When you think of Ohio, there are probably a few colleges and universities that immediately jump to mind – Ohio State University, Oberlin, Case Western, Wooster, and perhaps a few others as well. But what you might not realize is that Ohio is actually overrun with great schools, each of which offers something a little different. Whether you're a jock who insists on joining a top athletic program, a creative spirit destined for the big stage, or a religious student who values spiritual introspection, Ohio has it all.
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Most students who have started the college search come to one important realization early on: it's expensive! Tuition climbs steadily from year to year, but students' (and their parents') pocketbooks aren't growing any fatter. But many are also too quick to assume that learning on a budget has to mean learning less. In reality, there are plenty of universities that seriously deliver in measures of student success (such as graduation rate and long-term return-on-investment) but won't break the bank in the process. That's what the following ranking represents – the top 30 colleges and universities in Ohio that prioritize both cost and quality in serving their students.
Our Ranking Methodology:
Graduation Rate: This indicator refers to the percentage of students who complete their degree within 150% of normal time (six years for a typical four-year degree program). Schools that perform well in this area have a track record of keeping students engaged and successful for their entire time on campus. We weighted this category 30% of the total and retrieved the information from College Navigator.
Net Price: In order to make sure that cost was still a factor in the ranking, we also considered overall net price as an indicator. Taken from data on College Navigator, "net price" is an approximate value that refers to the average amount of money a student could expect to pay each year after taking into account tuition, room and board, living expenses, scholarship awards, and financial aid packages. We weighted this category 25% of the total.
Acceptance Rate: Academically challenging, popular universities tend to be more selective and thus have a lower acceptance rate. In order to pinpoint those colleges that boast rigorous academics and also receive a large number of applications, we considered acceptance rate – the percentage of students out of the total number of applicants who receive an acceptance letter. We retrieved this information from College Navigator and weighted it 30% of the total.
20-Year Net Return on Investment: Taken from information on the website PayScale, this statistic provides a picture of how much students can expect to make after they graduate from a particular college. More specifically, the figure is calculated by taking the average income an alumnus will make over his or her first 20 years after graduation and subtracting the amount paid in tuition. Schools with a high ROI tend to be better at preparing their students for the job market. We weighted this category only 15% because data was not available for all colleges considered.
After adding all the points, we gave each university a final score out of 200. The schools below have scores ranging from 91 to 164, and each has something different to offer in terms of its cost, quality, and reputation. No one college is perfect (which is why the scores vary so much) but this ranking offers you a premier selection of universities to help get you started on your search for an education in Ohio.
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Sources:
College Navigator
Pay Scale
About the Author:
Iris Stone began her writing career as a freelance writer and researcher. She now owns and operates a writing and editing firm that works with clients all across the country. Her work has included articles related to education policy, colleges and universities, academic programs, and careers.
