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.
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