List of colleges and universities in Ohio


The state of Ohio is home to a number of public and private institutions of higher learning. Prior to statehood, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 included a provision to establish an institution of higher education in what became Ohio. American Western University was chartered in 1802 as a result, but never opened. Two years later, the new Ohio General Assembly chartered Ohio University, which opened for classes in 1809, followed by Miami University, which was chartered in 1809 and opened in 1824. In northern Ohio, Western Reserve College was established in 1826.
-designed Peter B. Lewis Building at Case Western Reserve University.
The Ohio Board of Regents oversees the public institutions of higher education in Ohio. This system has come under some criticism in recent years as contributing greatly to overlap and redundancies in the higher education system. For example, Ohio's public university system supports nine doctoral programs in history and five law schools while four different public universities in Ohio operate airports and offer aviation programs. At the same time, the system has been lauded for creating powerful "utility" organizations, such as OhioLINK and the Ohio Supercomputer Center, which allow campuses to collaborate and achieve significant efficiencies. A new credit transfer program makes transferring among Ohio's public campuses much easier, and allows students to preview academic programs.
11 of the 14 public universities top the state's enrollment statistics. The remaining three public institutions—Shawnee State University, Central State University and Northeast Ohio Medical University—are relatively small. Case Western Reserve University is the state's largest private university by enrollment, followed by the University of Dayton, Xavier University, Franklin University, Ashland University, and University of Findlay.

Institutions

SchoolLocationControlTypeEnrollmentFounded
Air Force Institute of TechnologyWright-Patterson Air Force BasePublicDoctoral/moderate research university8601919
University of AkronAkronPublicDoctoral/higher research university23,9621870
Allegheny Wesleyan CollegeSalemPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college841957
Antioch CollegeYellow SpringsPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college 1791850
Antioch University MidwestYellow SpringsPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2431988
Art Academy of CincinnatiCincinnatiPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution2091869
Ashland UniversityAshlandPrivate not-for profitDoctoral/moderate research university5,4281878
Baldwin Wallace UniversityBereaPrivate not-for profitMaster's university3,9791845
Beckfield CollegeSpringdalePrivate for-profitAssociate's college5481984
Belmont CollegeSt. ClairsvillePublicAssociate's college1,0421971
Bluffton UniversityBlufftonPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,0941899
Bowling Green State UniversityBowling GreenPublicDoctoral/higher research university17,9591910
Capital UniversityBexleyPrivate not-for profitDoctoral/higher research university3,4941830
Case Western Reserve UniversityClevelandPrivate not-for profitDoctoral/highest research university11,8241826
Cedarville UniversityCedarvillePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college3,5851887
Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewarkPublicAssociate's college3,5671971
Central State UniversityWilberforcePublicBaccalaureate college, HBCU1,7511887
Chatfield CollegeCincinnatiPrivate not-for profitAssociate's college5001971
University of CincinnatiCincinnatiPublicDoctoral/highest research university46,2241819
Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeCincinnatiPublicAssociate's college10,7071969
Clark State Community CollegeSpringfieldPublicAssociate's college6,4001962
Cleveland Institute of ArtClevelandPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution6151882
Cleveland Institute of ElectronicsClevelandPrivate for-profitAssociate's college1,0001934
Cleveland Institute of MusicClevelandPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution4501920
Cleveland State UniversityClevelandPublicDoctoral/higher research university17,7301964
Columbus College of Art and DesignColumbusPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution1,2881879
Columbus State Community CollegeColumbusPublicAssociate's college24,6641963
Cuyahoga Community CollegeClevelandPublicAssociate's college31,0241963
Daymar CollegeVariousPrivate for-profitAssociate's college1691963
University of DaytonDaytonPrivate not-for profitDoctoral/higher research university11,0741850
Defiance CollegeDefiancePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college9201850
Denison UniversityGranvillePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college2,2781831
Eastern Gateway Community CollegeSteubenville and YoungstownPublicAssociate's college2,9041986
Edison State Community CollegePiquaPublicAssociate's college4,0001973
University of FindlayFindlayPrivate not-for profitMaster's university5,1721882
Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenvillePrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,4211946
Franklin UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution5,7321902
Heidelberg UniversityTiffinPrivate not-for profitMaster's university1,2301850
Hiram CollegeHiramPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,2591850
Hocking CollegeNelsonvillePublicAssociate's college2,3001968
James A. Rhodes State CollegeLimaPublicAssociate's college3,6571971
John Carroll UniversityUniversity HeightsPrivate not-for profitMaster's university3,7091886
Kent State UniversityKentPublicDoctoral/higher research university29,4771910
Kenyon CollegeGambierPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,6621824
Kettering CollegeKetteringPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution7601967
Lake Erie CollegePainesvillePrivate not-for profitMaster's university1,1551856
Lakeland Community CollegeKirtland and MadisonPublicAssociate's college9,8311967
Lorain County Community CollegeElyria, Wellington, North Ridgeville, and LorainPublicAssociate's college12,9481963
Lourdes UniversitySylvaniaPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,0351958
Malone UniversityCantonPrivate not-for profitMaster's university1,9621892
Marietta CollegeMariettaPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,5001835
Marion Technical CollegeMarionPublicAssociate's college2,4681970
Mercy College of OhioToledoPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution6881917
Miami UniversityOxfordPublicDoctoral/higher research university18,6201809
Mount Carmel College of NursingColumbusPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution8971903
Mount St. Joseph UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,3001920
University of Mount UnionAlliancePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college2,2621846
Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount VernonPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,3171968
Muskingum UniversityNew ConcordPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,0741837
North Central State CollegeMansfieldPublicAssociate's college4,7001961
Northeast Ohio Medical UniversityRootstownPublicDoctoral/M.D./Pharm.D./higher research university9591972
Northwest State Community CollegeArchboldPublicAssociate's college3,6121968
University of Northwestern OhioLimaPrivate not-for profitMixed baccalaureate/associate's college4,1111920
Notre Dame CollegeSouth EuclidPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,1001922
Oberlin CollegeOberlinPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college2,9781833
Ohio UniversityAthensPublicDoctoral/higher research university29,2171804
Ohio Christian UniversityCirclevillePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college4,0581947
Ohio Dominican UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,9421911
Ohio Northern UniversityAdaPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college3,6951871
Ohio State UniversityColumbusPublicDoctoral/highest research university58,3221870
Ohio Technical CollegeClevelandPrivate for-profitAssociate's college1,5001969
Ohio Wesleyan UniversityDelawarePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,7341842
Otterbein UniversityWestervillePrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,7911847
Owens Community CollegeToledo and FindlayPublicAssociate's college20,1601965
Pontifical College JosephinumColumbusPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution1381888
Remington CollegeClevelandPrivate not-for profitSpecial-focus institution5101987
University of Rio GrandeRio GrandePrivate not-for profitMixed baccalaureate/associate's college2,2021876
Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouthPublicBaccalaureate college4,2471986
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublicAssociate's college28,0001887
Southern State Community CollegeHillsboro, Mount Orab, Wilmington, and Washington Court HousePublicAssociate's college2,4621971
Stark State CollegeCantonPublicAssociate's college14,0971960
Terra State Community CollegeFremontPublicAssociate's college3,2221968
Tiffin UniversityTiffinPrivate not-for profitMaster's university4,1001888
University of ToledoToledoPublicDoctoral/higher research university20,6261872
Union Institute & UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for profitDoctoral/moderate research university1,5671964
Ursuline CollegePepper PikePrivate not-for profitMaster's university1,1801871
Walsh UniversityNorth CantonPrivate not-for profitMaster's university2,5001958
Washington State Community CollegeMariettaPublicAssociate's college2,3001971
Wilberforce UniversityWilberforcePrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college, HBCU3871856
Wilmington CollegeWilmingtonPrivate not-for profitMaster's university1,2001870
Wittenberg UniversitySpringfieldPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college1,9641845
The College of WoosterWoosterPrivate not-for profitBaccalaureate college2,0491866
Wright State UniversityDaytonPublicDoctoral/moderate research university16,8421967
Xavier UniversityCincinnatiPrivate not-for profitMaster's university6,6501831
Youngstown State UniversityYoungstownPublicMaster's university12,5031908
Zane State CollegeZanesvillePublicAssociate's college2,1001969

Defunct institutions