2024 Best Colleges in Ohio

OSU offers more than 200 undergraduate majors, as well as a Personalized Study Program where students can design a nontraditional education. The university also offers a variety of graduate programs through such highly ranked schools as the College of Education and Human Ecology, Max M. Fisher College of Business and College of Medicine. Students can participate in more than 1,000 on-campus clubs and organizations, including more than 60 fraternities and sororities, or volunteer through the Pay It Forward program. Sports are a big part of campus life, with The Ohio State University Buckeyes competing in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. All freshmen must live on campus, unless they are from Central Ohio and can commute. Students can also study abroad in more than 75 countries through OSU.

Case Western Reserve University is known for its world class research, but with more than 200 student organizations, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved outside the classroom, too. The Case Western Spartans varsity teams compete in the Division III University Athletic Association. The Greek system, which stresses a commitment to on-campus and community service, involves about one third of students. The campus is located about 20 minutes from downtown Cleveland, where students have free access to a handful of downtown museums like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center. On campus, freshmen live in one of four themed residential communities, which are called Cedar, Juniper, Magnolia and Mistletoe. All students are invited to the annual SpringFest, a collection of music, carnival games and activities that is the largest student-run event on campus.

Miami University students make up three-fourths of the population of the approximately 7-square-mile town of Oxford, Ohio. Freshmen must live on campus, which is also home to more than 400 student organizations. The Greek system constitutes a large part of campus life, with about a third of the student body involved in nearly 50 fraternities and sororities. In fact, the school often gets the moniker “Mother of Fraternities” because the Beta Theta Pi, Phi Delta Theta, Phi Kappa Tau and Sigma Chi organizations were founded at Miami University. The school is also known as the "Cradle of Coaches" for the number of professional and collegiate coaches who once competed for Miami. The RedHawks, who compete in the Division I Mid-American Conference, were known as the Redskins until 1997. The name was changed after years of controversy and a request from the Miami Indian Tribe. (The tribe is the namesake of the university.) To help ease the transition into freshman year, older students often create a guide to life at Miami University, called the "M Book." Student couples who marry are known as "Miami Mergers" and are reminded of their alma mater each Valentine's Day, when the admissions office sends cards to congratulate former students on finding love at school.

Located about an hour away from both Cincinnati and the Ohio state capital of Columbus, the University of Dayton is a private school that encourages its students to practice their Catholic faith on campus. Students can also get involved in more than 200 organizations, the campus radio and television stations, and Division I varsity sports.

Students at the University of Cincinnati (UC) can explore more than 300 campus organizations, join Greek life, or play Division I sports. Notable UC alumni include Joseph Strauss, who designed the Golden Gate Bridge, and Abe Bookman, who invented the Magic 8-ball toy. 

Ohio University is a public school in Athens where extracurricular activities abound. Students are required to live on campus for four semesters unless they commute from a parent's nearby home, among other exemptions.

Xavier University is a private, Jesuit institution located in Cincinnati. Xavier students have many different clubs and activities to choose from, and the school is known for its men's basketball team.

Located about 40 miles south of Cleveland, Kent State University offers more than 200 campus organizations, including Greek life, leadership programs for underclassmen and community service clubs. In the classroom, Kent State students can choose from nearly 300 academic programs, including peace and conflict studies.

Located about 85 miles south of Detroit in northern Ohio, Bowling Green State University offers nearly 300 student clubs, about 40 Greek organizations and an anonymous, masked spirit crew. Notable alumni include Academy Award-winning actress Eva Marie Saint.

Founded in 1872, University of Toledo is a public institution.