Ohio Dominican University
Columbus, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 94.2% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 35/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ohio Dominican University, a small Catholic-Dominican private in Columbus, Ohio, scores 35 out of 100 on ROI - the Below Benchmark tier rating driven primarily by weak completion. ODU's 41% completion rate means more than half of entering students do not finish in six years, which dominates the score. Average earnings six years after entry are $37,400, climbing to a median $51,748 at year ten - modest but with a reasonable trajectory. Median debt is $26,000, debt-to-earnings ratio is 0.695, and payback period is 13.2 years. Sticker tuition is $35,720, but net price drops to $20,079 - meaningful institutional discounting. Four-year total cost is $80,316. The repayment-rate sub-score of 19 (61% reducing principal) is a real concern. The school's mission, small-cohort, and faith-based environment have value; the financial-outcome data does not strongly support the price tag.
How Ohio Dominican University scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score35/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
Ohio Dominican University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $35,720/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $35,720/yr |
| Average net price | $20,079/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $80,316 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $51,748 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $37,400 |
| Median debt at graduation | $26,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $276 |
| Estimated payback period | 13.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 41.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 760 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $35,720/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,079/year, or roughly $80,316 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $16,997/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $22,999/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $26,000, which works out to about $276 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($37,400) and comes to 0.69, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $16,997 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $17,459 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $19,572 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $21,907 |
| $110,001+ | $22,999 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $16,997 net annually - meaningful institutional aid relative to the $35,720 sticker. Pell + Ohio Need-Based aid does substantial work here. Four-year exposure of about $68,000 against $37,400 average earnings is workable but tight. ODU is most defensible at this income tier when paired with strong academic prep and a clear major plan.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001-$75,000 bracket pays $19,572, and $75,001-$110,000 pays $21,907 - progressive net pricing as expected. Four-year cost runs $78,000-$88,000. ODU's value-add at this tier is mission/community, not financial.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Households above $110,000 pay $22,999 net per year - four-year cost of about $92,000. Institutional aid still meaningfully discounts sticker, but the absolute price is high relative to outcomes.
Earnings by Major
Top 6 most popular majors at Ohio Dominican University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $61,628 | C |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $63,823 | C |
| Biology | $90,431 | D |
| Accounting | $65,961 | - |
| Finance and Financial Management | $71,644 | - |
| Teacher Education | $41,174 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business admin is ODU's largest reporting program at 31 graduates: $49,163 first-year earnings, $63,823 by year four, $29,666 median debt, and a 0.603 ratio for a C grade. The high debt load is the binding constraint - students should pressure-test net-price-calculator output and merit-aid eligibility hard before committing.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology produces 40 graduates - the largest program by volume - with $40,467 first-year earnings rising to $61,628 by year four, $27,000 median debt, and a 0.667 ratio for a C grade. As at most schools, kinesiology functions as a pre-graduate-school feeder for PT/OT/athletic training. Students entering the major need a clear graduate-school plan.
Biology
Biology produces 22 graduates with $38,548 first-year earnings rising sharply to $90,431 by year four - a striking trajectory likely reflecting medical/dental/PA school graduates entering practice. Debt of $27,000 against year-one earnings produces a 0.7 ratio and a D grade by the formula, but the underlying career path is potentially much stronger than the headline grade suggests. Biology at ODU pencils only for students committed to graduate-level health professions.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 53.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 61.1% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 57.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 61.6% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ohio Dominican University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Acceptance rate | 94.2% |
| Enrollment | 760 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 36.9% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,164 |
Admission rate is 94.23% - effectively open access. The 41% completion rate aligns with this near-open-access profile - entering students often arrive with significant academic-prep needs. Stronger-credentialed students who choose ODU for mission/community fit are the ones most likely to capture the school's positive outcomes.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Dominican University (this school) | 35 | $20,079 | $51,748 |
| Peirce College | 38 | $12,148 | $50,660 |
| Corban University | 35 | $28,035 | $48,917 |
| Pfeiffer University | 34 | $19,076 | $51,562 |
| Allegheny Wesleyan College | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
Who Thrives Here
ODU fits Columbus-area students seeking a small, Catholic, residential liberal-arts experience close to home. Pell rate is 36.91% - middle/working-class skew, with enrollment of just 760 supporting genuine small-cohort education. Athletes (ODU has Division II programs), pre-health students aiming at Mount Carmel or OhioHealth pipelines, and education students who value the Dominican-tradition values commitment will find a coherent community here.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Ohio Dominican University scores 35/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $20,079 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $51,748 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 13.2 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 41.0% graduation rate, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69 (median across the schools we score: 0.61), a three-year loan repayment rate of 61.1% (median across the schools we score: 73.6%), a long payback period.
Median debt of $26,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $37,400 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. Your major - and how much you borrow - really matters.
Ohio Dominican University: Common Questions
Is Ohio Dominican University worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Ohio Dominican University scores 35/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $20,079 a year after aid against $51,748 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 13.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Ohio Dominican University cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $20,079 a year, or roughly $80,316 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Ohio Dominican University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $51,748 ten years after enrolling, roughly $9,948 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Ohio Dominican University?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 13.2 years for Ohio Dominican University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ohio Dominican University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $26,000, against average earnings of $37,400 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.69. That is under 1.0 (a full year of those earnings); the median across the schools we score is about 0.61. How much you borrow really matters.
What is the graduation rate at Ohio Dominican University?
The six-year graduation rate is 41.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.