More selective than 54% 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 $53,580. College Scorecard.
Higher than 92% of Ohio colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 99% of Ohio colleges we cover and 93% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
ONU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 4,537 applicants, Ohio Northern University admitted 3,328 and 587 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1175–1400 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
ONU 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 ONU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ohio Northern University took 4.2 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 | $18,525 | $77,435 | 1.7 years |
| $30–48k | $19,223 | $80,352 | 1.8 years |
| $48–75k | $22,336 | $93,364 | 2.1 years |
| $75–110k | $25,605 | $107,029 | 2.4 years |
| $110k+ | $27,710 | $115,828 | 2.5 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (59% 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 ($80,928) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $45,490 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.
ONU majors, earnings & careers
Ohio Northern University offers 51 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Science & Math · 8
- Business & Finance · 6
- Engineering · 6
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Arts & Design · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at ONU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians | $89,697 | — |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,802 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $84,916 | $27,000 |
| Nursing | $83,157 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $79,673 | $25,961 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration | $72,121 | $27,000 |
| Marketing | $67,802 | $26,970 |
| Construction Management | $66,757 | $26,500 |
Quick list of all 51 majors
- Accounting$84,916
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$79,673
- Communications—
- Computer Engineering—
- Computer Science—
- Construction Management$66,757
- Criminal Justice$52,606
- Data Analytics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering, Other—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- German—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- History—
- Industrial Production Technologies / Technicians$89,697
- Insurance—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$48,289
- Literature—
- Management Science / Analytics$59,597
- Marketing$67,802
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$85,802
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Music—
- Nursing$83,157
- Pastoral Counseling / Ministry—
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration$72,121
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Religious Studies—
- Security / Homeland Security—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre$34,445
- Writing—
— 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 →Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Civil Engineering → Civil engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Ada
2 bedrooms $1,003.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 39 inches of rain a year, 26 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
No hazard rated high.
FEMA National Risk Index, Hardin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Hardin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare ONU 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 Northern University | 74% | $24,478 | 75% | $80,928 | This school |
| Baldwin Wallace University | 76% | $27,603 | 67% | $54,122 | |
| John Carroll University | 81% | $28,746 | 79% | $62,860 | |
| Ashland University | 76% | $21,988 | 61% | $52,928 | |
| Otterbein University | 85% | $19,237 | 68% | $53,313 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ohio Northern University would cost you $3,125 less per year than Baldwin Wallace University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Ohio Northern University, mostly from a lower estimate for personal & travel costs (−$4,054).
- Ohio Northern University gives aided families $1,099 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | ONU | Baldwin Wallace University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $39,800 | $39,832 | −$32 |
| Books & supplies | $1,200 | $1,500 | −$300 |
| Housing & meals | $13,200 | $13,180 | +$20 |
| Personal & travel | $2,286 | $6,340 | −$4,054 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,906 | −$5,246 | +$2,340 |
| Sticker price | $53,580 | $55,606 | −$2,026 |
| Average grants | −$29,102 | −$28,003 | −$1,099 |
| You pay | $24,478 | $27,603 | −$3,125 |
“+” means ONU 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 ONU
What is the ONU acceptance rate?
Ohio Northern University accepts 74% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 3,328 of 4,537 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1175–1400 on the SAT or 24–29 on the ACT.
How much does Ohio Northern University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $53,580 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $24,478 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $18,525 and families earning $110k+ pay $27,710.
How much do ONU graduates earn?
Former Ohio Northern University students earn a median $80,928 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the ONU graduation rate?
75% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 84% return for their second year.
How long does a ONU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ohio Northern University costs about $93,364 after grants ($22,336 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $80,928 ten years after starting, $45,490 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 2.1 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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 Northern University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ohio-northern-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).