More selective than 25% 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 $48,321. College Scorecard.
Higher than 82% of Ohio colleges we cover and 75% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 61% of Ohio colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Otterbein University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 3,498 applicants, Otterbein University admitted 2,914 and 519 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Otterbein University 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 Otterbein University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Otterbein 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 | $12,458 | $51,701 | 2.9 years |
| $30–48k | $12,659 | $52,535 | 2.9 years |
| $48–75k | $16,478 | $68,384 | 3.8 years |
| $75–110k | $23,061 | $95,703 | 5.4 years |
| $110k+ | $24,620 | $102,173 | 5.7 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (60% 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 ($53,313) minus $35,438 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OH (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $17,875 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.
Otterbein University majors, earnings & careers
Otterbein University offers 56 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Science & Math · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 9
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 6
- Arts & Design · 4
- Education · 4
- Engineering · 4
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at Otterbein University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,188 | $27,000 |
| Business Administration | $70,328 | $26,247 |
| Health Sciences | $62,364 | $27,000 |
| Public Relations and Advertising | $58,065 | $23,800 |
| Communications | $51,006 | $18,500 |
| Psychology | $49,090 | $25,210 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $47,383 | $26,000 |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | $46,521 | $25,000 |
Quick list of all 56 majors
- Accounting—
- Agricultural and Domestic Animal Services—
- Agriculture / Veterinary Preparatory Programs—
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$42,619
- Business / Corporate Communications—
- Business Administration$70,328
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other—
- Chemistry—
- Communications$51,006
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminology—
- Economics—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$47,383
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Engineering Physics—
- English—
- English Language and Literature / Letters, Other—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance—
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design—
- Health Sciences$62,364
- History—
- Human Resources—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$46,521
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering—
- Music—
- Nursing$80,188
- Philosophy—
- Philosophy and Religious Studies—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$49,090
- Public Administration—
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising$58,065
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- Sustainability Studies—
- Systems Engineering—
- Theatre$38,023
- Veterinary / Animal Health Technologies / Technicians—
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management$41,121
- 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 →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
Public Relations and Advertising → Public relations specialist
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 1.8% 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, 19 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (relatively high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Franklin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Franklin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Otterbein University 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otterbein University | 85% | $19,237 | 68% | $53,313 | This school |
| Mount Vernon Nazarene University | 84% | $22,421 | 68% | $49,555 | |
| The University of Findlay | 83% | $27,221 | 58% | $56,996 | |
| John Carroll University | 81% | $28,746 | 79% | $62,860 | |
| Ashland University | 76% | $21,988 | 61% | $52,928 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Otterbein University would cost you $3,184 less per year than Mount Vernon Nazarene University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Otterbein University, mostly from more Otterbein University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,671).
- Otterbein University gives aided families $1,647 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Ohio resident | Otterbein University | MVNU | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $35,548 | $37,158 | −$1,610 |
| Books & supplies | $1,508 | $1,400 | +$108 |
| Housing & meals | $12,968 | $9,996 | +$2,972 |
| Personal & travel | $3,164 | $4,500 | −$1,336 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$4,867 | −$3,196 | −$1,671 |
| Sticker price | $48,321 | $49,858 | −$1,537 |
| Average grants | −$29,084 | −$27,437 | −$1,647 |
| You pay | $19,237 | $22,421 | −$3,184 |
“+” means Otterbein University 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 Otterbein University
What is the Otterbein University acceptance rate?
Otterbein University accepts 85% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 2,914 of 3,498 applicants were admitted.
How much does Otterbein University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $48,321 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $19,237 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $12,458 and families earning $110k+ pay $24,620.
How much do Otterbein University graduates earn?
Former Otterbein University students earn a median $53,313 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Otterbein University graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
How long does a Otterbein University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Otterbein University costs about $68,384 after grants ($16,478 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,313 ten years after starting, $17,875 more than high school graduates in Ohio ($35,438), so the cost is repaid in 3.8 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: “Otterbein University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/otterbein-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).