Ohio State University
Ohio, United States
Founded1870
Campus350 acres
Research$1.6B
Acceptance53.0%
Updated February 7, 2026
Overview
The Ohio State University is a premier public land-grant research institution founded in 1870. Originally established as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College under the Morrill Act, it has evolved into one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in the United States. The university is dedicated to its mission of "Education for Citizenship" and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Known for its massive academic catalog, Ohio State offers over 200 undergraduate majors, 94 doctoral programs, and 119 master’s programs. It is organized into various prestigious colleges, including Arts and Sciences, Engineering, Medicine, and the Fisher College of Business. The institution is recognized for its commitment to affordability, with a significant portion of its graduates completing their degrees debt-free.
Popular Programs
BAE
Bachelor of Art Education
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts in African American and African Studies
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Classics
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts in Arabic
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts in Art
Location
The university is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, which is the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the Midwest. Beyond the main urban campus, Ohio State operates a comprehensive regional system to ensure statewide access. This includes regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark.
Additionally, the university maintains the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) in Wooster, which features a 1,700-acre working farm and specialized research labs. The university's physical presence extends to every corner of the state through 88 Extension offices, and its Innovation District in Columbus encompasses 350 acres dedicated to entrepreneurship and industry partnerships.
Columbus, United States
Also in: Wooster, United States · Lima, United States · Mansfield, United States · Marion, United States · Newark, United States · Put-in-Bay, United States
Campuses
Columbus Campus
MainColumbus· United States
Ohio State ATI in Wooster
Wooster· United States
Ohio State Lima
Lima· United States
Ohio State Mansfield
Mansfield· United States
Ohio State Marion
Marion· United States
Ohio State Newark
Newark· United States
Campus Culture
The Columbus campus offers a lively, urban environment where student life is central to the university experience. Most first- and second-year students live on campus, often within specialized living-learning communities. With over 1,400 student organizations, the university provides a vast array of extracurricular opportunities, including the largest intramural sports program in the nation.
The student body is diverse and global, featuring over 14,000 graduate and professional students and nearly 6,000 international students representing more than 100 countries. The university emphasizes student wellness and affordability through initiatives like the Ohio State Tuition Guarantee and the Regional Campus Commitment, which aims to provide tuition-free education for eligible low-to-middle-income students. Additionally, the university has maintained a tobacco-free environment across all campuses since 2014.
Rankings
Ohio State is consistently ranked as a top-tier public institution, placing 15th among all public universities nationally and 1st in Ohio according to U.S. News & World Report. It is a leading producer of Fulbright Scholars and ranks 9th for undergraduate teaching among public universities. The university's online bachelor's programs are also highly regarded, ranking within the top five nationally.
Many of the university's professional programs hold elite national standings. The Master of Science in Nursing and online graduate nursing programs are ranked #1 in the country. Other top-10 programs include Pharmacy (#4), Health Administration (#5), the Working Professional MBA (#5), and the Fisher College of Business undergraduate program (#7). The College of Veterinary Medicine and the College of Social Work also maintain top-tier national reputations.
Research
As an R1 research institution, Ohio State is a global powerhouse for interdisciplinary discovery, ranking 11th in research expenditures with an annual budget of approximately $1.58 billion. The university houses over 200 academic centers and institutes, including the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center and the Institute for Materials and Manufacturing Research.
The university is currently a leader in Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration, with a major initiative to ensure all undergraduates are AI fluent and plans to hire 100 new faculty members for AI research. Significant research funding is directed toward fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, and the Institute of Brain, Behavior and Immunology. The university also operates the Wexner Medical Center, one of the largest academic medical centers in the country, focusing on cancer, cardiology, and transplantation research.