Ohio University (OU)

Ohio University delivers far more than a diploma. Every Bobcat knows this simple truth: the experiences you have at Ohio University will stay with you for life. This community will champion your ambition, equipping you for your career and beyond, ac tion, equipping you for your career and beyond, actively supporting you every step of the way, forever. Ohio University is the oldest public university in the state of Ohio. Our total enrollment is over 28,000 students across the state and online. About 20,000 of those students are undergraduates studying at our residential campus in Athens—our quintessential college town that’s nestled deep in the Appalachian foothills of beautiful Southeast Ohio. No matter what you’re passionate about, we have something for everyone. You can have it all here. Browse through more facts about OHIO below, grouped by topic. At Ohio University, we are proud to be ranked No. 1 in the state (and among the top 35 in the nation) for value. It’s not only our all-encompassing, fixed rate tuition and fees, it’s also the career outcomes we generate for students by ensuring every student has a set of experiences that prepare them for life after graduation. Our residential campus in Athens is nestled among the Southeast Ohio foothills. More than 20,000 students study here. A vibrant Uptown scene (never call it "downtown"), and scenic, historic campus combine to make Athens a top-ranked college town. Ohio University offers a world-class education on our residential campus in Athens, our five regional campuses, through extension campuses and centers that serve our professional programs and Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, and online. A four-year public institution located in Athens, Ohio (in addition to 5 regional campuses across the state) More than 28,000 students across all campuses and online First university in the state to offer $0 tuition/fee increase over your 4 years A top producer of health professionals: Among the Top 10 largest Schools of Nursing in the country and Ohio’s No. 1 provider of primary care physicians A powerhouse in communications and new media: Alumni have won 55 Pulitzer Prizes Join us for an in-person campus visit tailored to prospective freshman and transfer students. Campus visits include an information session with an admissions advisor and a walking tour featuring residence and dining halls, classroom spaces and more. To hold the door open to higher education so that all those eager to solve humanity's most urgent challenges might enter to learn, connecting them with experiences and discovery that will help them think critically, care deeply, lead boldly, and ultimately depart to serve. To deliver the most valuable university education in Ohio, and lead as one of the most valued public universities in the nation. For students, we will connect each student with personalized experiences that ensure their lifelong success while maximizing opportunities for an affordable education. For communities and partners, we will be eager collaborators in addressing challenges and advancing opportunities. For our state, we will remain committed to serving students in and recruiting students to Ohio and be actively responsive to evolving workforce and educational needs. For all, we will invest in research and creativity that translates to solutions, delivering value far beyond Ohio’s borders. We believe that a University education can and should be both academically excellent and accessible to all who seek it. We fully embrace that the educational experience, at its best, can and must ensure success for every student. We are confident that learning happens in community and through experiences, and we work to build both into all programs and modalities, in and out of the classroom. We are committed to working with business and community partners, not by delivering knowledge already achieved but by collaborating to build new knowledge together. We recognize that our place in the world has value in our work – that what we can teach and learn in the heart of Appalachia can shape the success of our region and be applied far beyond these 13 states. We expect respect across differences and recognize our responsibility to practice empathy, to appreciate diverse perspectives and cultures, and to develop the capacity to solve problems that transcend borders. We remain resolute that students enter to learn and depart to serve, and we work to inspire students to apply their education to improve the world. In 1786, 11 men gathered at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern in Boston to propose development of the area north of the Ohio River and west of the Allegheny Mountains known then as the Ohio Country. Led by Manasseh Cutler and Rufus Putnam, the Ohio Company petitioned Congress to take action on the proposed settlement. The eventual outcome was the enactment of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which provided for settlement and government of the territory and stated that “…schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” In 1803, Ohio became a state and on February 18, 1804, the Ohio General Assembly passed an act establishing “The Ohio University.” The University opened in 1808 with one building, three students, and one professor, Jacob Lindley. One of the first two graduates of the University, Thomas Ewing, later became a United States senator and distinguished himself as cabinet member or advisor to four presidents. Twenty-four years after its founding, in 1828, Ohio University conferred an A.B. degree on John Newton Templeton, its first black graduate and only the third black man to graduate from a college in the United States. In 1873, Margaret Boyd received her B.A. degree and became the first woman to graduate from the University. Soon after, the institution graduated its first international alumnus, Saki Taro Murayama of Japan, in 1895. Athens is a small but eclectic city located among rolling hills, flowing rivers, a national forest and more. There’s a reason green is our main color; the most beautiful nature in Ohio is right at our doorstep. As the first university in the state to offer level-rate tuition, housing, dining and fees locked in for 12 consecutive semesters, we also include graduation plans that ensure on-time graduation, and offer access to alumni-only scholarships for continuing education—as well as career counseling for life. ...view more