Getting in
For Fall 2025, 81,392 first-year students applied to Ohio State, 40,047 were admitted and 8,248 enrolled: an acceptance rate of 49.2%.
Source: Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Columbus campus) (opens in a new tab), section C1, Columbus campus. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By residency, first-year applicants, Fall 2025
| Applicants | Applied | Admitted | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-state | 25,273 | 11,395 | 45.1% |
| Out-of-state | 42,898 | 19,914 | 46.4% |
| International | 13,221 | 8,738 | 66.1% |
Source: Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Columbus campus) (opens in a new tab), section C1, residency table. Read Oct 1, 2026.
By school or major. Ohio State's Common Data Set reports one first-year acceptance rate for the Columbus campus, with no rate by college or major. Once you are admissible, you are considered for your intended major, and some majors start you as a pre-major.
Source: Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Columbus campus) (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early action. Ohio State has no early decision plan, and the Common Data Set does not report how many applied or were admitted in early action, so it gives no early acceptance rate.
Source: Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Columbus campus) (opens in a new tab), sections C21 and C22. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Programs with extra requirements
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Once you are admissible to Ohio State, you are reviewed for your intended major. Some colleges ask for more:
- College of Engineering. Admission to engineering majors is competitive. For aerospace, biomedical or mechanical engineering, indicate your interest on the Common Application. Apply by early action to be considered for engineering majors.
- College of Nursing. Selective direct enrollment as a pre-nursing major (ACT 25 or SAT 1200 and the top 10% of your class). Direct admission to the BSN program is considered only for applicants who meet the early action deadline.
- Dance and music. You are enrolled in the pre-major only after a successful audition. Audition programs are highly competitive.
- Actuarial science, computer and information science, data analytics, international studies, neuroscience. Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to the major is competitive.
A pre-major does not guarantee a place in the major.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Enrollment Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Majors
156 majors across 16 schools. Every bachelor's degree major Ohio State lists for the Columbus campus on its official Majors and degrees page, grouped by the college or school that offers it, with the degree it leads to. Associate degrees, degree-completion programs for working nurses and dental hygienists, minors and graduate programs are left out.
Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society1
- Civics, Law and Leadership (BA)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Arts and Sciences81
- Actuarial Science (BS)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
- African American and African Studies (BA)
- American Sign Language (ASL): Applied Communication and Community Studies (BA)
- Ancient History and Classics (BA)
- Anthropological Sciences (BS)
- Anthropology (BA)
- Arabic (BA)
- Art (BA, BFA)
- Arts Management (BA)
- Astronomy and Astrophysics (BS)
- Atmospheric Sciences (BS)
- Biochemistry (BS, BA)
- Biology (BS, BA)
- Chemistry (BS, BA)
- Chinese (BA)
- Classics (BA)
- Communication (BA)
- Comparative Studies (BA)
- Computer and Information Science (BS, BA)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
- Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies (BA)
- Dance (BFA)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Data Analytics (BS)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
- Earth Sciences (BS, BA)
- Economics (BS, BA)
- English (BA)
- Evolution and Ecology (BS)
- Experiential Media Design (BSD)
- Film Studies (BA)
- Forensic Anthropology (BS)
- French (BA)
- French and Francophone Studies (BA)
- Geographic Information Science (BS)
- Geography (BS, BA)
- German (BA)
- Hebrew and Jewish Studies (BA)
- History (BA)
- History of Art (BA)
- Industrial Design (BSD)
- Interior Design (BSD)
- International Studies (BS, BA)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
- Islamic Studies (BA)
- Italian (BA)
- Italian Studies (BA)
- Japanese (BA)
- Journalism (BA)
- Korean (BA)
- Leadership (BA)
- Linguistics (BA)
- Mathematics (BS)
- Medical Anthropology (BS, BA)
- Microbiology (BS)
- Modern Greek (BA)
- Molecular Genetics (BS)
- Moving-Image Production (BA)
- Music (BS)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music (BA)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music - Education (BME)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music - Jazz Studies (BM)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music - Performance (orchestral instruments) (BM)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music - Performance (piano) (BM)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Music - Performance (voice) (BM)Extra requirement: Enrollment in the pre-major follows a successful audition; audition programs are highly competitive.
- Neuroscience (BS)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
- Philosophy (BA)
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics (BA)
- Physics (BS)
- Political Science (BS, BA)
- Psychology (BS, BA)
- Religious Studies (BA)
- Romance Studies (BA)
- Russian (BA)
- Social Sciences Air Transportation (BA)
- Sociology (BS, BA)
- Spanish (BA)
- Speech and Hearing Science (BA)
- Statistics (BS)
- Theatre (BA)
- Visual Communication Design (BSD)
- Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies (BA)
- World Literatures (BA)
- World Politics (BA)
- Zoology (BS, BA)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Education and Human Ecology16
- Child and Youth Studies (BSEd)
- Consumer and Family Financial Services (BS)
- Education - Integrated Language Arts/English Education (BSEd)
- Education - Integrated Social Studies (BSEd)
- Education - Middle Childhood Education (BSEd)
- Education - Primary Education (BSEd)
- Education - Science and Mathematics Education (BSEd)
- Education - Special Education (BSEd)
- Education - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (BSEd)
- Exercise Science Education (BS)
- Fashion and Retail Studies (BS)
- Health Promotion, Nutrition and Exercise Science (BS)
- Hospitality Management (BS)
- Human Development and Family Science (BS)
- Human Nutrition (BS)
- Sport Industry (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Engineering14
Admission to engineering majors is competitive. Admitted students are enrolled directly into their major.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Enrollment Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
- Aerospace Engineering (BS)Extra requirement: A highly competitive major: indicate your interest on the Common Application.
- Aviation (BS)
- Biomedical Engineering (BS)Extra requirement: A highly competitive major: indicate your interest on the Common Application.
- Chemical Engineering (BS)
- Civil Engineering (BS)
- Computer Science and Engineering (BS)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering (BS)
- Engineering Physics (BS)
- Environmental Engineering (BS)
- Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (BS)
- Industrial and Systems Engineering (BS)
- Materials Science and Engineering (BS)
- Mechanical Engineering (BS)Extra requirement: A highly competitive major: indicate your interest on the Common Application.
- Welding Engineering (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences12
- Agribusiness and Applied Economics (BS)
- Agricultural Communication (BS)
- Agricultural Systems Management (BS)
- Agriscience Education (BS)
- Animal Sciences (BS)
- Community Leadership (BS)
- Construction Systems Management (BS)
- Entomology (BS)
- Food Business Management (BS)
- Food Science and Technology (BS)
- Horticulture and Crop Science (BS)
- Plant Pathology (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Medicine1
- Biomedical Science (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Nursing1
- Nursing (BS)Extra requirement: Admitted students who meet selective criteria start as pre-nursing majors; admission to the major is competitive.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Pharmacy1
- Pharmaceutical Sciences (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Public Health1
- Public Health (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
College of Social Work1
- Social Work (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Division of Dental Hygiene1
- Dental Hygiene (BS)Extra requirement: Admitted students start as pre-majors, and admission to this major is competitive.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Fisher College of Business11
- Accounting (BS)
- Aviation Management (BS)
- Economics - Business (BS)
- Finance (BS)
- Human Resources (BS)
- Information Systems (BS)
- International Business (BS)
- Logistics Management (BS)
- Marketing (BS)
- Operations Management (BS)
- Real Estate and Urban Analysis (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
John Glenn College of Public Affairs2
- Public Management, Leadership and Policy (BA)
- Public Policy Analysis (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Knowlton School of Architecture3
- Architecture (BS)
- City and Regional Planning (BS)
- Landscape Architecture (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Environment and Natural Resources5
- Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability (BS)
- Environmental Policy and Decision Making (BS)
- Environmental Science (BS)
- Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife (BS)
- Natural Resource Management (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences5
- Health Information Management and Systems (BS)
- Health Sciences (BS)
- Medical Laboratory Science (BS)
- Radiologic Sciences and Therapy (BS)
- Respiratory Therapy (BS)
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Majors and degrees (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, Enrollment Criteria for First-Year Students (opens in a new tab), for the extra requirements. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Deadlines for Fall 2027
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
| Plan | Apply by | Decision | Binding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Action | November 1 | December 11 for Ohio residents, January 22 for others | No |
| Regular Decision | January 15 | March 5 | No |
Your complete application, with test scores and transcript, is due by 11:59 pm ET on the deadline. Apply by early action to be considered for university merit scholarships, honors and scholars programs, engineering majors and nursing direct admission. The acceptance fee is due May 1.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, First-Year Applicants (Columbus), Step-by-step (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Early action at Ohio State is nonbinding: if you are admitted, you do not have to attend.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, First-Year Applicants (Columbus), Step-by-step (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Testing
For students applying in fall 2026, entering fall 2027
Ohio State requires ACT or SAT scores from first-year applicants to the Columbus campus, sent directly from the testing agency by your application deadline. Ohio State superscores: it uses your highest section scores across attempts. Applicants who will have been out of high school for two or more years do not need to send scores.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, First-Year Applicants (Columbus), Step-by-step (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
The Common Data Set also marks the SAT or ACT as required to be considered for admission for fall 2027 applicants.
Source: Ohio State Common Data Set 2025-2026 (Columbus campus) (opens in a new tab), section C8. Read Oct 1, 2026.
Applying next year?
For students applying in fall 2027, entering fall 2028
Not announced yet. When we checked Ohio State's admission pages on October 1, 2026, we found no announced changes for fall 2028 entry. The deadlines and rules above are for fall 2027 entry.
Source: Ohio State Admissions, First-Year Applicants (Columbus), Step-by-step (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Cost, and what families paid after aid
The published cost of a year at Ohio State, 2026-2027:
| Item | In-state | Out-of-state |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $14,034 | $14,034 |
| Non-resident fees | $0 | $30,220 |
| Housing and food (on campus) | $15,630 | $15,630 |
| Books, supplies and equipment | $1,020 | $1,020 |
| Miscellaneous personal expenses | $2,686 | $2,686 |
| Transportation | $732 | $1,360 |
| Federal student loan fees | $40 | $40 |
| Total | $34,142 | $64,990 |
For first-years on the Columbus campus living on campus. Ohio residents pay no non-resident fees. Costs may vary by program, hours enrolled and housing and dining choices.
Source: Ohio State Student Financial Aid, Cost of Attendance 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Average net price per year, by family income, 2023-24:
| Family income | Paid after grants |
|---|---|
| $0 to $30,000 | $4,885 |
| $30,001 to $48,000 | $5,751 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $9,807 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,461 |
| Over $110,000 | $27,359 |
| All incomes | $17,339 |
What first-year, full-time, in-state students who received federal aid paid after grants and scholarships, by family income, in 2023-24, the latest year the Department of Education publishes. Your own price comes from Ohio State's aid offer.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education (opens in a new tab). Read Oct 1, 2026.
Similar schools
Chosen for how close each is to The Ohio State University on acceptance rate, public or private, location and majors offered.
Purdue UniversityWest Lafayette, IN · Public43.4% admitted$14,600 average net price
Kent State UniversityKent, OH · Public62.7% admitted$20,787 average net price
University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI · Public40.8% admitted$17,354 average net price
Texas A&M UniversityCollege Station, TX · Public51.7% admitted$21,315 average net price
Auburn UniversityAuburn, AL · Public46.9% admitted$24,323 average net price
Admitted: each school's latest first-year acceptance rate, so the year can differ from school to school; each school's page names its year and source. Average net price: what federal aid recipients paid per year after grants, 2023-24, and the in-state figure for a public university.