Getting To Know: The Ohio State University-Again

Published by Stuart Nachbar at February 7, 2026

Placing The in front of Ohio State University is more than a trademark.

THE also represents Tradition, Honor and Excellence. This is a very large, very prideful institution, not only in its sports, but also in its traditions. Present Buckeyes might not eat a buckeye nut, but they will carry one in their pocket for good luck or chow down on some chocolate buckeyes when they need a candy fix.

Big is one of the best words to describe this school.

Nearly 67,000 students are enrolled at all levels, undergraduate, graduate and professional; only Texas A&M and the University of Central Florida have more
There are over 48,000 undergraduates, tops in the Big Ten, over twice the number at the University of Iowa
The Ohio State University is of the few flagships located in its state capital and largest city; Floris State, North Carolina State, the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of Utah are among the others
Ohio State has been a member of the research-oriented Association of American Universities since 1916;. longer than MIT and Northwestern, among others

It’s tough to knock the academics.

Ohio State has over 200 majors . Nursing, engineering and business have the most competitive admissions. Students can choose University Exploration if they are undecided on a major. They can also opt for exploratory paths within six of the undergraduate schools. Interesting to me: the engineering school has four exploratory paths of its own:

Biotechnology, Biosystems and PreMed
Business Analytics, Computation and Systems Integration
Robotics, Space Systems and Materials
Sustainability, Energy and Infrastructure

Of course, given the size of the undergraduate student body, big classes with be part of the educational experience

Nineteen percent of all classes taught in the 2023-24 academic year had over 50 students. However, thanks to large numbers of honors courses, among other opportunities, 39 percent of classes had fewer than 20. For comparison, Penn State has the second largest undergraduate student body in the Big Ten. Seventeen percent of their undergraduate courses had over 50 students while 31 percent had fewer than 20. However, Ohio State has a considerably larger selection of honors-level opportunities than Penn State as well as more scholarship opportunities for excellent students.

The most ambitious students should check out the four honors and scholarship programs.

There are distinct differences between each program; these should be checked out early and the application should be Early Action. The Honors and Scholars programs only require an application to check a box to show interest. The President’s Ohio Scholarship Program for in-state students requires a perfect ACT or SAT score. The Stamps Eminence Scholarship, the most prestigious award, is a full academic ride for eight semesters; it also includes a research stipend, This award, to no surprise, has its own application and interview process.

As flagships go, Ohio State is a great buy for residents.

Direct charges for tuition & fees, room & board for a resident student are just under $29,000 for residents and just under $58,000 for non-residents.

This is one school where prospects students must do their homework about potential scholarships.

There are exceptionally generous merit awards, but also special eligibility scholarships through a database called Scholarship Universe
Slightly less than half (46 percent) of the freshmen who applied for need-based aid in 2024 received need-based scholarships that averaged over $16,600
Just over a quarter of the entire class received merit-based academic scholarships that averaged slightly more than $7,400

Just under 60 percent of 2024 graduates has student loan debt that averaged approximately $27,000, the maximum they could borrow over four years throughnthe Federal Student Loan Program. Less than 10 percent of the class took out private loans.

Admissions have become more selective.

In 2021 Ohio State attracted over 58,000 applicants. Fifty-seven percent were accepted
Last year, the university received over 81,000 applications. Less than half were accepted
The size of the freshman class went down slightly (8,300 vs. 8,200). So, the yield rate, the percentage of accepted students who enrolled, dropped from 25 to 20 percent
Those who enroll tend to stay. Freshman retention has been around 94 percent since 2013
Four-year graduation rates recently topped 70 percent, excellent for a school of this size.

The university will be shifting to test-mandatory admissions.

According to their 2024-25 Common Data Set test scores were considered Very Important in undergraduate admissions decisions
Twenty-four percent of the entering Class of 2028 submitted SAT scores; the middled 50 p[ercent scored between 1280 and 1430
Forty-one percent submitted ACT scores; the Composite for the middle 50 percent was between 26 and 32

Under test mandatory admissions the middle 50 percent belt might become wider.

For example, 84 percent of the Class of 2028 who submitted SAT scores scored over 600 on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section of the SAT; Eighty-six percent scored over 600 on the Math, with half scoring over 700.

Most prospective students will need to have 1300+ SATs or ACT scores over 28 to receive serious consideration for admission. However, selectivity will vary by school. As one example, Poets & Quants for Undergrads reported that the average SAT for incoming freshmen at the Fisher College of Business was a 1,310 and the average ACT Composite was a 29.

With over 900,000 residents, Columbus is the largest city in Ohio.

Columbus also has a larger population than Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Minneapolis or Seattle
In fact, Columbus is the third most populous city in the Big Ten. Los Angeles is a recent addition to the conference and many consider Evanston, home to Northwestern, as being in Chicago
Columbus is headquarters to 1Nationwide Insurance, Wendy’s and The Limited, among other firms

This is a better place than most for college students to knock on doors as they get closer to completing their degrees. Students who major practically in any subject can find work experience whether it be a student teaching assignment in an urban or suburban school or a co-op in engineering.

Yet Ohio State has a “less urban” campus setting that big-city schools.

The campus is more on the outskirts of the city. Students are dependent on buses to come downtown. When I visited I felt that High Street was the main route that connected campus to downtown. High Street is also the main connection into the city’s Short North Arts District.

The best way for a visitor to get acquainted with the campus is to walk the Oval as well as around North High Street and Neal Street as well as around Mirror Lake.

Ohio State has a very pleasing blend of academic, administrative and cultural buildings designed across three centuries, including red brick and ivy-covered structures one might expect to see at a school that opened its doors in the later half of the 19th century. Perhaps no school uses the public space of its student union better to remind everyone of university traditions better than Ohio State. From the lines of Carmen Ohio, the school song ringing the atrium,to the statue of Brutus Buckeye seated on a park bench, to a restaurant named for legendary football coach Woody Hayes, you have no doubt where you are.

Ohio State has become more residential.

The university has a two-year residency requirement for freshmen and sophomores unless they live within commuting distance of campus. Just over a third of the undergraduate student body lives in university-owned housing. Personally, I preferred the North and South Campus housing to the tall towers such as Morrill Tower near the football stadium when I visited. But that’s just me. I don’t like to cram into an elevator.in a 23-story building. Another tall hall, Taylor Tower, closed this semester, displacing its residents.

The halls also provide spaces for 16 living-learning communities, some for students selected into honors programs; others are organized around special interests. For those who wish to move off campus as soon as they can, the university has an off-campus housing office that advertises available living options for as little as $450/person/month.

Greek life has become more popular at Ohio State.

It attracts eight percent of the men and 12 percent of the women. That does not appear to be a high percentage, but again, there are around 48,000 undegraduates at this school. According to The Lantern, the campus daily, rush recruitment has grown from 1,200 students in 2021 to over 1,900 for Fall 2025. Three new chapters were founded on campus during this time.

While Ohio State has become more serious about academics, it has always been serious about athletics.

When filled to capacity, Ohio Stadium. aka ‘The Horseshoe’ is the seventh-largest city in Ohio with over 102,000 seats. The Buckeyes have won nine national championship. Over 500 Buckeyes have been selected in the NFL Draft since 1936, behind only the University of Southern California and Notre Dame. It’s fair to state that Ohio State fans come to “the Shoe,” expecting to win every game. It is also fair to state that a one-loss season, even with a national championship, is not a great season if the one loss is to Michigan. Student tickets are more expensive than they are at all other Big Ten rivals. So, the fans expect their money’s worth.

Ohio State also competes in 31 other sports. In addition to football success, the Buckeyes have:

Appeared in ten Final Fours in Men’s Basketball
Won 16 Big Ten regular-season titles and eight Big Ten tournament titles in Baseball
Claimed ten Big Ten titles in Women’s Basketball
Have had five golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, win individual NCAA titles
Won three national titles in Men’s Gymnastics
Have the most dominant co-ed pistol team in the country

Conclusions

The Ohio State University tries to do what very few schools can do, maintain affordability or residents and opportunity while helping students embrace traditions and build upon a network for life. Athletic success, especially in football, truly serves to build lifetime loyalty. Ohio State is probably the most spirited urban university in the country, though USC (the one in California) and UCLA students and alumni may disagree.

The Report Card: The Ohio State University

Four-Year/Six-Year Graduation Rates: A/A
Freshman Retention:A
Costs: B+
Comforts: B+
Community: A
Curriculum: A
Connections: A

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