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 average 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 roughly $53,600 median across the schools we score.
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 |
| Average 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, which covers tuition and fees only. 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.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $27,000, which works out to about $286 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($59,600) and comes to 0.45, which in our view is 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 average 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. 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 average 6-year earnings of $59,600, the full-pay payback stretches to roughly 7-8 years for non-engineering graduates.
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.
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.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 88.6% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 91.5% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 84.9% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 88.3% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ohio Northern 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 | 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 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 ROI score is 88, and the repayment rate is 91.5%.
| 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 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $59,600 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Ohio Northern University: Common Questions
Is Ohio Northern University worth it?
In our view, yes - for most students Ohio Northern University pays off. It scores 88/100 on our ROI scale. 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, so the cost takes roughly 5.2 years to earn back.
How much does Ohio Northern 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 $24,478 a year, or roughly $97,912 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 Northern University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $80,928 ten years after enrolling, roughly $39,128 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 Northern 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 5.2 years for Ohio Northern University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ohio Northern University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $59,600 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Ohio Northern University?
The six-year graduation rate is 75.5%, at or above the 64% national average for four-year schools (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.