Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2023

Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2023

By James Barham

Published: May 3, 2021
Updated: Mar 13, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Ohio provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

10 Best Public Colleges in Ohio

Ohio State University

68%

University of Cincinnati

60%

Miami University

53%

Ohio University

51%

Kent State University

47%

University of Akron

46%

Cleveland State University

45%

Bowling Green State University

45%

University of Toledo

42%

Wright State University

39%

University of Toledo

97%

Wright State University

96%

Cleveland State University

91%

Miami University

89%

Ohio University

89%

Kent State University

87%

University of Akron

85%

University of Cincinnati

85%

Bowling Green State University

79%

Youngstown State University

78%

Ohio State University at Newark

29 to 1

University of Cincinnati Clermont College

23 to 1

Kent State University at Ashtabula

22 to 1

Kent State University at Stark

22 to 1

Kent State University at Salem

21 to 1

University of Toledo

21 to 1

Miami University Middletown

21 to 1

Kent State University

21 to 1

Ohio State University at Lima

20 to 1

Bowling Green State University

19 to 1

Miami University

$13,253

Ohio University

$12,840

University of Akron

$11,880

Cleveland State University

$11,610

Ohio State University

$11,018

Kent State University

$11,000

Bowling Green State University

$10,776

University of Cincinnati

$10,099

Wright State University

$9,784

Youngstown State University

$9,196

University of Toledo

$14,758

Wright State University

$14,298

University of Cincinnati

$13,224

Central State University

$13,200

Miami University

$12,806

Kent State University

$11,766

Kent State University at Stark

$11,766

Ohio State University

$11,560

Ohio State University at Lima

$11,496

Ohio State University at Mansfield

$11,496

Ohio State University at Lima

14%

Ohio State University at Marion

14%

Ohio University – Chillicothe

16%

Kent State University at Ashtabula

17%

Kent State University at Salem

17%

Ohio State University at Mansfield

17%

Kent State University at Stark

18%

Ohio University Southern Campus

18%

Ohio State University at Newark

19%

University of Cincinnati Clermont College

23%

Ohio State University

57%

Central State University

59%

Youngstown State University

78%

Bowling Green State University

79%

University of Cincinnati

85%

University of Akron

85%

Kent State University

87%

Ohio University

89%

Miami University

89%

Cleveland State University

91%

Shawnee State University

14 to 1

Wright State University

14 to 1

Miami University Hamilton

15 to 1

Cleveland State University

15 to 1

Miami University

16 to 1

Ohio University

16 to 1

University of Akron

16 to 1

Ohio University Southern Campus

17 to 1

Youngstown State University

18 to 1

Ohio State University at Mansfield

18 to 1

Central State University

$4,842

University of Cincinnati Clermont College

$5,230

Miami University Hamilton

$5,747

Miami University Middletown

$5,747

Ohio University Southern Campus

$5,774

Ohio University – Chillicothe

$5,774

Kent State University at Salem

$6,651

Kent State University at Ashtabula

$6,651

Kent State University at Stark

$6,651

Ohio State University at Lima

$8,295

Youngstown State University

$6,453

Miami University Hamilton

$7,406

Miami University Middletown

$7,406

Bowling Green State University

$8,017

Ohio University

$9,444

Shawnee State University

$10,156

Cleveland State University

$10,419

University of Akron

$10,610

Ohio State University at Lima

$11,496

Ohio State University at Mansfield

$11,496

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.

Ohio's Best Public Colleges Badge — Download Badge

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 25 public universities in Ohio. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Ohio, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

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

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.

Best Public Colleges in Ohio 2022

Build your own college ranknigs

Ohio’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

Image Attributions

Image Source for Ohio State University at Marion