
University of Mount Union $39,000
Ohio Northern University $31,900
Oberlin College $29,692
University of Dayton $18,540
Union Institute & University $15,911
Marietta College $15,663
John Carroll University $14,699
Tiffin University $14,000
Walsh University $13,410

Muskingum University
Notre Dame College
Walsh University
Malone University
Hiram College
Union Institute & University
Wilberforce University
Capital University
Tiffin University
Marietta College

Malone University
Tiffin University
Notre Dame College
Walsh University
Capital University
Muskingum University
Cedarville University
Union Institute & University
University of Mount Union
Franciscan University of Steubenville

Denison University 22%
Case Western Reserve University 27%
Kenyon College 34%
Oberlin College 35%
Wilberforce University 45%
Ohio Wesleyan University 52%
Ohio Northern University 54%
College of Wooster 56%
Cedarville University 65%
Franciscan University of Steubenville 67%

Union Institute & University 6 to 1
Marietta College 9 to 1
Case Western Reserve University 9 to 1
Denison University 9 to 1
Kenyon College 9 to 1
Capital University 9 to 1
Oberlin College 9 to 1
Hiram College 10 to 1
Wittenberg University 10 to 1
Ohio Wesleyan University 11 to 1

Wilberforce University $13,250
Union Institute & University $17,141
Ashland University $24,140
Hiram College $25,500
Tiffin University $30,120
Muskingum University $30,690
Franciscan University of Steubenville $31,080
Notre Dame College $31,950
Walsh University $33,235
University of Mount Union $33,800

Hiram College $6,612
Ashland University $7,656
Wittenberg University $8,027
Cedarville University $10,260
Muskingum University $10,440
Xavier University $12,060
Malone University $12,330
Capital University $12,780
Wilberforce University $12,830
Franciscan University of Steubenville $12,960

Table of Contents

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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?

Ohio’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Ohio's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 41 private universities in Ohio. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Ohio, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.