More selective than 82% 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 $68,424. College Scorecard.
Higher than 71% of Ohio colleges we cover and 60% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 74% of Ohio colleges we cover and 58% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
OWU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 5,708 applicants, Ohio Wesleyan University admitted 2,892 and 428 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
OWU 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 OWU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Ohio Wesleyan 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 | $15,412 | $63,497 | 3.1 years |
| $30–48k | $10,706 | $44,109 | 2.2 years |
| $48–75k | $13,339 | $54,957 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $18,031 | $74,288 | 3.7 years |
| $110k+ | $30,036 | $123,748 | 6.1 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (55% 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 ($55,624) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $20,186 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.
OWU majors, earnings & careers
Ohio Wesleyan University offers 60 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 18
- Science & Math · 13
- Arts & Design · 6
- Business & Finance · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
Highest-earning majors at OWU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration | $66,800 | $27,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $55,420 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $47,941 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 60 majors
- Accounting—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology—
- Botany / Plant Biology—
- Business Administration$66,800
- Business Economics—
- Chemistry—
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Dance—
- Data Analytics—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Finance—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Genetics—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History—
- Intercultural / Multicultural and Diversity Studies—
- International / Global Studies—
- International Business—
- Journalism—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,420
- Legal Studies / Paralegal—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology$47,941
- Public Health—
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- Writing—
- Zoology / Animal Biology—
— 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
Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% 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. 42 inches of rain a year, 24 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Delaware County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Delaware County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare OWU 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 Wesleyan University | 56% | $20,897 | 59% | $55,624 | This school |
| Mount St. Joseph University | 59% | $16,530 | 56% | $51,509 | |
| The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences | 59% | $18,378 | 56% | $68,303 | |
| Cleveland Institute of Art | 61% | $29,208 | 58% | $42,509 | |
| University of Northwestern Ohio | — | $21,807 | 54% | $50,968 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Ohio Wesleyan University would cost you $4,367 more per year than Mount St. Joseph University, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Ohio Wesleyan University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$15,738).
- Ohio Wesleyan University gives aided families $17,338 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | OWU | Mount St. Joseph University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $53,888 | $38,150 | +$15,738 |
| Books & supplies | $1,000 | $1,200 | −$200 |
| Housing & meals | $14,226 | $11,200 | +$3,026 |
| Personal & travel | $1,800 | $1,000 | +$800 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$2,490 | −$4,831 | +$2,341 |
| Sticker price | $68,424 | $46,719 | +$21,705 |
| Average grants | −$47,527 | −$30,189 | −$17,338 |
| You pay | $20,897 | $16,530 | +$4,367 |
“+” means OWU 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 OWU
What is the OWU acceptance rate?
Ohio Wesleyan University accepts 56% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,892 of 5,708 applicants were admitted.
How much does Ohio Wesleyan University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $68,424 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $20,897 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $15,412 and families earning $110k+ pay $30,036.
How much do OWU graduates earn?
Former Ohio Wesleyan University students earn a median $55,624 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the OWU graduation rate?
59% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year.
How long does a OWU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Ohio Wesleyan University costs about $54,957 after grants ($13,339 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $55,624 ten years after starting, $20,186 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 2.7 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 Wesleyan University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/ohio-wesleyan-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).