2023 Best Colleges in Ohio
96
Colleges
$52,747
Avg Salary*
57%
Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*
It's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Top Ohio Colleges ranking.
After analyzing 96 schools in Ohio, we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Get more details on our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
We've developed a number of other tools and rankings to help you make your college decision. Start by filtering this list by location or field of study and then explore our other rankings that feature schools great for different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
We've created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you're torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another!
Top Colleges in Ohio
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Case Western Reserve University the best school in Ohio in terms of overall quality for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,885 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Case Western go into careers with an average salary of $78,330 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Case Western Reserve University
Out of the 96 schools in Ohio that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list.Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 16,838 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State is $55,332 during the early years of their career.
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A rank of #3 on our Best Colleges in Ohio list means Denison University is a great place for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 604 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 82%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Denison make an average of $57,435 a year.
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Out of the 96 schools in Ohio that were part of this year’s ranking, Oberlin College landed the #4 spot on the list. Oberlin is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 778 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from Oberlin make an average of $47,921 a year.
Full Oberlin College Report
Out of the 96 schools in Ohio that were part of this year’s ranking, Miami University - Oxford landed the #5 spot on the list. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 5,964 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Miami University - Oxford go into careers with an average salary of $54,650 during the early years of their career.
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Kenyon College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Gambier, Ohio, and it awarded 383 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $61,998 during the early years of their career..
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University of Dayton landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Located in Dayton, Ohio, the fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3,510 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UDayton go into careers with an average salary of $66,384 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 11,947 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% During the early years of their career, graduates from UC make an average of $49,481 a year.
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Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. This large public school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 10,380 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from OHIO Athens make an average of $47,145 per year during the early years of their career.
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Xavier University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Xavier is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2,125 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Xavier go into careers with an average salary of $62,015 during the early years of their career.
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University of Northwestern Ohio did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #11. University of Northwestern Ohio is located in Lima, Ohio and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,294 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from University of Northwestern Ohio make an average of $47,419 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on University of Northwestern Ohio
John Carroll University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges in Ohio list. John Carroll is a small private not-for-profit school situated in University Heights, Ohio. It awarded 940 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll is $60,293 during the early years of their career.
Full John Carroll University Report
Union Institute & University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 403 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Union is $57,590 during the early years of their career.
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The University of Findlay landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Findlay is located in Findlay, Ohio and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 955 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Findlay make an average of $51,703 a year.
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Eastern Gateway Community College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Eastern Gateway Community College is a public institution located in Steubenville, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3,930 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Gateway Community College make an average of $32,569 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Eastern Gateway Community College Report
With a ranking of #16, The College of Wooster did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio list. Wooster College is located in Wooster, Ohio and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 476 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Wooster College is $51,866 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on The College of Wooster
With a ranking of #17, Franciscan University of Steubenville did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio list. Located in Steubenville, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 815 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan U is $43,769 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Franciscan University of Steubenville
University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large public school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 4,929 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from University of Toledo go into careers with an average salary of $48,039 during the early years of their career.
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Kent State University at Kent came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Kent State is located in Kent, Ohio and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7,013 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Kent State make an average of $42,837 per year during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Kent State University at Kent
Otterbein University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #20. Otterbein University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Westerville, Ohio that handed out 756 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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% Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Otterbein make an average of $49,811 per year during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #21, Cincinnati State Technical and Community College did quite well on the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio list. Cincinnati State Technical and Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Cincinnati, Ohio that handed out 1,257 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $35,579 during the early years of their career..
Full Cincinnati State Technical and Community College Report
Ohio Northern University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in Ohio ranking. Located in Ada, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 606 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from ONU is $72,235 during the early years of their career.
Full Ohio Northern University Report
Baldwin Wallace University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges in Ohio list.Berea, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,077 students in 2020-2021.
The low student loan default rate of 3.8% 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% During the early years of their career, graduates from Baldwin Wallace College make an average of $49,644 a year.
Full Baldwin Wallace University Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #24. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4,492 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from BGSU is $45,560 during the early years of their career.
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Cedarville University did quite well in the 2023 Best Colleges in Ohio ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Cedarville, Ohio, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 900 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Cedarville is $49,074 during the early years of their career.
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Best Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
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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