Ohio Northern University
Ada, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 74.4% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 88/100 · Strong Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ohio Northern University scores 88 (Strong Value) - a strong result for a small private institution, driven by a 5.2-year payback period, $59,600 median 6-year earnings, and an outstanding 91.5% repayment rate. Sticker tuition is $39,800, but net price averages $24,478, making the four-year total cost roughly $97,900. The completion rate of 75.5% is above average for a private university. Engineering programs are the earnings engine, with mechanical engineering (66 graduates), nursing, and accounting all earning B-range ROI grades. The repayment rate of 91.5% is the standout figure - it indicates graduates are actively reducing their debt, a sign of labor market outcomes that translate to real debt servicing ability.
The median graduate earns $80,928 ten years after entry - well above the national median of roughly $55,000 for 4-year college graduates.
Ohio Northern University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $39,800/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $39,800/yr |
| Average net price | $24,478/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $97,912 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $80,928 |
| Median earnings (6yr post-entry) | $59,600 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 5.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 75.5% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,489 |
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: $39,800/year. Here's the part that matters - almost nobody pays that. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $24,478/year, or roughly $97,912 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 $18,525/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $27,710/year.
Most students borrow to get here. The median graduate leaves owing $27,000 in federal loans, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Hold that up against the $80,928 the typical graduate earns ten years out: the debt-to-earnings ratio comes to 0.45, comfortably manageable.
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 | $18,525 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $19,223 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $22,336 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $25,605 |
| $110,001+ | $27,710 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 pay $18,525 net price per year - about $74,000 over four years at ONU. Against median 6-year earnings of $59,600 and a 5.2-year payback, the economics work reasonably well for program-aligned students. ONU's Pell rate of 20.6% means low-income students are a meaningful but not dominant share of the class.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families ($48,001-$75,000) pay $22,336 per year. Families in the $75,001-$110,000 bracket pay $25,605. The step increases are modest, and the mid-band figures are comparable to some regional public alternatives when grants are factored in. Engineering and nursing students in this bracket get solid returns.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families earning $110,000+ pay $27,710 per year - about $110,840 over four years. At median 6-year earnings of $59,600, the full-pay payback stretches to roughly 7-8 years for non-engineering graduates. Engineering, accounting, and nursing students at full pay achieve a better return than most humanities programs at comparable cost.
Earnings by Major
Top 10 most popular majors at Ohio Northern University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pharmacy | $72,121 | C+ |
| Mechanical Engineering | $85,802 | B |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $48,289 | D |
| Civil Engineering | $79,673 | B |
| Marketing | $67,802 | C |
| Registered Nursing | $83,157 | B |
| Accounting | $84,916 | B+ |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $34,445 | F |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | $52,606 | C |
| Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians | $89,697 | - |
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.
Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering is ONU's highest-volume technical program at 66 graduates, with $72,443 year-one earnings, $85,802 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.373 (ROI grade B). ONU's ME program feeds graduates into Ohio manufacturing, automotive, and industrial employers. Median debt of $27,000 is manageable against a $72k starting floor. This is the program that most directly justifies ONU's premium over regional public alternatives.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing (20 graduates) earns $72,482 year-one and $83,157 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.373 (ROI grade B). The small cohort size limits certainty, but the earnings profile is consistent with the program placing graduates into regional Ohio healthcare. Median debt of $27,000 is standard for ONU programs.
Pharmacy
Pharmacy is ONU's largest program at 99 graduates but produces modest earnings: $49,444 year-one, $72,121 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.546 (ROI grade C+). The year-one figure reflects that many pharmacy graduates are completing residencies or working in lower-paying institutional settings early in their careers. The four-year figure of $72k suggests eventual convergence to market wages, but the C+ grade signals that debt load relative to early earnings is a real constraint.
Accounting
Accounting (15 graduates) has no year-one earnings reported but shows $84,916 at year four with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.318 (ROI grade B+). The four-year figure suggests graduates advance into staff accounting and CPA-track roles quickly. The B+ grade is ONU's best for a non-engineering program.
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Drama and Theatre (15 graduates) is ONU's weakest program: $19,167 year-one, $34,445 at year four, and a debt-to-earnings ratio of 1.409 (ROI grade F). Graduates owe 1.4 times a year's income on exit. At ONU's net price, this represents a significant financial exposure for students who borrow near the median.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Nat'l Avg |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 88.6% | 52.0% |
| 3-year repayment | 91.5% | 62.0% |
| 5-year repayment | 84.9% | 68.0% |
| 7-year repayment | 88.3% | 72.0% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ohio Northern University’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2023).
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 | 74.4% |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 590-710 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 585-690 |
| ACT Composite (25th-75th) | 24-29 |
| Enrollment | 2,489 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 20.6% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $9,306 |
ONU's 74.4% admission rate and ACT 24-29 range put it in the moderately accessible tier of private universities. The academic profile is consistent with students who are solid but not highly competitive for elite national institutions. The school's engineering and pharmacy programs attract students with specific career targets, and those programs deliver measurably better outcomes than the institutional average.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
ONU's peer schools include Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Clarkson University, and University of Detroit Mercy. Rose-Hulman is substantially more selective and more expensive with stronger average outcomes; the comparison illustrates ONU's positioning as an accessible regional engineering school rather than a national technical institution. Clarkson shows similar program mix and pricing dynamics. ONU's 88 ROI score is meaningfully stronger than the Below Average and Poor Value schools that appear in some regional peer groupings, and the 91.5% repayment rate is among the strongest in this cohort.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Northern University (this school) | 88 | $24,478 | $80,928 |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | 89 | $42,513 | $101,253 |
| Clarkson University | 88 | $30,305 | $89,696 |
| University of Detroit Mercy | 84 | $15,232 | $71,030 |
| Allegheny Wesleyan College | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
Who Thrives Here
ONU admits 74.4% of applicants with SAT mid-ranges of 590-710 Math and 585-690 Reading and ACT 24-29 composite - a moderately selective regional private. At 2,489 students it is a small campus in rural northwest Ohio. Students targeting engineering, nursing, pharmacy, accounting, or construction management get a defensible ROI. Students choosing kinesiology or theater at ONU's net price should weigh the D- and F-grade outcomes those programs produce.
The Verdict: The Investment Pays Off
For most students, Ohio Northern University pays off. You'd pay about $24,478 a year after aid ($97,912 over four years), and the typical graduate earns $80,928 ten years after enrollment. That puts the payback - the time it takes for the earnings bump to cover what you spent - at roughly 5.2 years, a solid return.
What it has going for it: a strong earnings premium over high school graduates, its 75.5% graduation rate, manageable debt relative to earnings, high loan repayment success.
Median debt of $27,000 against $80,928 in earnings is reasonable, though your major matters a lot here. Graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
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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.