Ohio State University: An Overview of Undergraduate Demographics
The Ohio State University (OSU), a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, stands as one of the largest universities in the United States by enrollment. With a rich history dating back to its founding in 1870, Ohio State has evolved into a comprehensive institution offering a wide array of degree programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. This article delves into the undergraduate demographics of Ohio State University, exploring various aspects such as enrollment trends, tuition costs, admissions statistics, student diversity, and graduation rates.
Enrollment Trends
Fueled by growth across the university, The Ohio State University reported that total enrollment has grown 0.5% to 67,255 students. The undergraduate, graduate, professional and transfer student populations increased at Ohio State for the autumn 2025 semester. The new numbers released today come from the university’s enrollment census. At the Columbus campus, new first-year student enrollment is 8,210. This reflects a planned class size that supports balanced enrollment across the university. Students continue to recognize the value of Ohio State’s regional campuses and Ohio State ATI on the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences Wooster campus, with total enrollment rising 8.6% to 5,929 students across all five campuses. New first-year student enrollment at the regional campuses is 3,070, a 15.1% increase over last year and a 37.1% increase over the past three years. Ohio State is one of the largest universities by enrollment in the United States, with over 50,000 undergraduate students and 15,000 graduate students. In fall 2024, the total undergraduate enrollment was 46,815.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In 2023, the median undergraduate tuition at Oregon State University is $11,145, which is $−19,858 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004). The cost of tuition at Oregon State University is $−19,859 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($31,004). After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $21,868.
In 2023, 60% of undergraduate students attending Oregon State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 33% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.
Thirty-eight percent of first-year students receive need-based financial aid, and the average net price for federal loan recipients is $17,953.
Read also: Drexel University Student Statistics
Ohio State remains a top choice for students and their families. Applications climbed to a new record high of 88,545 as the university continues to emphasize recruiting, retaining and graduating students - and expanding scholarship programs and financial aid.
In the State of the University address this month, Carter announced three new scholarship programs to support more Ohio students who choose Ohio State. The President’s Ohio Scholarship Program will provide full cost of attendance scholarships, plus a $5,000 supplemental award to support educational opportunities and academic support, to Ohio students who score a perfect 36 on the ACT or a perfect 1600 on the SAT.
Buckeye Bridge is a partnership with Columbus State Community College that will cover tuition and fees for qualifying Ohio residents transferring to Ohio State from Columbus State. The university’s Regional Campus Commitment program will cover tuition and fees for students from families with an adjusted gross income of $100,000 or lower who start at one of Ohio State’s regional campuses before transferring to the Columbus campus.
Admissions and Acceptance Rate
New first-year students are Buckeyes at heart, with 68% of the class coming from the state of Ohio. This class of new first-year students is exceptionally talented, with 97% graduating in the top 25% of their high school class and with an average ACT score of 30.6 and SAT score of 1397.
Oregon State University received 29,025 undergraduate applications in 2023, which represents a 13.2% annual growth. Out of those 29,025 applicants, 22,886 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 78.8% acceptance rate. In 2023, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Oregon State University was 78.8% (22,886 admissions from 29,025 applications). Between 2022 and 2023, the number of applicants grew by 13.2%, while admissions grew by 8.11%.
Read also: Fairfield University Student Body Profile
Oregon State University has an overall enrollment yield of 20.5%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.
Student Diversity
The enrolled student population at Oregon State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 61.6% White, 12.1% Hispanic or Latino, 7.96% Asian, 6.61% Two or More Races, 2.14% Black or African American, 0.575% American Indian or Alaska Native, and 0.303% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. Students enrolled at Oregon State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Female (32%), followed by White Male (31.6%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (6.35%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (25.3%), followed by White Male (20.1%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (5.22%).
The most common race/ethnicity at Oregon State University is white (5,010 degrees awarded). There were 6.05 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, hispanic or latino (828 degrees).
Graduation and Retention Rates
The four-year graduation rate is 72%. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Oregon State University was 87%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (84%), Oregon State University had a retention rate higher than its peers.
In 2023, 41% of students graduating from Oregon State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 68% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 70% within 200%. The student demographic with the highest graduation rate in 2023 at Oregon State University is Female and Asian (80.1% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (74.3%).
Read also: Auburn Student Statistics
Campus and Resources
Ohio State's 1,764-acre (7.14 km2) main campus is about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) north of Columbus' downtown. The historical center of campus is the Oval, a quad of about 11 acres (4.5 ha).[36] The original campus was laid out in the English country style with University Hall overlooking what would become the Oval. Ohio State's research library system has a combined collection of over 5.8 million volumes. Along with 21 libraries on its Columbus campus, the university has eight branches at off-campus research facilities and regional campuses, and a book storage depository near campus. The Ohio State University at Lima (Ohio State Lima) is a regional campus in Lima, Ohio that was established in 1960. The Lima Campus Library has 76,000 volumes and 200+ journal subscriptions. The Ohio State University at Mansfield was founded in 1958 as a land-grant college. The Ohio State University at Marion (OSU Marion or OSUM) is a satellite campus in Marion, Ohio. The Ohio State University at Newark is a satellite campus in Newark, Ohio. The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute is a satellite campus in Wooster, Ohio, established in 1969.
Rankings and Recognition
News & World Report ranked Ohio State as 15th overall among public and 41th among all national universities. In 2026, the Center for World University Rankings ranked Ohio State 29th nationally and 55th out of 21,462 universities globally.
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