Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, Ohio · Private Nonprofit · 55.6% acceptance rate
ROI Score: 51/100 · Below Average Value
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Ohio Wesleyan University posts an ROI score of 51, placing it in the Below Average Value tier. It is a classic small private liberal arts college balancing a $53,888 sticker tuition against meaningful institutional aid that brings net price to $20,897 on average. Outcomes are mixed: completion rate is solid at 58.6 percent, repayment is excellent at 86 percent making progress at three years, and earnings reach $55,624 ten years out (a 24.7 percent premium over the high-school baseline). The drag is debt: $27,000 in median borrowing against $55,624 earnings yields a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.796, weak by the model's standards. Payback period is 10.8 years. Total four-year cost is roughly $83,588. The school does what good liberal arts colleges do (graduates students, gets them into stable repayment), but the price-to-earnings spread is the constraint. Program-level data shows business and accounting graduates clearing the math, while psychology, kinesiology, and humanities cohorts struggle with debt service.
Ohio Wesleyan University
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $53,888/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $53,888/yr |
| Average net price | $20,897/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $83,588 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $55,624 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $33,900 |
| Median debt at graduation | $27,000 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $286 |
| Estimated payback period | 10.8 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 58.6% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,516 |
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: $53,888/year, which covers tuition and fees only. After grants, scholarships, and aid, the average student here pays a net price of $20,897/year, or roughly $83,588 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 $15,412/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $30,036/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 ($33,900) and comes to 0.80, 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 | $15,412 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $10,706 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $13,339 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,031 |
| $110,001+ | $30,036 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families under $30,000 pay $15,412 in net price. Notably the $30,001 to $48,000 bracket pays less, at $10,706, which is mildly anomalous (the lowest bracket should normally be cheapest given Pell eligibility); this likely reflects a small sample in the very-low-income bin. Either way, four-year cost lands around $42,000 to $62,000 for low-income students.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
Middle-income families pay $10,706 (the $30,001 to $48,000 tier) to $13,339 (the $48,001 to $75,000 tier). Combined with the 86 percent repayment rate and $55,624 ten-year earnings, the math works for middle-income families who target high-ROI majors.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $30,036, with the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket at $18,031. The progression here is normal but steep. High-income families are paying close to $120,000 over four years. Without a clear cohort fit or a strong major-level plan, this is a stretch.
Earnings by Major
Top 8 most popular majors at Ohio Wesleyan University with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Genetics | $29,547 | D |
| Psychology | $47,941 | D |
| Kinesiology and Exercise Science | $55,420 | D |
| Business Administration, Management, and Operations | $66,800 | C |
| Accounting | $48,958 | C |
| International Relations | $27,165 | D |
| Romance Languages | $23,537 | F |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $22,239 | - |
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.
Psychology
Psychology is OWU's largest cohort at 33 graduates per year and earns a D grade. First-year median earnings of $30,775 climbing to $47,941 at year four against $27,000 in median debt produce a 0.877 debt-to-earnings ratio. The path to making this work is graduate school in clinical, counseling, or industrial-organizational psychology. As a terminal bachelor's degree, the financial math is uncomfortable at OWU's price point.
Genetics
Genetics produces 37 graduates with a D grade. First-year earnings of $29,547 against $26,646 in median debt yield a 0.902 debt-to-earnings ratio. This major almost universally requires graduate or professional school (medicine, PhD, genetic counseling) to deliver real ROI; as a stop-out at the bachelor's level, earnings remain too low to service the debt. Strong fit only for students with a clear post-grad plan.
Business Administration, Management, and Operations
Business Administration shows 26 graduates with a C grade. First-year earnings of $41,734 grow to a respectable $66,800 by year four, with $27,000 in median debt and a 0.647 debt-to-earnings ratio. The four-year earnings figure is the bright spot: graduates appear to climb meaningfully within their first half-decade. This is one of the better financial bets at OWU.
Kinesiology and Exercise Science
Kinesiology earns a D grade with $28,294 first-year median earnings and $27,000 in median debt for a 0.954 debt-to-earnings ratio. Year-four earnings of $55,420 show real progression, suggesting many graduates move into PT school, athletic training, or strength-coaching roles. Without a clear graduate pathway, the entry-level debt service is uncomfortable.
Accounting
Accounting graduates earn $48,958 in year one, with $27,000 in median debt and a 0.551 debt-to-earnings ratio. The C grade reflects the high debt rather than weak earnings; the field is stable and the CPA pathway lifts earnings substantially after licensure. Just 14 graduates per year, so the program is small but functional, and one of the more defensible financial choices on offer at OWU.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 82.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 86.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 85.1% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 84.0% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Ohio Wesleyan 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 | 55.6% |
| Enrollment | 1,516 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 28.2% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $8,792 |
Ohio Wesleyan admits 55.6 percent of applicants. SAT and ACT mid-ranges are not reported. The admit rate and the 58.6 percent completion rate suggest a school that selects students likely to finish. Prepared applicants with strong essays and a clear interest in OWU's traditions should expect to be admitted.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Wesleyan University (this school) | 51 | $20,897 | $55,624 |
| Southern Nazarene University | 55 | $22,084 | $54,951 |
| Union University | 52 | $27,171 | $53,990 |
| Alma College | 50 | $20,694 | $54,742 |
| Allegheny Wesleyan College | 29 | $5,355 | $37,453 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati | 9 | $34,253 | $34,368 |
Who Thrives Here
Ohio Wesleyan fits a student who values small-college residential experience, plans to enter a strong cohort major (Accounting, Business, pre-med via Genetics with graduate-school plans), and can secure enough institutional aid to keep net price in the teens. Pell rate is 28.2 percent, indicating a moderately diverse income mix. Enrollment of 1,516 means classes are small. Poor fits are students who want to major in a low-earning humanities or arts field without a graduate plan, given the $27,000 median debt against modest first-year earnings in those tracks.
The Verdict: Proceed With Caution
The money case for Ohio Wesleyan University is mixed, and worth a hard look before you commit. At $20,897 per year after aid, the typical graduate earns $55,624 ten years after entry, which means it takes about 10.8 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years. Whether it's worth it comes down to your major and your aid package.
What it has going for it: high loan repayment success. What to keep an eye on: a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80 (median across the schools we score: 0.61).
Median debt of $27,000 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $33,900 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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 Wesleyan University: Common Questions
Is Ohio Wesleyan University worth it?
In our view, the money case is mixed and worth a hard look before you commit. Ohio Wesleyan University scores 51/100 on our ROI scale. At $20,897 a year after aid the typical graduate earns $55,624 ten years after entry, so it takes about 10.8 years to earn the cost back. For context, the median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
How much does Ohio Wesleyan 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 $20,897 a year, or roughly $83,588 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 Wesleyan University graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $55,624 ten years after enrolling, roughly $13,824 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 Wesleyan 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 10.8 years for Ohio Wesleyan University. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Ohio Wesleyan University graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $27,000, against average earnings of $33,900 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.80. 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 Wesleyan University?
The six-year graduation rate is 58.6%. 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.