Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, Ohio · Public · 45,638 undergraduates · osu.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test required
Send an SAT or ACT score
Admit rate
49%
of 81,392 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1300 to 1440
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$36,370Est.Estimate
$67,280 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at Ohio State University-Main Campus
See where you stand for admission, how much merit aid you could get, and what you'd pay after it.
We started you at a typical enrolled freshman here. Move the sliders to match you.
Your admission chances
49% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$67,280
a year in 2027-28, from a $67,280 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1380
Send your score
This college requires an SAT or ACT score.
Reach, target and likely are a rough guide from your test score and how selective the college is. Admissions also weigh your courses, grades, essays and activities. Merit aid figures are estimates, before any need-based aid.
Admissions
Test policy for fall 2027
Test required
You must send an SAT or ACT score.
- Superscores: it combines your best section scores from different test dates.
- Send official score reports when you apply.
Source: Application information: Step-by-step - Columbus campus first-years - The Ohio State University · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Jan15Regular Decision · January 15, 2027The standard deadline.
Who gets in
49%
of applicants were admitted: 40,047 of 81,392 for fall 2025.
Early Action
Not binding. Apply by 11/1, hear by 1/31.
Wait list
5,358 students were offered a spot; 2,049 were later admitted.
Test scores of enrolled freshmen (fall 2025)
The shaded part shows the middle half of enrolled freshmen who sent scores: a quarter scored below it and a quarter above. 25% of them sent SAT scores and 42% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1300 to 1440
Reading and Writing 640 to 720
Math 650 to 740
ACT composite 27 to 32
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160041%
- 1200 to 139948%
- 1000 to 11999%
- 800 to 9992%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Cost and financial aid
The sticker price is what a year costs before any aid. Most students pay less after grants and scholarships.
Sticker price for 2027-28Estimate
$36,370
a year, in state
$67,280
a year, out of state (tuition $44,190)
- Tuition (in state)$13,280
- Fees$1,160
- Food and housing$17,180
- Books and supplies$1,080
- Transportation and other$3,670
Ohio State University-Main Campus published $34,341 in state for 2025-26. Its 2027-28 prices aren't out yet.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
What families actually pay
What a year cost on average after grants and scholarships, for freshmen who got federal aid in 2023-24 (in-state students), by family income.
- $0 to $30,000$6,061
- $30,001 to $48,000$5,538
- $48,001 to $75,000$9,708
- $75,001 to $110,000$18,203
- Over $110,000$27,873
Financial aid
73%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$17,907
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
30%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $7,336 on average
- FAFSA
- Required for need-based aid. It's the free federal aid form.
- CSS Profile
- Not required. Only the FAFSA is needed.
- Aid priority date: 2/1
- Send your aid forms by this date to be first in line for the college's grant money.
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
Merit scholarships
Awards for grades and scores, on top of need-based aid. You don't repay them.
Ohio programs for residents
Governor's Merit Scholarship
$5,000 a year
State program · In-state students
- Homeschool / dropout prevention & recovery / nonchartered nonpublic applicants (top 5% of similar applicants by ACT/SAT); Apply via ODHE portal in senior year; homeschoolers upload superintendent's response to home-education notification; Selective Service if applicable; on-time graduation; junior on track at determination
Compare awards across colleges with the merit aid calculator.
AP credit
AP exams that earn credit can replace college courses, so you pay for fewer of them and may graduate sooner.
AP exams that earn credit
40 of 40
Earn credit with a score of 3
40 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,330Est.Estimate
at 2027-28 tuition for in-state students
Credit for each AP exam
| Exam | Score needed | Credits | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | Art 2300 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | Art 2400 |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | African American Studies 1101 |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | History of Art 2002 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | Biology 1101 |
| Biology | 5 | 8 | Biology 1113 & 1114 |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 5 | Math 1151 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 10 | Math 1151 & 1152 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 5 | Chemistry 1110 |
| Chemistry | 4 | 5 | Chemistry 1210 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | Chinese 1101 & 1102 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | Chinese 1101, 1102 & 1103 |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 5 | 17 | Chinese 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2102 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | Political Science 1200 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | Computer Science and Engineering 1223 |
| Computer Science A | 4 | 6 | Computer Science and Engineering 1223 & 2123 |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | Computer Science and Engineering 1211 |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | Art 2100 |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | Credit for ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1167H if score of three on both ENG Lang and ENG Lit* |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | English 1110.01 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | Credit for ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1167H if score of three on both ENG Lang and ENG Lit* |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | English 1110.02 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 4 | Environment and Natural Resources 2100 (3) and Environment and Natural Resources 2101 (1) |
| European History | 3 | 3 | History 1212 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | French 1101 & 1102 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | French 1101, 1102 & 1103 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 15 | French 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2101.01 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | German 1101 & 1102 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | German 1101, 1102 & 1103 |
| German Language and Culture | 5 | 15 | German 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2101 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | Geography 2100 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | Italian 1101 & 1102 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | Italian 1101, 1102 & 1103 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 5 | 15 | Italian 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2102 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | Japanese 1101 & 1102 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 4 | 12 | Japanese 1101, 1102, & 1103 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 5 | 17 | Japanese 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2102 |
| Latin | 3 | 10 | Latin 1101.01 & 1102.01 |
| Latin | 4 | 13 | Latin 1101.01, 1102.01 & 1103 |
| Latin | 5 | 16 | Latin 1101.01, 1102.01, 1103 & 2105 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | Economics 2002.01 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | Economics 2001.01 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 2 | Music 1121 |
| Music Theory | 4 | 4 | Music 2221 & 2224 |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 5 | Physics 1200 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 5 | Physics 1201 |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 5 | Physics 1251 |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 5 | Physics 1250 |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | Math 1150 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYCH 1100 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | COMSTD SPL |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | COMSTD SPL |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 8 | Spanish 1101, 1102 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 15 | Spanish 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2202 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 12 | Spanish 1101, 1102 & 1103 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 15 | Spanish 1101, 1102, 1103 & 2202 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | Statistics 1450 |
| Statistics | 4 | 3 | Statistics 2450 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | Political Science 1100 |
| United States History | 3 | 6 | History 1151 & 1152 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 6 | History 1682 (3) and HISTORY SPL (3) |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
87%
Come back for a second year
94%
Typical earnings
$67,080
a year, 10 years after starting here
- Ohio State University-Main Campus$54,594
- All colleges$54,104
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 95 majors here have earnings data.
Keep exploring
Figures marked Estimate are our estimates, not numbers the college published. Check each college's own site before you apply. SAT is a trademark of College Board, and ACT is a trademark of ACT, Inc. Sharp is not affiliated with either, or with Ohio State University-Main Campus. The Ohio State University-Main Campus logo is a trademark of the college.