Best Colleges in Ohio

Did you know that over 380,000 students attend college in Ohio? That’s because the Buckeye State is a great place to earn a degree.

Whether you’re looking for a liberal arts college in a small town or a major research university in a city, you can find your dream college experience in Ohio.

Check out our list of the top colleges in Ohio to learn more. Then, explore dozens of colleges in Ohio and learn about tuition costs so you can choose the right school for you.

We’ve created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit universities in Ohio. You can use the table below to compare data on student population, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.

The following school data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) from the 2022-23 academic year. Note that schools with fewer than 500 undergraduates were not included in this list.

Ohio has a lower cost of living than the national average. According to data from 2023, the cost of living in Ohio is 94% of the national cost of living. And housing costs are just 80% of the national average.

The state’s affordable cost of living benefits college students. Lower housing costs, for example, can mean borrowing fewer loans to cover living expenses.

College students also benefit from Ohio’s economy, which is the seventh largest among U.S. states. A strong economy can help graduates transition into the job market and put their degrees to work.

Ohio has over 60 four-year nonprofit colleges and universities. These schools enroll more than 380,000 students. Ohio’s largest college is Ohio State University, which enrolls over 60,000 students on its main campus.

Ohio State University is often considered a top college in Ohio. The state’s flagship public institution charges a net price of just under $20,000 per year. Ohio State reports that it receives over 65,000 applications every year, admitting around half of applicants.

Other top-ranked colleges in Ohio include liberal arts colleges like Oberlin and Denison and private institutions like Case Western Reserve University.

Ohio’s most selective college is Denison University, a liberal arts college with around 2,400 students. In fall 2022, Denison received over 12,000 applications and admitted just 22% of applicants. Case Western Reserve also reports selective admissions, with a 27% acceptance rate in fall 2022, according to NCES.