🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants. Major value play for in-state residents.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1100–1290 · ACT 22–28 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • In-state residents (tuition ~$14,158 — major value play)
  • Students focused on Health Professions (the school's signature program)
  • Research-oriented students (R1 — top tier of federal research funding)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1100, or ACT below 22, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R1: Doctoral - Very High Research Activity
Total enrollment
19,633
20,000 and above
In-state tuition
$14,158
sticker, before aid
Out-of-state tuition
$24,838
+$10,680 vs in-state
Admit rate
84.8%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1100–1290
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
22–28
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$52,581
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$48,991
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$52,581
4-year completion
65%
Median debt (completers)
$21,056
Cost of attendance
$30,586
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
21%

💰 True ROI

6.1× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$86,548
$21,637/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$35,796
vs sticker $122,344
10-yr earnings total
$525,810
$52,581/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
1.6 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Ohio University-Main Campus, the average net price is $21,637/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$15,673/yr
Family income $30-48k
$15,160/yr
Family income $48-75k
$19,078/yr
Family income $75-110k
$23,689/yr
Family income $110k+
$24,492/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Ohio University-Main Campus's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Ohio University-Main Campus →

Opens on Ohio University-Main Campus's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Ohio University-Main Campus

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Ohio University-Main Campus actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Health Professions
1,622 degrees · 51.2%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
2. Business, Management, & Marketing
659 degrees · 20.8%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
3. Communication, Journalism, & Related
352 degrees · 11.1%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.
4. Education
289 degrees · 9.1%
Typical career outcomes
Elementary School Teacher $64k Secondary School Teacher $65k School Principal $101k Special Education Teacher $66k
Teaching is the largest path. Salary depends heavily on district + state.
5. Psychology
246 degrees · 7.8%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Ohio University-Main Campus

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Air Transportation. Bachelor's Degree 33 $99,701
Industrial Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 21 $70,199 $99,364
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 17 $64,226 $94,673
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 80 $68,154 $93,774
Computer Science. Bachelor's Degree 53 $73,932 $93,282
Mechanical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 52 $69,161 $91,285
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 1,657 $75,809 $87,308
Chemical Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 41 $67,322 $85,990
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians. Bachelor's Degree $66,591 $85,798
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 57 $61,856 $84,002

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Ohio University-Main Campus

CS degrees (annual)
64
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Ohio University-Main Campus vs. another college

Type the college you want to compare against. We'll show admit rates, net price by your family income, top majors with career outcomes, and merit aid — all in one side-by-side view.

Alternatives to Ohio University-Main Campus

Matched not just by selectivity, but by strategic goal — what a family actually decides on.

🏆 Better merit-aid options
These similar-selectivity schools have published auto-merit grids that Ohio University-Main Campus doesnt — your kids scores could unlock real scholarship dollars.
University of Alabama in Huntsville
AL · Public
39 auto-merit scholarships on file
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
31 auto-merit scholarships on file
The University of Alabama
AL · Public
23 auto-merit scholarships on file
Mississippi State University
MS · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
University of Alabama at Birmingham
AL · Public
19 auto-merit scholarships on file
💰 Better out-of-state value
For families paying $110k+ income tuition, these schools cost meaningfully less than Ohio University-Main Campus.
Christian Brothers University
TN · Private nonprofit
$5,843/yr for $110k+ families ($18,649 less)
United States Merchant Marine Academy
NY · Public
$9,168/yr for $110k+ families ($15,324 less)
College of the Ozarks
MO · Private nonprofit
$10,426/yr for $110k+ families ($14,066 less)
Indiana University-Kokomo
IN · Public
$10,593/yr for $110k+ families ($13,899 less)
Texas A & M International University
TX · Public
$10,697/yr for $110k+ families ($13,795 less)
🛡️ Safer in-state options
Same state, similar SAT band, but with a more forgiving admit rate — useful safety / match anchors.
Wright State University-Main Campus
OH · Public
95% admit rate (vs 85% here)

Building a college list?

Use these to fit Ohio University-Main Campus into your overall strategy:

See your admit odds → Improve your score → Find merit aid →