Ohio Northern University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who prefer a mid-size campus. no major red flags in the data. solid earnings of $72,600 within 10 years; strong 75% graduation rate.
About This School
Ohio Northern University is a private nonprofit institution located in Ada, Ohio with approximately 2,489 undergraduate students enrolled. Ohio Northern University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 74%. The average net price after financial aid is $24,478 per year. The graduation rate is 75%, and the typical graduate earns $72,600 within 10 years of enrollment.
Ohio Northern University is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college had an enrollment of about 3,000 students as of 2023.
Worth considering if you want a small, career-focused private university where the numbers actually hold up — graduates earn a solid median of $72,600 ten years out, and the $24,250 median debt load is reasonable relative to that outcome. The 88% freshman retention rate signals that students who enroll tend to stick around, though the 74% graduation rate means roughly 1 in 4 students don't finish, which is worth asking the school about directly. At $25,727 average net price, this is a manageable option for students drawn to pharmacy, engineering, or law, where ONU has real program depth.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: -7% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Ohio Northern University graduates earn most above the national rate in Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians ($89,697 vs $80,890 nationally), and most below it in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration ($72,121 vs $116,539).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | 99 | $72,121 | $116,539 | −$44,418 |
| Mechanical Engineering | 66 | $85,802 | $92,135 | −$6,333 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | 26 | $48,289 | $54,562 | −$6,273 |
| Civil Engineering | 23 | $79,673 | $86,517 | −$6,844 |
| Marketing | 23 | $67,802 | $69,303 | −$1,501 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 20 | $83,157 | $88,910 | −$5,753 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 15 | $84,916 | $76,194 | +$8,722 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 15 | $34,445 | $39,775 | −$5,330 |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | 13 | $52,606 | $55,378 | −$2,772 |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | 12 | $89,697 | $80,890 | +$8,807 |
| Construction Management | 11 | $66,757 | $95,124 | −$28,367 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | 9 | $59,597 | $86,176 | −$26,579 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2,489 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Ohio Northern University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Ohio Northern University?
Ohio Northern University has an acceptance rate of 74%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Ohio Northern University hard to get into?
Not especially. Ohio Northern University has an acceptance rate of 74%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Ohio Northern University cost?
The average net price at Ohio Northern University is about $24,478 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Ohio Northern University?
Ohio Northern University has a graduation rate of 75%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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