Top-Ranked Ohio Colleges and Universities

Ohio has some excellent private and public colleges and universities. The schools below have been chosen for a variety of factors: reputation, first-year retention rate, 4 and 6-year graduation rates, value, and student engagement. The colleges vary so much in size and type of school that they are listed alphabetically rather than being forced into any sort of artificial ranking.

Baldwin-Wallace University

Carnegie Hall at Baldin Wallace College. Pwojdacz / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Baldwin-Wallace University is a private liberal arts university affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The school is proud of its inclusive history dating back to 1845. Student life is active with an extensive NCAA Division III athletic program and over 100 student clubs and organizations.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Berea, Ohio
Enrollment	3,709 (3,104 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	74%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University.

Rdikeman / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Case Western Reserve University is a comprehensive research university with a strong national reputation, especially in STEM fields. The school is a member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths, and it was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences. Programs in business, medicine, nursing, and biomedical engineering are all highly ranked. The school's Cleveland campus sits in a neighborhood that features several museums.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Cleveland, Ohio
Enrollment	11,890 (5,261 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	29%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

College of Wooster

The College of Wooster. Allen Grove

The College of Wooster has earned a national reputation for its strong Independent Study program in which seniors develop a project and work one-on-one with their faculty adviser. This private liberal arts college earned a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for its academic strengths, and students have additional opportunities through the school's membership in the Five Colleges of Ohio consortium with Oberlin, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, and Denison.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Wooster, Ohio
Enrollment	2,004 (all undergraduate)
Acceptance Rate	54%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

Denison University

Denison University Swasey Chapel. Allen Grove

Despite its name as a "university," Denison is very much a private liberal arts college with an entirely undergraduate student population. The school ranks among the nation's top liberal arts colleges, and the attractive 900-acre campus features a 550-acre biological reserve. The school has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for it's strong programs in the liberal arts and sciences, and Denison also does well on the financial aid front.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Granville, Ohio
Enrollment	2,394 (all undergraduate)
Acceptance Rate	34%
Student / Faculty Ratio	9 to 1

Kenyon College

Leonard Hall at Kenyon College. Curt Smith / Flickr

One of the nation's best liberal arts colleges, Kenyon College has a striking campus with Gothic architecture and a 380-acre nature preserve. With an average class size of just 15, Kenyon's students will get plenty of personal attention from their professors. The college is home to the highly-regarded literary magazine The Kenyon Review, and English is one of the strongest and most popular majors.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Gambier, Ohio
Enrollment	1,730 (all undergraduate)
Acceptance Rate	36%
Student / Faculty Ratio	10 to 1

Marietta College

Marietta College.

Snoopywv / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

One of many strong liberal arts colleges in Ohio, Marietta College has a lot to offer for a small school. Traditional programs in the liberal arts and sciences are balanced by popular majors in preprofessional fields such as business, education, and petroleum engineering. The school has small classes, and students can choose from 85 student clubs and organizations.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Marietta, Ohio
Enrollment	1,130 (1,052 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	69%
Student / Faculty Ratio	9 to 1

Miami University of Ohio

Miami University Ohio. Wikimedia Commons

Founded in 1809, Miami University of Ohio is one of the oldest public universities in the country. Despite being a large research university, Miami takes pride in the quality of its undergraduate teaching. This may explain why the university has a higher graduation rate than many NCAA Division I schools. The RedHawks compete in the NCAA Mid-American Conference (MAC).

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Oxford, Ohio
Enrollment	19,934 (17,327
Acceptance Rate	75%
Student / Faculty Ratio	13 to 1

Oberlin College

Oberlin College. Allen Grove

Another excellent private liberal arts college in Ohio, Oberlin College has the distinction of being the first co-ed college in the United States. Arts are big on the campus with the school's highly regarded Conservatory of Music, and students can borrow paintings from the art museum to decorate their dorm rooms. Sustainability is also big on campus with 57 courses on the topic and constant efforts to reduce the school's energy consumption and waste.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Oberlin, Ohio
Enrollment	2,912 (2,895 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	36%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

Ohio Northern University

Ohio Northern University Football. Erik Drost / Flickr / CC BY 2.0

Ohio Northern University is a small comprehensive university affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The school takes pride in the personal attention students receive with its low student to faculty ratio and average class size of 19. The university also ranks well above national averages when it comes to students who participate in high-impact experiences such as internships, research work with professors, and service learning.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Ada, Ohio
Enrollment	3,039 (2,297 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	68%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

Ohio State University

Ohio Stadium at the Ohio State University. Photo credit: Acererak / Flickr

One of the top public universities in the country as well as one of the largest, The Ohio State University offers over 12,000 courses across its 18 colleges and schools. Research is also significant, and the university is home to over 200 academic centers and institutes. On the athletic front, the OSU Buckeyes compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Columbus, Ohio
Enrollment	61,170 (46,820 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	52%
Student / Faculty Ratio	19 to 1

University of Dayton

GE Aviation EPISCenter at the University of Dayton. Ohio Redevelopment Projects - ODSA / Flickr

The University of Dayton ranks among the nation's top Catholic universities, and it has wide-ranging strengths at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The program in entrepreneurship consistently ranks among the top 25 in U.S. News & World Report. In athletics, the Dayton Flyers compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic 10 Conference.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Dayton, Ohio
Enrollment	11,241 (8,617 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	72%
Student / Faculty Ratio	14 to 1

Xavier University

Xavier University Basketball. Michael Reaves / Getty Images

Founded in 1831, Xavier University is one of the top Catholic universities in the United States. Students can choose from over 90 undergraduate academic programs, and the university wins high marks for student success: 98% have a job or have been accepted into graduate school soon after graduation. The Xavier Musketeers compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.

Fast Facts (2018)
Location	Cincinnati, Ohio
Enrollment	7,127 (4,995 undergraduates)
Acceptance Rate	74%
Student / Faculty Ratio	11 to 1

Top Ohio Colleges

Baldwin-Wallace University

Case Western Reserve University