Online and On-Campus Colleges in OHIO

The main Columbus campus of The Ohio State University has been an education center for nearly 150 years. As one of the best schools in Ohio, the university gets high marks for providing financial support to students and helping them graduate on time.

OSU is known for providing comprehensive education programs and has a history of academic achievement and innovation. Known as Buckeyes, the more than 66,000 students enrolled at The Ohio State University make it one of the largest educational institutions in the nation. There are programs available in more than a dozen colleges and schools as well as online degree programs.

The school was a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars for the 2017-2018 school year, and OSU is also home to top-tier athletic programs.

A variety of available academic programs was one of the bright spots on the stat sheet for the University of Cincinnati. This university in the southwestern corner of the state offers more than 375 degree programs and is the largest employer in the region.

While the University of Cincinnati was established in 1870, it can trace its roots back to 1819. That's when Cincinnati College and the Medical College of Ohio were chartered, and those institutions were folded into the new university. Today, UC includes 14 colleges and is known for its robust research programs.

Students seeking the best universities in Ohio for online degrees will find a number of distance learning programs at UC. These include online undergraduate, graduate, certificate and continuing education options.

Just one year after Ohio became a state, its General Assembly authorized the creation of The Ohio University. Four years after its founding in 1804, the new school opened its doors in 1808. Since then, the university has grown into an institution rich with traditions that include, among other things, a ceremonial mace.

However, it isn't a mace that makes Ohio University one of the top colleges in Ohio. Instead, the university makes the cut for it well-known academic programs that span 11 colleges. OHIO is home to an innovation center that incubates businesses and three Centers of Excellence in the areas of energy, health and culture.

Ohio University has its main campus in Athens. Including online students, that campus enrolls nearly 35,000 undergraduate and graduate students.

At Xavier University, the students are known as Musketeers and a school slogan is "All for One and One for All." Founded in 1831, the Jesuit Catholic university has its campus in Cincinnati.

Community service, sustainability and religious inclusion are some of the hallmarks of Xavier University. As one of the best Ohio universities, the school is proud to note 98 percent of its graduates go on to jobs, have been accepted to graduate school, or are volunteering within six months of earning their degree.

More than 4,500 undergraduate students are enrolled at X, as the university is often called. There are more than 90 majors available, and all students have access to a professional mentor. Graduate students can also find online degree program options available at Xavier, including an online MBA.

The University of Dayton is another of the top Ohio colleges with a Catholic heritage. The school was founded in 1850 by the Marianists, also known as the Society of Mary. Today, the University of Dayton is one of the largest private universities in the state and has earned a reputation as a top-tier Catholic research institution.

Within the university's five colleges and schools, dozens of undergraduate and graduate degrees are available. These include options spanning the fields of business, engineering, health sciences, law and the liberal arts. An intensive English program is available to assist non-native speakers, and professional development courses are offered as well.

As its name suggests, the University of Dayton has its campus in the city of Dayton.

Attracting students from virtually every state and more than 40 countries, Cedarville University was established by the Reformed Presbyterian Church in 1887. While its affiliation has changed over the years, the school remains rooted in its goal to provide Christian higher education.

The degree program options at Cedarville University include traditional undergraduate and graduate programs, accelerated 3-year bachelor's degrees, accelerated BA/MBA pathways and online graduate degrees. A Biblical minor is built into every undergraduate degree and daily chapel further underscores the school's mission of forming students to carry out the work of the Gospel in the world.

Cedarville University enrolls more than 3,500 students with the majority of undergraduate students choosing to live on-campus in Cedarville.

Bowling Green State University is an affordable choice among the best schools in Ohio. The public university was founded in 1910 and enrolls more than 17,000 students at its main campus in Bowling Green, which is south of Toledo.

With more than 200 degree programs, the university is home to eight colleges that include business, musical arts and technology, architecture and applied engineering. Its athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I.

For students who can't travel to campus, BGSU offers more than 40 online degrees and certificates. These include degree options at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Fully online degrees feature either 7-week or 16-week courses while students in blended programs will complete half their studies on-campus and the remainder online.

At the University of Toledo, availability of financial aid and access to distance learning options are among its strengths. And like some of the other best universities in Ohio, this institution has a long history. It was founded in 1872 and became a part of the state university system in 1967.

As one of the largest public universities in Ohio, the University of Toledo offers hundreds of degree options and has more than 350 student organizations. There are 13 colleges within the university and include one dedicated to law, medicine and pharmaceutical sciences.

Those seeking online degrees in Ohio can find them at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at UT. Night and weekend courses are also available, and students are welcome to enroll on a part-time basis.

Ashland University is another of the top schools in Ohio for online degrees and traditional campus programs. Founded in 1878, Ashland is a private institution with Christian heritage and an emphasis on individualized instruction. It has its campus in Ashland, Ohio.

The educational options at Ashland University are diverse. There are four academic colleges for the areas of arts and sciences, business and economics, nursing and health sciences, and education. Ashland also has a college of online and adult studies, a school of continuing education and a theological seminary.

A core curriculum for undergraduate students is molded around the values of intellectual rigor and contextual learning. With it, the school's goal is to graduate students who are capable of university-level thinking across diverse fields.

If you want to attend one of the best colleges in Ohio for research, consider Case Western Reserve University. The school has garnered a reputation as a leading independent research university and can claim 16 Nobel Laureates, hundreds of inventions and thousands of research projects.

Founded in 1826, Case Western Reserve has nine schools and colleges that offer undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Plus, the school has more than 100 interdisciplinary academic and research institutes and centers. These include The Great Lakes Energy Institute, The Center for Popular Music Studies and the University Center on Aging and Health.

All told, students have hundreds of education options at Case Western Reserve University. They can choose to study on the university's Cleveland campus or enroll in one of the school's online graduate degree programs.