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Ohio State University-Main Campus

Public

Columbus, OH

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The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College under the Morrill Land-Grant Act and was renamed The Ohio State University in 1878. It operates today as Ohio's land-grant university, with six campuses across the state and 88 Ohio State University Extension offices serving every county. Its academic health system includes the Ohio State Wexner Medical Center.

Admissions

Admit rate61%
SAT range1310–1480
ACT range28–32
Undergrads45,638
Yield (admits who enroll)23%
Next deadlineNov 1, 2026 (EA)

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$30,305
4-year grad rate88%
Median earnings, 10yr out$60,409

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field.

Where do you stand against Ohio State University-Main Campus's numbers?

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How Ohio State University-Main Campus weighs your application

From Ohio State University-Main Campus's own Common Data Set, 2024-25, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankVery important
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresVery important
Application essayImportant
RecommendationsImportant
Nonacademic factors
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesImportant
Talent/abilityImportant
Character/personal qualitiesConsidered
First generationImportant
Alumni relation (legacy)Not considered
Geographical residenceConsidered
State residencyConsidered
Religious affiliationNot considered
Volunteer workImportant
Work experienceImportant
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Not considered
BUILD YOUR FIT SCORESee how Ohio State University-Main Campus actually weighs your profile, free, no account needed
See full profile -- financial aid, campus life, and what Ohio State University-Main Campus weighs in your application

Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans29%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out63%

"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.

Majors & earnings

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Other$88,205/yr
Food Science and Technology$70,537/yr
Agricultural Business and Management$66,603/yr
Plant Sciences$56,812/yr
Animal Sciences$50,769/yr
Architecture and Related Services
Architecture$66,131/yr
Landscape Architecture$65,828/yr
City/Urban, Community, and Regional Planning$57,573/yr
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$40,713/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Neurobiology and Neurosciences$68,480/yr
Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology$67,381/yr
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$66,222/yr
Biology, General$64,324/yr
Genetics$63,767/yr
Zoology/Animal Biology$45,501/yr
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$111,500/yr
Management Information Systems and Services$110,192/yr
Finance and Financial Management Services$97,986/yr
Business/Managerial Economics$96,843/yr
Real Estate$91,213/yr
Accounting and Related Services$90,850/yr
Business Administration, Management and Operations$85,586/yr
Human Resources Management and Services$82,371/yr
International Business$81,473/yr
Marketing$81,119/yr
Business/Commerce, General$65,374/yr
Hospitality Administration/Management$53,039/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Communication and Media Studies$62,096/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other$54,860/yr
Journalism$51,280/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer and Information Sciences, General$118,833/yr
Education
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$52,459/yr
Special Education and Teaching$50,194/yr
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$45,969/yr
Educational Administration and Supervision$42,187/yr
Engineering
Computer Engineering$123,731/yr
Industrial Engineering$106,932/yr
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$99,400/yr
Chemical Engineering$98,851/yr
Engineering, Other$97,144/yr
Mechanical Engineering$96,418/yr
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$92,999/yr
Engineering Physics$90,938/yr
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$90,065/yr
Materials Engineering$86,084/yr
Civil Engineering$85,202/yr
Agricultural Engineering$81,917/yr
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering$80,775/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$48,301/yr
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies$67,018/yr
Apparel and Textiles$66,256/yr
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services$57,859/yr
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$50,921/yr
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$68,688/yr
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$58,235/yr
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$46,527/yr
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$44,941/yr
Health Professions and Related Programs
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$81,795/yr
Health and Medical Administrative Services$80,315/yr
Clinical/Medical Laboratory Science/Research and Allied Professions$74,601/yr
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services$73,594/yr
Health/Medical Preparatory Programs$71,189/yr
Public Health$70,369/yr
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$68,942/yr
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions$65,920/yr
Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$65,407/yr
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services$58,821/yr
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$57,797/yr
History
History$49,986/yr
Legal Professions and Studies
Non-Professional Legal Studies$70,429/yr
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities$54,529/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Applied Mathematics$120,495/yr
Mathematics$81,909/yr
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
International/Globalization Studies$66,995/yr
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other$59,072/yr
Natural Resources and Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$58,119/yr
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy$52,528/yr
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$57,541/yr
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Philosophy$55,823/yr
Physical Sciences
Physics$94,543/yr
Chemistry$71,559/yr
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$53,381/yr
Psychology
Psychology, General$54,182/yr
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Public Policy Analysis$65,894/yr
Public Administration$60,678/yr
Social Work$50,596/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$75,485/yr
International Relations and National Security Studies$66,064/yr
Political Science and Government$65,972/yr
Geography and Cartography$60,363/yr
Criminology$58,865/yr
Sociology$50,457/yr
Anthropology$50,055/yr
Transportation and Materials Moving
Air Transportation$79,114/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Design and Applied Arts$68,151/yr
Music$51,310/yr
Film/Video and Photographic Arts$50,565/yr
Fine and Studio Arts$46,899/yr
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$37,445/yr

Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.

Campus life

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusNo
Dormitory capacity15,082
Typical room chargeNot reported
Typical board chargeNot reported

Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.

What matters in your application

GPARequired
Class rankRequired
RecommendationsConsidered, not required

From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.

Frequently asked questions

What does Ohio State University-Main Campus look for in applicants?

Per Ohio State University-Main Campus's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates class rank, academic GPA, rigor of secondary school record, standardized test scores as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.

What is Ohio State University-Main Campus's acceptance rate?

Ohio State University-Main Campus in Columbus, OH admits approximately 61% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.

What SAT score do I need for Ohio State University-Main Campus?

Admitted students at Ohio State University-Main Campus typically score between 1310–1480 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile).

What ACT score do I need for Ohio State University-Main Campus?

Admitted students at Ohio State University-Main Campus typically score between 28–32 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile).

How much does Ohio State University-Main Campus cost?

Ohio State University-Main Campus's total cost of attendance is reported at $30,305 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.

When is the application deadline for Ohio State University-Main Campus?

Ohio State University-Main Campus's earliest deadline is Nov 1, 2026 (EA), per its own published admissions calendar.

Does Ohio State University-Main Campus require students to live on campus?

No -- Ohio State University-Main Campus doesn't require students to live in on-campus housing.

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