OSU: the complete school report for parents

What does OSU actually weigh in admissions?

OSU rates 1 of the 18 factors "Very Important": GPA. It does not consider 6 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is OSU's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

50% of enrolled students had a 3.75 GPA or above. The average was 3.7 on a 4 scale, reported for 99% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

OSU admitted 82.1% of 5,596 transfer applicants, against 78.9% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.25.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

OSU reports its early rounds below.

What will OSU actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $19,604 a year at OSU after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $13,440. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 71.4% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,768 merit awards averaging $9,116 to first-years with no demonstrated need.

What families at each income level actually paid:

41% of OSU graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $25,935 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $225 a month in repayment. OSU’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from OSU pay off?

Graduates earn a median $64,010 ten years after entering, and $50,843 at six years. 82% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 67% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$112,393 to $36,871, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at OSU:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

89% of first-years return for a second year. 45% graduate within four years and 68% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 58.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 72.0% of everyone else, a gap of 14.0 points.

How big are the classes?

27% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 11% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 18:1, and 78% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 11% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

What is life at OSU like?

31,586 undergraduates, 43% of first-years from out of state. 91% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 16% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 12% of men join a fraternity and 15% of women a sorority. 31% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $60,312.

What this means for your student

• 50% of enrolled students are at a 3.75 GPA or above, averaging 3.7. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Its highest-earning major returns $112,393 five years out against $36,871 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about OSU

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