About
Ohio Northern University is a private college in Ada, Ohio, United States. Founded by Henry Solomon Lehr in 1871, ONU offers over 60 programs across five undergraduate and graduate colleges and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The college had an enrollment of about 3,000 students as of 2023.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 13.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.
Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.
Program outcomes
Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.
Of 66 Title IV programs, 14 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 1 fails. 51 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing14 · 21.2%
- No Data51 · 77.3%
- Failing1 · 1.5%
Severity spectrum
Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.
Earnings premium gap
Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.
Near the line (±5%)
Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Higher Learning Commission
Programmatic accreditations · 6
Action history · 10
- Aug 2025Renewal of AccreditationHigher Learning Commission
- Jan 2024Renewal of AccreditationAccreditation Council for Pharmacy Education · Pharmacy (PHAR) - Professional degree programs
- Oct 2023Renewal of AccreditationCommission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
- May 2022Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Bar Association, Council of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar · Law (LAW) - Professional schools
- Jun 2020Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalCommission on English Language Program Accreditation · English Language
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 680 students received $3.8M in Pell grants, alongside $25.1M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 685 borrowers who entered repayment, 8 (1.1%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.
Academic programs at Ohio Northern
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 15
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus7
- Public property1
Includes 3 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
- university terrace1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
- courtyard n1 fireCookingDamage $0-$99
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Ohio Northern vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Ohio Northern selected for federal comparison reporting.
A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.
| Carnegie | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectOhio Northern University | 75% | — | 3,140 | $24,478 | Baccalaureate |
| 76% | 76.8% | 4,777 | $22,719 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 79% | 85.1% | 5,746 | $36,041 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 60% | 87.2% | 4,963 | $24,516 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 73% | 63.9% | 4,345 | $29,127 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 77% | 82.4% | 6,097 | $32,622 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 65% | 77.6% | 2,114 | $18,499 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs | |
| 70% | 89.4% | 2,579 | $18,578 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| Peer group median | 74% | 82.4% | 4,561 | $24,497 |
Institutions like Ohio Northern
Explore the federal data for institutions in Ohio Northern's comparison group.
- Doctoral/ProfessionalIllinois
Bradley University
Grad rate76%Admit rate76.8%Enrollment4,777Net price$22,719View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsIndiana
Butler University
Grad rate79%Admit rate85.1%Enrollment5,746Net price$36,041View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNorth Carolina
Campbell University
Grad rate60%Admit rate87.2%Enrollment4,963Net price$24,516View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIowa
Drake University
Grad rate73%Admit rate63.9%Enrollment4,345Net price$29,127View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalAlabama
Samford University
Grad rate77%Admit rate82.4%Enrollment6,097Net price$32,622View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium ProgramsIndiana
University of Evansville
Grad rate65%Admit rate77.6%Enrollment2,114Net price$18,499View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIndiana
Valparaiso University
Grad rate70%Admit rate89.4%Enrollment2,579Net price$18,578View data
Ohio Northern Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The mission of the Office of Institutional Research (OIR) is to provide accurate and timely information and expertise to support research, planning and the decision-making processes of Ohio Northern University. The office plays a pivotal role in collecting, coordinating and analyzing data about and for the university and serves as the chief information clearinghouse for disseminating information to the administrators, faculty, staff, students and external constituents.
Visit IR office page- Josh DeansDirector of Institutional Research
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- FactbookInstitutional Research2025The Office of Institutional Research at Ohio Northern University serves as a central hub for data collection, analysis, and dissemination to support the university's decision-making and strategic planning. It provides valuable data to internal stakeholders such as university leadership and external entities like government agencies. The page highlights student achievement data including graduation and persistence rates, testing outcomes, and placement rates. The 'Fact Book 2025-26' is identified as an official source for statistical information about the university's constituents.onu.edu
- GlossaryInstitutional ResearchThe Institutional Research page for Ohio Northern University describes the functions and mission of the Office of Institutional Research (OIR). The OIR is responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating data to support university decision-making and assessment efforts. It serves both internal and external stakeholders by providing accurate information and strategic support to enhance the university's operations and priorities. The office also coordinates campus-wide assessment and accreditation efforts and offers resources like the Fact Book and Student Achievement Data reports.onu.edu
Grants & funding (8)
Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.
- opportunityFederal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)Federal Governmentinstitution_site
- opportunityMethodist Crusade GrantOhio Northern Universityinstitution_site
- opportunityMethodist Crusade GrantOhio Northern Universityinstitution_site
- opportunityOhio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)Ohio Department of Higher Educationinstitution_site
- opportunityOhio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)Ohio Department of Higher Educationinstitution_site
- opportunityPell GrantFederal Governmentinstitution_site
- opportunityTEACH grantFederal Governmentinstitution_site
- opportunityTEACH GrantU.S. Federal Governmentinstitution_site
Frequently asked questions about Ohio Northern University
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About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
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