More selective than 92% of Ohio colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $35,017. College Scorecard.
Higher than 31% of Ohio colleges we cover and 17% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 16% of Ohio colleges we cover and 12% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
OCU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,223 applicants, Ohio Christian University admitted 488 and 186 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
OCU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Ohio residents with household income up to $96,000 and a Student Aid Index of 3,750 or less may receive an Ohio College Opportunity Grant: up to $5,000 a year at private nonprofit colleges in 2026-27. Not included in the prices above. Ohio Department of Higher Education, OCOG 2026-27 award memo (FA27-001)
What OCU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ohio Christian University took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Ohio. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $22,113 | $89,779 | more than 20 years |
| $30–48k | $22,338 | $90,692 | more than 20 years |
| $48–75k | $15,292 | $62,086 | 14.2 years |
| $75–110k | $22,034 | $89,458 | more than 20 years |
| $110k+ | $20,159 | $81,846 | 18.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (45% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($39,813) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $4,375 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
OCU majors, earnings & careers
Ohio Christian University offers 28 bachelor's majors across 7 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Business & Finance · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Education · 3
- Arts & Design · 1
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at OCU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $79,453 | — |
| Business Administration | $58,293 | $35,515 |
| Homeland Security | $53,626 | — |
| Criminal Justice | $53,480 | — |
| Religious Studies | $46,350 | $37,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $44,701 | — |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $43,805 | $28,250 |
| Psychology | $42,140 | $26,792 |
Quick list of all 28 majors
- Accounting—
- Bible Studies—
- Business Administration$58,293
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminal Justice$53,480
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$40,291
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Homeland Security$53,626
- Human Resources—
- Human Services$41,533
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$44,701
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$43,805
- Marketing—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions$40,901
- Missions / Missionary Studies and Missiology—
- Music—
- Nursing$79,453
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$42,140
- Religious Music and Worship—
- Religious Studies$46,350
- Special Education—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Theology and Religious Vocations, Other—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Columbus
Overall prices in the Columbus, OH area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,602. Housing costs 12% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 41 inches of rain a year, 15 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Pickaway County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Pickaway County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare OCU with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Ohio by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Christian University | 38% | $20,607 | 34% | $39,813 | This school |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 34% | $34,253 | 41% | $34,368 | |
| Defiance College | 48% | $26,337 | 31% | $49,351 | |
| Wilberforce University | 41% | $5,567 | 12% | $38,298 | |
| Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 46% | $24,204 | 53% | $63,582 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ohio Christian University would cost you $13,646 less per year than Art Academy of Cincinnati, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Ohio Christian University, mostly from lower tuition & fees (−$16,775).
- Art Academy of Cincinnati gives aided families $5,216 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | OCU | AAC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $24,600 | $41,375 | −$16,775 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,500 | −$300 |
| Housing & meals | $9,612 | $10,325 | −$713 |
| Personal & travel | $2,350 | $2,850 | −$500 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,745 | −$2,171 | −$574 |
| Sticker price | $35,017 | $53,879 | −$18,862 |
| Average grants | −$14,410 | −$19,626 | +$5,216 |
| You pay | $20,607 | $34,253 | −$13,646 |
“+” means OCU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about OCU
What is the OCU acceptance rate?
Ohio Christian University accepts 38% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 488 of 1,223 applicants were admitted.
How much does Ohio Christian University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $35,017 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,607 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $22,113 and families earning $110k+ pay $20,159.
How much do OCU graduates earn?
Former Ohio Christian University students earn a median $39,813 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the OCU graduation rate?
34% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 62% return for their second year.
How long does a OCU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ohio Christian University costs about $62,086 after grants ($15,292 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $39,813 ten years after starting, $4,375 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 14.2 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
Is OCU the right fit for your family?
Get a free report comparing OCU with up to 4 other schools on what you'd actually pay, what graduates in your major earn, and how each fits your priorities.
Build my free reportCheck my chances of getting inWe never share your contact information.
Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Ohio Christian University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ohio-christian-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).