The best college in Ohio for 2027 is The Ohio State University in Columbus, followed by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Kenyon College in Gambier. Ohio has large public research universities, small liberal arts colleges, Catholic universities, and specialized nursing schools in cities such as Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dayton, and Akron.

This list covers 25 Ohio schools. Ohio State is the flagship of the University System of Ohio, and the University of Cincinnati is credited with starting cooperative education. Small campuses such as Kenyon, Denison, Oberlin and Wooster offer a close-knit alternative.

Our order follows the UM World University Rankings methodology and our university rankings. Use it to compare costs, majors and campus life before you apply.

The Best Colleges In Ohio 2027

 

1. The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University was founded in 1870 as the Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College and took its current name in 1878. This public land-grant research university in Columbus is the flagship of the University System of Ohio and has about 60,000 students on its Columbus campus.

Sixteen colleges cover arts and sciences, business, engineering, dentistry, law and public affairs, and Carnegie classifies it R1. The Buckeyes play NCAA Division I in the Big Ten. Alumni include Olympic champion Jesse Owens, golfer Jack Nicklaus and 1974 Nobel Prize winner Paul Flory. Scarlet and gray are the school colours, and Ohio State is also a sea-grant and space-grant university and a member of the Association of American Universities.

 

2. Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve University was formed in 1967 when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826, merged with the Case Institute of Technology, which traces back to 1880. The private R1 research university is located in Cleveland’s University Circle neighbourhood.

Fall 2026 enrollment was about 12,100, with eight schools and more than 100 undergraduate programs. Case professor Albert Michelson became the first American to win a Nobel Prize in science in 1907, and the university is linked to 17 Nobel laureates. The Spartans compete in NCAA Division III. It is a member of the Association of American Universities. In 1852, its medical school graduated Nancy Talbot Clark, the second woman in the country to earn a medical degree from a U.S. medical school.

 

3. Kenyon College

Kenyon College was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase and is Ohio’s oldest private institution of higher education. The private liberal arts college sits on a hill above the Kokosing River in Gambier and has about 1,800 undergraduates.

Students choose from more than 50 majors, minors, and concentrations, take courses in four academic divisions, and study a foreign language. The Kenyon Review, first edited by John Crowe Ransom, is its literary journal. Alumni include President Rutherford B. Hayes, actor Paul Newman and Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. The college has called its teams the Owls since 2022, and it lists more than 190 study abroad programs in 50 countries.

 

4. University of Dayton

The University of Dayton opened on July 1, 1850, as St. Mary’s School for Boys and was incorporated as the University of Dayton in 1920. This private Catholic university, run by the Marianists, is an R1 research university on a 388-acre campus in Dayton.

About 11,400 students were enrolled in fall 2023, and more than 80 programs span arts, sciences, business, education, health sciences, engineering and law. The Flyers play NCAA Division I in the Atlantic 10, while football plays in the Pioneer Football League. Jessie Scott Hathcock was the first African-American woman to graduate from the university. Earlier names were St. Mary’s Institute and St. Mary’s College.

 

5. Denison University

Denison University began classes on December 13, 1831, as the Granville Literary and Theological Institution. It became Granville College in 1845 and then Denison University, named after benefactor William S. Denison. The private liberal arts college is in Granville and had about 2,400 students in fall 2025.

It offers 65 academic programs and four pre-professional programs. The Big Red compete in NCAA Division III in the North Coast Athletic Conference, which has 26 varsity teams. Alumni include actor Steve Carell, former Disney chairman Michael Eisner and Hall of Fame football coach Woody Hayes. Denison shares the North Coast Athletic Conference with Kenyon, Oberlin and The College of Wooster.

 

6. University of Cincinnati

Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati is a public R1 research university in Cincinnati, with branch campuses in Blue Ash and Clermont. It enrolled about 53,700 students in 2025, including more than 42,000 undergraduates.

The university is credited with originating cooperative education, which was developed there in 1906. The Bearcats play NCAA Division I FBS in the Big 12. William Howard Taft, the 27th U.S. president, attended its College of Law. Carnegie classifies it R1, and it is part of the University System of Ohio. Sandy Koufax and Travis Kelce are among its notable Bearcat athletes, along with basketball star Oscar Robertson.

 

7. Cedarville University

Cedarville University was chartered in 1887 as Cedarville College and became a university in 2002. The private Baptist school sits on a 441-acre rural campus in Cedarville and had about 6,400 students in 2024, including dual-enrolled high schoolers.

The university offers more than 150 programs of study and over 50 minors. The Pharm.D. is its only doctoral degree. The Yellow Jackets play NCAA Division II in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. Alumni include pastor and author David Jeremiah and ABC News correspondent Paula Faris. It has been tied to the State Convention of Baptists in Ohio since 2003, and its teams compete in 16 sports.

 

8. Ohio University

Ohio University was recognized by the state in 1804 and was the first university in the former Northwest Territory. The public R1 research university is in Athens, with seven regional and extension campuses, and enrolled about 25,000 students in fall 2023.

Alden Library created the world’s first electronic library record in 1971, and the Marching 110 was the first collegiate band to play Carnegie Hall in 1976. The Bobcats play NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference. Alumni include Nobel chemist Venkatraman Ramakrishnan and former Ohio governor George Voinovich. The state’s first kindergarten opened on campus in 1907, and alumnus Thomas Ewing became the first U.S. Secretary of the Interior.

 

9. The College of Wooster

The College of Wooster was founded in 1866 as the University of Wooster and renamed The College of Wooster in 1915. The private liberal arts college is in Wooster and had 1,876 students in fall 2023.

Every senior completes an Independent Study project, ranging from research papers to student-produced plays. The Fighting Scots compete in NCAA Division III in the North Coast Athletic Conference. Alumni include Nobel physicist Arthur Holly Compton, filmmaker J.C. Chandor and Walmart heir S. Robson Walton. Popular majors include political science, psychology and biology. Seniors often show their results through research or creative work, such as student-produced plays that count as Independent Study.

 

10. Oberlin College

Oberlin College was founded in 1833 as the Oberlin Collegiate Institute and renamed Oberlin College in 1850. It began admitting Black students in 1835 and women in 1837, making it the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States.

The Oberlin Conservatory of Music is the country’s oldest continuously operating conservatory. The Yeomen and Yeowomen compete in NCAA Division III. Alumni include George Boyer Vashon, the first Black graduate in 1844, and Mary Jane Patterson, the first Black woman to earn a bachelor’s degree, in 1862. It is a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference, and William Howard Day, who founded Cleveland’s first Black newspaper, The Alienated American, is also an alumnus.

 

11. Mount St. Joseph University

The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati founded Mount St. Joseph University in 1920 as the College of Mount St. Joseph, which opened with 20 students. It took its current name in 2014. The private Catholic university sits on a 92-acre campus in Delhi Township.

About 2,265 students enrolled in fall 2024, and the university offers 48 undergraduate programs, along with master’s and doctoral options. The Lions field 23 NCAA Division III teams. Basketball player and cancer research advocate Lauren Hill is a notable alumna. Most Lions teams compete in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, and alumnus Jesse Minter is a professional football coach.

 

12. The Christ College of Nursing & Health Sciences

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences began as The Christ Hospital School of Nursing in 1902 and took its current name in 2006. The small private nonprofit college sits on The Christ Hospital main campus in Cincinnati.

Programs include a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, an accelerated BSN, an RN-BSN completion path, a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration, an associate degree in diagnostic medical sonography and a medical assisting certificate. It has graduated more than 7,000 nurses, and its 2025 commencement honoured more than 200 graduates. Students can work with the hospital network alongside their studies, with pay, tuition benefits and career connections through its Career Pathways program.

 

13. Marietta College

Marietta College was chartered on January 16, 1835, and its roots go back to Muskingum Academy in 1797. The private liberal arts college is in Marietta and had 1,109 students in 2024-25.

The McDonough Center for Leadership and Business offers a bachelor’s degree, a minor and a leadership certificate. The Pioneers field 21 varsity sports in NCAA Division III, and the baseball team has won six national championships. Former major league pitcher Kent Tekulve is among the alumni. The program competes in the Ohio Athletic Conference. The baseball titles came in 1981, 1983, 1986, 2006, 2011 and 2012, and Olympian John Strotbeck Jr. is another alumnus.

 

14. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green State University was chartered in 1910 as a normal school and opened on September 15, 1914. It became a university in 1935. The public research university sits on a 1,338-acre campus about 15 miles south of Toledo.

The Bowling Green campus enrolls about 20,400 students, and eight colleges offer more than 200 undergraduate majors. The Falcons play NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference. Alumni include actor Tim Conway, actress Eva Marie Saint and composer Jennifer Higdon. It was Bowling Green State Normal School until 1929 and Bowling Green State College until 1935. Carnegie classifies it R2, and hockey plays in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association.

 

15. Miami University

Miami University was founded in 1809 in Oxford, Ohio. The public research university enrolled 18,618 students in fall 2023, and Carnegie classifies it R2. It is nicknamed the Mother of Fraternities for the five Greek-letter organizations founded on campus.

The university offers more than 100 majors and 48 minors, with master’s degrees in over 50 areas. The RedHawks compete in NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference. Alumni include President Benjamin Harrison, former House Speaker Paul Ryan and Pulitzer winner Rita Dove. The RedHawks also compete in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference. The university offers doctoral degrees in 12 areas, and 16,478 of its students were undergraduates.

 

16. Baldwin Wallace University

Baldwin Wallace University was founded in 1845 as Baldwin Institute by Methodist businessman John Baldwin. It merged with German Wallace College and has carried its current name since 2012. The private university is in Berea, a suburb of Cleveland.

About 3,300 students are enrolled in fall 2024, and it offers more than 60 majors. The Conservatory of Performing Arts hosts the country’s oldest collegiate Bach Festival. The Yellow Jackets compete in NCAA Division III in the Ohio Athletic Conference. It left its United Methodist affiliation in 2019 and has a second site at Corporate College East in Warrensville Heights. Football coach Lee Tressel led an undefeated team in 1978.

 

17. The University of Akron

Founded in 1870 as Buchtel College, it became the Municipal University of Akron in 1913 and has been the University of Akron since 1967. The public research university had 15,318 students in fall 2025.

It is known for polymers, advanced materials and engineering, and it houses the School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering. The Zips and their kangaroo mascot, Zippy, play NCAA Division I FBS in the Mid-American Conference. Carnegie classifies it R2, and the university is part of the University System of Ohio. Ray C. Bliss, Deborah L. Cook and Thomas C. Sawyer are among its notable alumni.

 

18. John Carroll University

John Carroll University was founded in 1886 as St. Ignatius College and renamed in 1923 for John Carroll, the first Catholic archbishop in the United States. The Jesuit university sits in University Heights, about 10 miles east of downtown Cleveland.

About 2,860 students enrolled in fall 2024. More than 70 undergraduate majors and minors fall under the College of Arts and Sciences, the Boler College of Business and the College of Health. The Blue Streaks field 24 NCAA Division III teams. Alumni include NFL coach Don Shula and former NFL player London Fletcher. The wrestling team won the Division III national title in 1974-75.

 

19. Ohio Northern University

Ohio Northern University was founded in 1871 by Henry Solomon Lehr as the Northwestern Ohio Normal School and has carried its current name since 1903. The private university in Ada has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1899.

Five colleges offer more than 60 programs, including pharmacy, engineering and the Pettit College of Law, which has been ABA-accredited since 1948. About 3,000 students enrolled in fall 2023. The Polar Bears play NCAA Division III. Alumni include Governor Mike DeWine and Cleveland Clinic founder George Washington Crile. Its colleges include the Rudolph H. Raabe College of Pharmacy and the T.J. Smull College of Engineering, and the mascot is a polar bear named Klondike.

 

20. Kent State University

Kent State University was founded in 1910 as a normal school and became Kent State University in 1935. The public R1 research university has seven regional campuses and about 25,800 students on the Kent campus.

It offers more than 300 degree programs, and sites in Cleveland, New York City, and Florence, Italy extend its reach. The Golden Flashes play NCAA Division I in the Mid-American Conference. Alumni include comedian Drew Carey, actor Michael Keaton and football coach Nick Saban. Carnegie classifies it R1, and it fields 16 varsity teams, with football in the FBS. It was Kent State Normal School before becoming a college and then a university.

 

21. University of Toledo

The University of Toledo was founded in 1872 as the Toledo University of Arts and Trades. The public R1 research university has used its current name since 1967 and had 14,440 students in fall 2024.

The university offers more than 250 academic programs, with particular strengths in science, engineering, and medical fields. It is the University System of Ohio’s northernmost campus. The Rockets play NCAA Division I FBS in the Mid-American Conference. Earlier names include Toledo Manual Training School (1884 to 1914) and Toledo University (1914 to 1967). Alumnus John F. Savage helped build the arena that now bears his name.

 

22. Ursuline College

Ursuline College was founded in 1871 by the Ursuline Sisters and was Ohio’s first Catholic women’s college. It became coeducational in 1969. The Pepper Pike campus joined Gannon University in a merger that took effect for the 2026 school year.

Nursing is the most popular major, and the college has offered an accelerated nursing program for working adults since 1997. About 1,000 students attend. The Arrows compete in NCAA Division II, and in 2024 Ursuline became the first four-year Ohio school to add women’s flag football. Gannon’s president wants 1,200 to 1,500 students on the campus within five years and plans to bring science, engineering and more health programs from Erie.

 

23. Cleveland State University

Cleveland State University was established by the state in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965, absorbing Fenn College. The public research university has an 85-acre campus in downtown Cleveland and had 13,068 students in fall 2025.

Eight colleges offer well over 175 academic programs. The Vikings play NCAA Division I, mostly in the Horizon League. Alumni include Tim Russert, the longtime host of Meet the Press, who graduated from the law school in 1976. Carnegie classifies it R2. The law school dropped Marshall from its name in 2022, and the university itself grew out of Fenn College, which ran from 1929 to 1964.

 

24. Walsh University

Walsh University was founded in 1960 in North Canton by the Brothers of Christian Instruction. It was Walsh College until it became a university in 1993. The private Catholic school is governed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Youngstown.

About 2,200 students enrolled in fall 2024, with more than 70 undergraduate majors and seven graduate programs, including a Doctor of Physical Therapy, an MBA and a Doctor of Nursing Practice. The Cavaliers field 26 varsity teams in NCAA Division II. The school began as LaMennais College in Alfred, Maine, in 1951 before moving to Ohio as Walsh College. Alumnus Michael Skindell served in the Ohio House.

 

25. Youngstown State University

Youngstown State University began in 1908 when the Youngstown YMCA introduced a commercial law course. It became a public university in 1967 and sits on a 160-acre urban campus just north of downtown Youngstown.

About 11,000 students enrolled in fall 2023. Seven colleges and schools offer around 100 undergraduate majors, including the Williamson College of Business Administration and the Dana School of Music. The Penguins play NCAA Division I football, and the team won four FCS national championships under Jim Tressel. Earlier names include Youngstown Institute of Technology and Youngstown College. A satellite campus in Steubenville opened in fall 2026.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college in Ohio?

The Ohio State University in Columbus is first on our 2027 list, followed by Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Kenyon College in Gambier. Ohio State is a public land-grant R1 research university with about 60,000 students on its Columbus campus.

What is the largest university in Ohio?

The Ohio State University. It has about 60,000 students on its Columbus campus and about 65,400 across all campuses. The University of Cincinnati follows with about 53,700 students in 2025.

What is the oldest college in Ohio?

Ohio University in Athens, recognized by the state in 1804, was the first university in the former Northwest Territory. Kenyon College, founded in 1824, is Ohio’s oldest private institution of higher education.

Which Ohio colleges are Catholic?

The University of Dayton, John Carroll University, Mount St. Joseph University and Walsh University are Catholic universities on this list. Ursuline College was founded as Ohio’s first Catholic women’s college and is now part of Gannon University.

Where can you study nursing in Ohio?

The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences in Cincinnati offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and an accelerated BSN. Ursuline College, Cedarville University and Walsh University also offer nursing programs.

Which Ohio university invented co-op education?

The University of Cincinnati is credited with originating cooperative education, which it developed in 1906.

 

Top 25 Best Colleges in Ohio 2027: Ranked List

1. The Ohio State University
2. Case Western Reserve University
3. Kenyon College
4. University of Dayton
5. Denison University
6. University of Cincinnati
7. Cedarville University
8. Ohio University
9. The College of Wooster
10. Oberlin College
11. Mount St. Joseph University
12. The Christ College of Nursing & Health Sciences
13. Marietta College
14. Bowling Green State University
15. Miami University
16. Baldwin Wallace University
17. The University of Akron
18. John Carroll University
19. Ohio Northern University
20. Kent State University
21. University of Toledo
22. Ursuline College
23. Cleveland State University
24. Walsh University
25. Youngstown State University

 

Read more about UM World University Rankings