University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, Ohio · Public · 29,882 undergraduates · uc.edu
Test policy (fall 2027)
Test optional
Sending scores is your choice
Admit rate
88%
of 33,750 applicants
SAT (middle 50%)
1160 to 1340
of enrolled freshmen
Annual cost (2027-28)
$38,230Est.Estimate
$54,760 out of state
Your chances and merit aid at University of Cincinnati-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
88% of applicants admitted
Target
Your SAT is inside the range where the middle half of enrolled freshmen scored, and your GPA is in the middle half of freshmen's.
Estimated merit aid
a year
Your cost after merit aid
$54,760
a year in 2027-28, from a $54,760 sticker price (out of state)
What to do with your 1250
Send your score
About 72% of freshmen here didn't send a score. We estimate their typical SAT at about 1090, and yours is above it.
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 optional
You choose whether to send an SAT or ACT score. If you send one, it's considered.
- Doesn't superscore: it uses the scores from one test date.
- Send official score reports when you apply.
- Reviews applications as they arrive, so applying early helps.
Source: Test-Optional Admission | University of Cincinnati · Checked October 16, 2026
Application deadlines
- Nov1Early Action · November 1, 2026Apply early and hear early. Not binding.
- Mar1Rolling admission · March 1, 2027Applications are reviewed as they arrive.
Who gets in
88%
of applicants were admitted: 29,715 of 33,750 for fall 2025.
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. 9% of them sent SAT scores and 25% sent ACT scores.
SAT total 1160 to 1340
Reading and Writing 580 to 680
Math 580 to 680
ACT composite 24 to 30
How enrolled freshmen scored on the SAT
- 1400 to 160015%
- 1200 to 139954%
- 1000 to 119930%
- 800 to 9992.1%
- 600 to 7990%
- 400 to 5990%
Source: Common Data Set 2025-2026
High school GPA of enrolled freshmen
Average GPA: 3.67
- 4.025%
- 3.75 to 3.9921%
- 3.50 to 3.7418%
- 3.25 to 3.4915%
- 3.00 to 3.2411%
- 2.50 to 2.999.1%
- Below 2.500.6%
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
$38,230
a year, in state
$54,760
a year, out of state (tuition $30,450)
- Tuition (in state)$13,920
- Fees$1,780
- Food and housing$15,400
- Books and supplies$1,380
- Transportation and other$5,750
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus published $36,094 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$16,848
- $30,001 to $48,000$17,178
- $48,001 to $75,000$20,592
- $75,001 to $110,000$26,884
- Over $110,000$30,546
Financial aid
39%
of a student's financial need is covered, on average
$9,106
average need-based grant to freshmen, money you don't repay
26%
of freshmen got merit aid without financial need, $6,387 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: 12/1
- 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
41 of 41
Earn credit with a score of 3
40 exams
A 3-credit course is worth
about $1,390Est.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 | FAA 1041 |
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | FAA 2000BLOCK |
| 3-D Art and Design | 3 | 3 | FAA 1021 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 | 3 | FAA 2000BLOCK |
| African American Studies | 3 | 3 | AFST1000BLOCK |
| Art History | 3 | 3 | ARTH 1001 |
| Art History | 4 | 6 | ARTH 1001 & ARTH 1002 |
| Biology | 3 | 4 | BIOL 1021 & BIOL 1021L |
| Biology | 4 | 8 | BIOL 1081, BIOL1081L, BIOL1082 & BIOL 1082L |
| Calculus AB | 3 | 4 | MATH 1061 |
| Calculus BC | 3 | 8 | MATH 1061 & MATH 1062 |
| Calculus BC: AB Subscore | 1 | 4 | MATH 1061 (4) only if AB subscore is > 2 |
| Chemistry | 3 | 4 | CHEM 1030 and CHEM 1030L |
| Chemistry | 4 | 10 | CHEM 1040, CHEM 1040L, CHEM1041 & CHEM 1041L |
| Chinese Language and Culture | 3 | 10 | CHIN 1001 & CHIN 1002 |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POL 1060 |
| Computer Science A | 3 | 3 | IT 1090C |
| Computer Science A | 5 | 6 | IT 1090C and IT 2045C |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | 3 | IT 1001C |
| Computer Science Principles | 5 | 3 | IT 1050C |
| Drawing | 3 | 3 | FAA 1010 |
| Drawing | 4 | 3 | FAA 2000BLOCK |
| English Language and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1001 |
| English Literature and Composition | 3 | 3 | ENGL 1001 |
| Environmental Science | 3 | 3 | EVST 1011 |
| Environmental Science | 4 | 6 | EVST 1011 & EVST 1012 |
| European History | 3 | 6 | HIST 1005 & HIST 1006 |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | FREN 1013 & FREN 1014 |
| French Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | FREN 1013, FREN 1014 & FREN 2015 |
| French Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | FREN 1013, FREN 1014, FREN 2015 & FREN 2016 |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | 10 | GRMN 1001 & GRMN 1002 |
| German Language and Culture | 4 | 10 | GRMN 2001 & GRMN 2002 |
| Human Geography | 3 | 3 | GEOG 1004 |
| Human Geography | 5 | 6 | GEOG 1004 & GEOG 1005 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 3 | 10 | ITAL1001 & ITAL 1002 |
| Italian Language and Culture | 4 | 11 | ITAL 1002, ITAL 2015 & ITAL 2016 |
| Japanese Language and Culture | 3 | 10 | JAPN 1001 & JAPN 1002 |
| Latin | 3 | 6 | LATN1011 & LATN1012 |
| Latin | 4 | 10 | LATN 1001 & LATN 1002 |
| Macroeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 1002 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | 3 | ECON 1001 |
| Music Theory | 3 | 3 | FAM 1000BLOCK |
| Music Theory | 4 | 6 | FAM 1000BLOCK |
| Physics 1 | 3 | 5 | PHYS 1051 & PHYS 1051L |
| Physics 2 | 3 | 5 | PHYS 1052 & PHYS 1052L |
| Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2002 & PHYS 2002L |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | 5 | PHYS 2001 & PHYS 2001L |
| Pre-Calculus | 3 | 5 | MATH 1026 |
| Psychology | 3 | 3 | PSYC 1001 |
| Research | 3 | 3 | INTR 1000BLOCK |
| Seminar | 3 | 3 | INTR 1000BLOCK |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | 6 | SPAN 1013 & 1014 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 4 | 9 | SPAN 1013, 1014 & 2015 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 5 | 12 | SPAN 1013, 1014, 2015 & 2016 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3 | 9 | SPAN 1013, 1014 & 2015 |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 4 | 12 | SPAN 1013, 1014, 2015 & 2016 |
| Statistics | 3 | 3 | STAT 1034 |
| Statistics | 5 | 6 | STAT 1034 & 1035 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3 | 3 | POL 1010 |
| United States History | 3 | 6 | HIST 1001 & 1002 |
| World History: Modern | 3 | 6 | HIST 1003 & 1004 |
Source: AP credit policy
After college
Graduate within 6 years
75%
Come back for a second year
85%
Typical earnings
$60,832
a year, 10 years after starting here
- University of Cincinnati-Main Campus$75,237
- All colleges$74,459
Median yearly earnings of graduates five years after finishing a bachelor's in this major. 53 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 University of Cincinnati-Main Campus. The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus logo is a trademark of the college.