2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Ohio
When pursuing a degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Ohio Schools For The Money For Those With No Aid ranking.
After analyzing 62 schools, we came up with our list of those that were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Ohio. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. Thus, one college may rank better than another, but the second school could have a lower average cost.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Our average cost calculation adds up all expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, and other expenses. So it is an approximation of how much you will have to pay out-of-pocket each year on average.
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Customizing Your List
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as overall quality or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Ohio
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2021 rankings named Ohio State University - Main Campus the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Ohio for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 11,596 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Ohio State graduates in less than 4.3 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $27,912 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State is $120,859. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. In addition to its great value ranking, Ohio State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Ohio list.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Miami University - Oxford. The school came in at #2 in Ohio on this year’s best value ranking. Miami of Ohio is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 5,139 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Miami of Ohio about 4.2 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,087. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Miami of Ohio be around $137,973. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Miami of Ohio also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Ohio list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list means University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Cincinnati is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6,175 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Cincinnati graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $27,458. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Cincinnati is about $124,934. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio University - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 in Ohio on this year’s best value ranking. Located in Athens, Ohio, the large public school handed out 7,349 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Ohio U, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,980 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Ohio U is about $130,413. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Steubenville, Ohio, and it awarded 509 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Franciscan U is 4.1 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $40,630 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Franciscan U is $166,583. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Franciscan U excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Ohio list.
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Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large public school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 3,167 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at BGSU is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,187 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the BGSU is $109,815. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Kettering College did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Kettering, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 144 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Kettering College graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,779 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Kettering College is about $115,283. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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With a ranking of #8, Cedarville University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 759 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Cedarville about 4.2 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $42,664 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Cedarville is $178,336. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Cedarville excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Colleges in Ohio list.
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Kent State University at Kent landed the #9 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 5,465 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Kent State graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $26,670 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Kent State is $118,415. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
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Wright State University - Lake Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio ranking. Located in Celina, Ohio, the small public school handed out 136 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Wright State University - Lake Campus to complete their degree, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $21,330 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University - Lake Campus is $92,785. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Toledo ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 3,077 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at University of Toledo about 4.6 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $27,917 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from University of Toledo is about $127,860. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking. Mansfield, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 69 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus graduates in less than 4.5 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $23,106 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University - Mansfield Campus is $105,132. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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With a ranking of #13, Mount Carmel College of Nursing did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Mount Carmel College of Nursing is a private not-for-profit institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 333 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Mount Carmel College of Nursing, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,402. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Mount Carmel College of Nursing is $140,288. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Ohio Northern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio ranking. Located in Ada, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 415 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At ONU, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $49,392 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from ONU is about $208,928. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, ONU also is in the top 10% of our Best Colleges in Ohio ranking.
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With a ranking of #15, Gods Bible School and College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Gods Bible School and College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 24 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 5.0 years for the average student at Gods Bible School and College to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $16,150 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $80,750 to get a bachelor’s degree from Gods Bible School and College. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
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Ashland University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio ranking. Ashland, Ohio is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 801 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at Ashland to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $35,813 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Ashland is $150,415. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Otterbein University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Westerville, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 579 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Otterbein graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $47,764. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Otterbein is $200,131. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Shawnee State University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #18. Shawnee State University is located in Portsmouth, Ohio and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 469 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Shawnee State University is 4.5 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $20,078 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Shawnee State University is $89,548. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,315 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Wright State University - Main Campus is 4.6 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $25,291 per year to attend the school. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Wright State University - Main Campus is about $117,097. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
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Ohio State University - Newark Campus did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #20. Ohio State University - Newark Campus is a small public school located in Newark, Ohio that handed out 127 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Ohio State University - Newark Campus, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.8 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $23,106 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University - Newark Campus is $110,216. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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Mount Vernon Nazarene University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio ranking. Mount Vernon, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 371 students in 2018-2019.
The average student at MVNU graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $35,145. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from MVNU is about $147,960. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
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University of Dayton ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 2,167 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at U of Dayton about 4.3 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $60,900 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from U of Dayton be around $259,434. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. U of Dayton not only placed well in our value rankings, but it is also #5 on our Best Colleges in Ohio list.
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With a ranking of #23, Denison University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Ohio list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Granville, Ohio, and it awarded 643 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Denison graduates in less than 4.0 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $69,400. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Denison is $279,682. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Denison also took the #3 spot in our Best Colleges in Ohio rankings.
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The University of Findlay landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking. Located in Findlay, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 622 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
At Findlay, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $48,125. This means that the average student pays around $200,200 to get a bachelor’s degree from Findlay. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
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Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #25. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,372 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Case Western to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $69,638 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Case Western is $296,658. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The low student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Case Western also made our Best Colleges in Ohio list, coming in at #1.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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