This comprehensive ranking evaluates the financial return on investment for Ohio’s colleges and universities by analyzing the relationship between student debt and post-graduation earnings. Of the 107 institutions in the original dataset, 90 provided complete data for both median total debt after graduation and median salary four years post-graduation, making them eligible for this analysis.
The ranking methodology employs two key financial metrics to assess each institution’s value proposition. First, the **Earnings-to-Debt Ratio (EDR)** is calculated by dividing the median salary after four years by the median total debt after graduation (EDR = Salary ÷ Debt). This ratio reveals how many times over a graduate’s early-career salary exceeds their educational debt, with higher ratios indicating safer financial returns. Second, the **Net Financial Premium (NFP)** is computed as the absolute difference between median salary and median debt (NFP = Salary – Debt). This metric ensures that institutions offering higher absolute earning potential are appropriately rewarded, preventing the ranking from inadvertently favoring ultra-low-debt schools that also produce low earnings.
To generate the final weighted ranking, each school receives a **Composite Score** that combines both metrics: 70% weight is assigned to the normalized EDR (prioritizing debt-to-earnings safety) and 30% weight to the normalized NFP (rewarding higher earning ceilings). Schools are then ranked from 1 to 50 based on this composite score, with Rank 1 representing the best overall financial return. This dual-metric approach balances fiscal prudence with earning potential, providing prospective students with a nuanced view of which Ohio institutions offer the strongest financial outcomes relative to their educational investment.
I understand that where one goes to college is affected by multiple factors including family traditions, majors and degrees offered, campus amenities, scholarships offered, cost, environmental factors, and many other factors. This site has been built to provide you with several useful resources in one place. Hopefully, to reduce the stress of putting together the information you want to have before committing to a particular institution. I wish you the absolute best in your educational journey.
Here is the Complete Ranking of the Top 50 Ohio Colleges/Universities by Financial Return:
1. Chamberlain University-Ohio
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 4.65
- Net Financial Premium: $76,343
- Median Debt: $20,919
- Median Salary: $97,262
2. Case Western Reserve University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.93
- Net Financial Premium: $70,237
- Median Debt: $24,000
- Median Salary: $94,237
3. Felbry College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 4.23
- Net Financial Premium: $54,955
- Median Debt: $17,000
- Median Salary: $71,955
4. Mount Carmel College of Nursing
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.61
- Net Financial Premium: $57,725
- Median Debt: $22,082
- Median Salary: $79,807
5. Kettering College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.40
- Net Financial Premium: $56,527
- Median Debt: $23,500
- Median Salary: $80,027
6. University of Dayton
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.39
- Net Financial Premium: $55,620
- Median Debt: $23,250
- Median Salary: $78,870
7. Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.66
- Net Financial Premium: $54,839
- Median Debt: $20,625
- Median Salary: $75,464
8. The Christ College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.09
- Net Financial Premium: $50,554
- Median Debt: $24,250
- Median Salary: $74,804
9. Ursuline College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.80
- Net Financial Premium: $47,355
- Median Debt: $26,250
- Median Salary: $73,605
10. Ohio Northern University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.67
- Net Financial Premium: $45,080
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $72,080
11. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.40
- Net Financial Premium: $50,938
- Median Debt: $21,250
- Median Salary: $72,188
12. Xavier University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.07
- Net Financial Premium: $48,227
- Median Debt: $23,250
- Median Salary: $71,477
13. Mercy College of Ohio
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.42
- Net Financial Premium: $50,469
- Median Debt: $20,834
- Median Salary: $71,303
14. Miami University-Oxford
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.08
- Net Financial Premium: $47,785
- Median Debt: $23,000
- Median Salary: $70,785
15. Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.54
- Net Financial Premium: $50,706
- Median Debt: $19,976
- Median Salary: $70,682
16. Ohio University-Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.35
- Net Financial Premium: $49,472
- Median Debt: $21,056
- Median Salary: $70,528
17. Franklin University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.30
- Net Financial Premium: $47,969
- Median Debt: $20,836
- Median Salary: $68,805
18. John Carroll University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.60
- Net Financial Premium: $41,580
- Median Debt: $26,000
- Median Salary: $67,580
19. University of Toledo
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.97
- Net Financial Premium: $43,834
- Median Debt: $22,250
- Median Salary: $66,084
20. Marietta College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.39
- Net Financial Premium: $37,527
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $64,527
21. Tiffin University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.36
- Net Financial Premium: $36,797
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $63,797
22. Walsh University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.35
- Net Financial Premium: $36,410
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $63,410
23. University of Akron Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.70
- Net Financial Premium: $39,559
- Median Debt: $23,250
- Median Salary: $62,809
24. Denison University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.42
- Net Financial Premium: $36,838
- Median Debt: $26,000
- Median Salary: $62,838
25. Wright State University-Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.75
- Net Financial Premium: $39,851
- Median Debt: $22,750
- Median Salary: $62,601
26. Cedarville University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.90
- Net Financial Premium: $39,742
- Median Debt: $20,937
- Median Salary: $60,679
27. Mount St. Joseph University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.30
- Net Financial Premium: $34,775
- Median Debt: $26,827
- Median Salary: $61,602
28. Ohio Dominican University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.37
- Net Financial Premium: $35,640
- Median Debt: $26,000
- Median Salary: $61,640
29. Cleveland State University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.81
- Net Financial Premium: $39,525
- Median Debt: $21,797
- Median Salary: $61,322
30. The University of Findlay
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.39
- Net Financial Premium: $35,437
- Median Debt: $25,439
- Median Salary: $60,876
31. Ashland University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.39
- Net Financial Premium: $34,855
- Median Debt: $25,000
- Median Salary: $59,855
32. Capital University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.20
- Net Financial Premium: $32,232
- Median Debt: $26,889
- Median Salary: $59,121
33. Baldwin Wallace University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.19
- Net Financial Premium: $32,094
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $59,094
34. Herzing University-Akron
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.72
- Net Financial Premium: $37,075
- Median Debt: $21,500
- Median Salary: $58,575
35. Otterbein University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.23
- Net Financial Premium: $32,068
- Median Debt: $26,000
- Median Salary: $58,068
36. Lake Erie College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.23
- Net Financial Premium: $31,903
- Median Debt: $26,000
- Median Salary: $57,903
37. Mount Vernon Nazarene University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.14
- Net Financial Premium: $28,516
- Median Debt: $25,000
- Median Salary: $53,516
38. University of Mount Union
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.15
- Net Financial Premium: $30,955
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $57,955
39. The College of Wooster
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.18
- Net Financial Premium: $31,340
- Median Debt: $26,500
- Median Salary: $57,840
40. Kenyon College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.12
- Net Financial Premium: $39,259
- Median Debt: $18,527
- Median Salary: $57,786
41. Kent State University at Kent
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.32
- Net Financial Premium: $32,339
- Median Debt: $24,500
- Median Salary: $56,839
42. Youngstown State University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.34
- Net Financial Premium: $32,047
- Median Debt: $24,000
- Median Salary: $56,047
43. University of Northwestern Ohio
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.30
- Net Financial Premium: $39,256
- Median Debt: $17,084
- Median Salary: $56,340
44. Lourdes University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.07
- Net Financial Premium: $28,959
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $55,959
45. Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.20
- Net Financial Premium: $29,998
- Median Debt: $25,000
- Median Salary: $54,998
46. Wittenberg University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.02
- Net Financial Premium: $27,622
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $54,622
47. Ohio Wesleyan University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 2.02
- Net Financial Premium: $27,483
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $54,483
48. Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 3.52
- Net Financial Premium: $37,859
- Median Debt: $15,000
- Median Salary: $52,859
49. Heidelberg University
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 1.95
- Net Financial Premium: $25,647
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $52,647
50. Hiram College
- Earnings-to-Debt Ratio: 1.94
- Net Financial Premium: $25,304
- Median Debt: $27,000
- Median Salary: $52,304