Ohio University
Ohio University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Ohio University Featured Rankings
- #1 Most Affordable Online Master's of Music Education Degree Programs
- #2 Accelerated Online Healthcare Administration Masters
- #3 Accelerated Online Master's of English
- #3 Best Online MBAs Ohio
- #4 Ohio's Best Online Master's Degrees
- #4 Most Affordable Online Nursing Bachelors
- #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #4 Best Public Colleges in Ohio
- #5 Best Research Universities in Ohio 2026
- #5 Best Grad Schools in Ohio 2026
- #6 Best Colleges in Ohio 2026
- #22 Non-GMAT Online MBAs
About Ohio University
According to Wikipedia, Ohio University, sometimes referred to as Ohio or OU, is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subsequently approved for the territory in 1802 and state in 1804, opening for students in 1809. Ohio University is the oldest university in Ohio and among the oldest public universities in the United States.
Ohio University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25,648 | 85% | 84% | 65% | 1190 | 25 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Ohio University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $14,582 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $15,142 |
| 30K - 48K | $14,643 |
| 48K - 75K | $16,141 |
| 75K - 110K | $22,188 |
| 110K+ | $24,609 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Ohio University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Ohio University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $61,938 a year, and 92% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Ohio University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 28,654 | 21,698 | 6,956 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Ohio University?
Ohio University is located at 020 Chubb Hall, Athens, OH 45701-2979.
How Safe is Ohio University?
Like every college that receives federal student aid, Ohio University publishes an annual security report with its campus crime statistics and safety policies. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Ohio University has a violent crime rate of 0.08% and a property crime rate of 0.08%. Athens has a violent crime rate of 0.11% and a property (including theft) crime rate of 0.99%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is Ohio University Known For?
Ohio University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Communications
- Education
- Earth Sciences
- History
- Medical
- Physics
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Literature
- Biology
- Engineering
- Chemistry
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Philosophy
- Social Work
- Mathematics
- Law
- Psychology
- Computer Science
- Economics
- Religious Studies
- Nursing
Ohio University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Ohio University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Ohio University ranks #96 in the U.S. and #299 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesOhio University ranks #100 in the U.S. and #326 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesOhio University ranks #111 in the U.S. and #438 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesOhio University ranks #115 in the U.S. and #309 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesOhio University ranks #116 in the U.S. and #332 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesOhio University ranks #123 in the U.S. and #494 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesOhio University ranks #131 in the U.S. and #490 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesOhio University ranks #135 in the U.S. and #211 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesOhio University ranks #140 in the U.S. and #414 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesOhio University ranks #145 in the U.S. and #405 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesOhio University ranks #152 in the U.S. and #514 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesOhio University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #746 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesOhio University ranks #158 in the U.S. and #716 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesOhio University ranks #179 in the U.S. and #551 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesOhio University ranks #187 in the U.S. and #701 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesOhio University ranks #196 in the U.S. and #658 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesOhio University ranks #202 in the U.S. and #470 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesOhio University ranks #203 in the U.S. and #823 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesOhio University ranks #204 in the U.S. and #631 worldwide for influence in Law.
Ohio University ranks #208 in the U.S. and #501 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesOhio University ranks #214 in the U.S. and #802 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesOhio University ranks #270 in the U.S. and #1385 worldwide for influence in Economics.
economics DegreesOhio University ranks #296 in the U.S. and #1251 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesOhio University ranks #630 in the U.S. and #1645 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWho Are Ohio University's Most Influential Alumni?
Ohio University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, Communications, and History. Here are some of Ohio University's most famous alumni:
- Roy Lichtenstein
- An American pop artist.
- Matt Lauer
- A Former American journalist.
- Jenny Holzer
- An American conceptual artist.
- Fred Singer
- An American physicist .
- Jim Dine
- An American painter, sculptor, and printmaker.
- Douglas Brinkley
- An American historian.
- Logan Paul
- An American YouTuber and Internet personality .
- Marie Tharp
- An American oceanographer and cartographer.
- Clarence Page
- An American journalist.
- David Smith
- An American visual artist .
- Venki Ramakrishnan
- A Nobel prize winning American and British structural biologist.
- Kenneth C. Laudon
- An American academic.
Who Are Ohio University's Most Influential Faculty?
Ohio University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, Communications, and History. Here are some of Ohio University's most famous faculty:
