84 colleges ranked by return on investment — based on U.S. Department of Education data.
| # | College / University | ROI Rating | Break-Even | Grad Salary | Med. Debt | Grad Rate | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 |
Chamberlain University-Ohio
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 0.4 yrs | $92,405 | $20,919 | 29% | Private For-profit |
| 🥈 |
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH
|
High ROI | 0.5 yrs | $87,989 | $24,000 | 87% | Private Non-profit |
| 🥉 |
Ohio Northern University
Ada, OH
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $80,928 | $27,000 | 75% | Private Non-profit |
| 4 |
University of Dayton
Dayton, OH
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $75,537 | $23,250 | 80% | Private Non-profit |
| 5 |
Mount Carmel College of Nursing
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $75,103 | $22,082 | 54% | Private Non-profit |
| 6 |
Kenyon College
Gambier, OH
|
High ROI | 0.6 yrs | $71,830 | $18,527 | 82% | Private Non-profit |
| 7 |
The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Cincinnati, OH
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $68,303 | $24,250 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 8 |
Denison University
Granville, OH
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $67,753 | $26,000 | 79% | Private Non-profit |
| 9 |
Kettering College
Kettering, OH
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $67,492 | $23,500 | 65% | Private Non-profit |
| 10 |
Mercy College of Ohio
Toledo, OH
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $65,409 | $20,834 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 11 |
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $64,873 | $23,250 | 69% | Private Non-profit |
| 12 |
Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Canton, OH
|
High ROI | 0.8 yrs | $63,582 | $20,000 | 53% | Private Non-profit |
| 13 |
Ohio State University-Lima Campus
Lima, OH
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $60,409 | $19,976 | 23% | Public |
| 14 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $60,409 | $19,976 | 88% | Public |
| 15 |
Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
Cincinnati, OH
|
High ROI | 0.9 yrs | $55,695 | $15,000 | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 16 |
John Carroll University
University Heights, OH
|
High ROI | 1.1 yrs | $62,860 | $26,000 | 79% | Private Non-profit |
| 17 |
Walsh University
North Canton, OH
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $59,764 | $27,000 | 59% | Private Non-profit |
| 18 |
The College of Wooster
Wooster, OH
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $59,629 | $26,500 | 74% | Private Non-profit |
| 19 |
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $58,343 | $26,000 | 81% | Private Non-profit |
| 20 |
The University of Findlay
Findlay, OH
|
High ROI | 1.4 yrs | $56,996 | $25,439 | 58% | Private Non-profit |
| 21 |
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $55,443 | $20,937 | 73% | Private Non-profit |
| 22 |
Miami University-Hamilton
Hamilton, OH
|
High ROI | 1.4 yrs | $55,076 | $23,000 | 25% | Public |
| 23 |
Miami University-Middletown
Middletown, OH
|
High ROI | 1.4 yrs | $55,076 | $23,000 | 32% | Public |
| 24 |
Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH
|
High ROI | 1.4 yrs | $55,076 | $23,000 | 80% | Public |
| 25 |
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH
|
High ROI | 1.3 yrs | $54,810 | $21,250 | 75% | Public |
| 26 |
Marietta College
Marietta, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $57,180 | $27,000 | 61% | Private Non-profit |
| 27 |
Ursuline College
Pepper Pike, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $56,878 | $26,250 | 67% | Private Non-profit |
| 28 |
Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $52,581 | $21,056 | 14% | Public |
| 29 |
Ohio University-Eastern Campus
Saint Clairsville, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $52,581 | $21,056 | 21% | Public |
| 30 |
Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $52,581 | $21,056 | 65% | Public |
| 31 |
Ohio University-Zanesville Campus
Zanesville, OH
|
High ROI | 1.5 yrs | $52,581 | $21,056 | 22% | Public |
| 32 |
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH
|
High ROI | 1.6 yrs | $55,624 | $27,000 | 59% | Private Non-profit |
| 33 |
Wittenberg University
Springfield, OH
|
High ROI | 1.7 yrs | $54,947 | $27,000 | 53% | Private Non-profit |
| 34 |
Hiram College
Hiram, OH
|
High ROI | 1.7 yrs | $54,311 | $27,000 | 55% | Private Non-profit |
| 35 |
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH
|
High ROI | 1.6 yrs | $52,131 | $21,797 | 51% | Public |
| 36 |
Franklin University
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 1.6 yrs | $51,892 | $20,836 | 11% | Private Non-profit |
| 37 |
Capital University
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $54,143 | $26,889 | 60% | Private Non-profit |
| 38 |
Baldwin Wallace University
Berea, OH
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $54,122 | $27,000 | 67% | Private Non-profit |
| 39 |
Otterbein University
Westerville, OH
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $53,313 | $26,000 | 68% | Private Non-profit |
| 40 |
University of Mount Union
Alliance, OH
|
High ROI | 1.9 yrs | $53,217 | $27,000 | 59% | Private Non-profit |
| 41 |
Ashland University
Ashland, OH
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $52,928 | $25,000 | 61% | Private Non-profit |
| 42 |
Antioch University
Yellow Springs, OH
|
High ROI | 1.8 yrs | $51,541 | $23,501 | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 43 |
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
|
High ROI | 1.9 yrs | $50,632 | $22,250 | 57% | Public |
| 44 |
Ohio Dominican University
Columbus, OH
|
High ROI | 2 yrs | $51,748 | $26,000 | 41% | Private Non-profit |
| 45 |
Mount St. Joseph University
Cincinnati, OH
|
High ROI | 2.1 yrs | $51,509 | $26,827 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 46 |
Lake Erie College
Painesville, OH
|
High ROI | 2.2 yrs | $50,417 | $26,000 | 38% | Private Non-profit |
| 47 |
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Steubenville, OH
|
High ROI | 2.1 yrs | $50,030 | $23,384 | 75% | Private Non-profit |
| 48 |
Wright State University-Lake Campus
Celina, OH
|
High ROI | 2.1 yrs | $49,500 | $22,750 | 41% | Public |
| 49 |
Wright State University-Main Campus
Dayton, OH
|
High ROI | 2.1 yrs | $49,500 | $22,750 | 42% | Public |
| 50 |
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, OH
|
High ROI | 2.3 yrs | $49,555 | $25,000 | 68% | Private Non-profit |
| 51 |
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH
|
High ROI | 2.5 yrs | $49,547 | $27,000 | 53% | Private Non-profit |
| 52 |
Defiance College
Defiance, OH
|
High ROI | 2.5 yrs | $49,351 | $26,813 | 31% | Private Non-profit |
| 53 |
Wilmington College
Wilmington, OH
|
High ROI | 2.5 yrs | $48,491 | $24,208 | 47% | Private Non-profit |
| 54 |
Malone University
Canton, OH
|
High ROI | 2.6 yrs | $48,909 | $26,289 | 45% | Private Non-profit |
| 55 |
Muskingum University
New Concord, OH
|
High ROI | 2.6 yrs | $48,440 | $25,369 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 56 |
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH
|
High ROI | 2.7 yrs | $47,896 | $25,000 | 64% | Public |
| 57 |
Heidelberg University
Tiffin, OH
|
High ROI | 2.8 yrs | $48,466 | $27,000 | 52% | Private Non-profit |
| 58 |
Lourdes University
Sylvania, OH
|
High ROI | 2.9 yrs | $48,150 | $27,000 | 32% | Private Non-profit |
| 59 |
University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
|
High ROI | 3 yrs | $46,600 | $23,250 | 52% | Public |
| 60 |
University of Akron Wayne College
Orrville, OH
|
High ROI | 3 yrs | $46,600 | $23,250 | 19% | Public |
| 61 |
DeVry University-Ohio
Columbus, OH
|
Good ROI | 3.4 yrs | $45,987 | $24,807 | 39% | Private For-profit |
| 62 |
Kent State University at Kent
Kent, OH
|
Good ROI | 3.7 yrs | $45,388 | $24,500 | 64% | Public |
| 63 |
Cleveland Institute of Art
Cleveland, OH
|
Moderate ROI | 7.3 yrs | $42,509 | $27,000 | 58% | Private Non-profit |
| 64 |
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
|
Moderate ROI | 8.7 yrs | $41,544 | $24,000 | 50% | Public |
| 65 |
Columbus College of Art & Design
Columbus, OH
|
Low ROI | 14.4 yrs | $40,664 | $27,000 | 56% | Private Non-profit |
| 66 |
Ohio Christian University
Circleville, OH
|
Low ROI | 29 yrs | $39,813 | $29,579 | 34% | Private Non-profit |
| 67 |
Shawnee State University
Portsmouth, OH
|
Low ROI | 28.6 yrs | $39,596 | $23,000 | 48% | Public |
| 68 |
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $38,298 | $26,468 | 12% | Private Non-profit |
| 69 |
Allegheny Wesleyan College
Salem, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $37,453 | N/A | 46% | Private Non-profit |
| 70 |
Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $35,942 | $27,000 | 40% | Private Non-profit |
| 71 |
Arizona College of Nursing-Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $34,657 | $9,500 | N/A | Private For-profit |
| 72 |
Arizona College of Nursing-Cleveland
Beachwood, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $34,657 | $9,500 | N/A | Private For-profit |
| 73 |
Art Academy of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $34,368 | $27,000 | 41% | Private Non-profit |
| 74 |
Central State University
Wilberforce, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $33,267 | $30,739 | 23% | Public |
| 75 |
Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $32,641 | $24,968 | 72% | Private Non-profit |
| 76 |
Air Force Institute of Technology-Graduate School of Engineering & Management
Wright-Patterson AFB, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Public |
| 77 |
Antioch College
Yellow Springs, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | $32,114 | N/A | 41% | Private Non-profit |
| 78 |
Methodist Theological School in Ohio
Delaware, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 79 |
Northeast Ohio Medical University
Rootstown, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Public |
| 80 |
Payne Theological Seminary
Wilberforce, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 81 |
Pontifical College Josephinum
Columbus, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | 32% | Private Non-profit |
| 82 |
Rabbinical College Telshe
Wickliffe, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | 53% | Private Non-profit |
| 83 |
United Theological Seminary
Dayton, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |
| 84 |
Winebrenner Theological Seminary
Findlay, OH
|
Insufficient Data | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Private Non-profit |