Graduate and Undergraduate Business Schools in Ohio

    Table of Contents

    1 – Best Programs
    2 – Undergraduate
    3 – Graduate
    4 – Job Outlook

    What’s round on both ends and high in the middle? Ohio! Okay, we definitely don’t recommend using that joke in an interview. Still, we suggest taking a look at some of the very good options for obtaining business degrees in Ohio.

    Statistics from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) show 72 public and non-profit schools in the state granting undergraduate and graduate business degrees. Of these, 42 offer accredited undergraduate business programs, while 27 have graduate business programs that are accredited. The accreditation is from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and/or International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). The schools on our list are all public or non-profit and regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

    Accreditation is a requirement for our lists because of the importance of looking at schools that have been evaluated and certified by external institutions. Accreditation ensures that the school’s programs have clear goals and proven outcomes and that the institution adheres to national and international standards. Accredited schools also provide opportunities for real-world interaction with businesses, which gives students a broader educational experience.

    You will find key information below to help you choose the ideal school for you based on many essential factors, such as tuition, financial aid, entrance exam scores, acceptance rates, and more. The four sections that follow cover undergraduate programs for business degrees, graduate business schools, and the job prospects for business school graduates in Ohio.

    Best Business Schools in Ohio

    Best business schools in Ohio according to US News data.

    • Ohio State University – #31 in Best Business Schools US News, #9 in Top Part-time MBAs, #17 in Top Public Schools, #15 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #56 in Best National Universities, #28 in Best Colleges for Veterans, #18 Most Innovative Schools Ranking, #1 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
    • Case Western Reserve University – #55 in Best Business Schools, #30 in Top Part-time MBA’s, #35 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #42 in Best Value Schools, #42 in Best National Universities, #32 in Most Innovative Schools
    • University of Cincinnati – #89 in Best Business Schools, #97 in Top Part-time MBA’s, #87 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #75 in Top Public Schools, #35 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs, #48 Best Online Graduate Business Programs, #61 in Best Online MBA Programs
    • University of Dayton – #179 in Top Part-time MBA, #172 in Best Undergraduate Business School Programs, #53 in Best Value Schools

    42 Undergraduate Business Schools in Ohio

    Ohio is one of the most affordable places to get a business degree in the country. Its average tuition cost is slightly over $18,000, with a nice distribution of inexpensive and moderately priced schools and no very pricey schools to bring up the average. The most expensive schools in the state are Case Western Reserve University at just over $46,000 and the University of Dayton just below $41,000. The state boasts no fewer than 10 schools with undergraduate tuition costs under $5,000, and these offer average financial aid of around $3,600 as well. Clearly, if attending business school on a budget is a priority for you, Ohio should be on your list.

    Acceptance rates in Ohio are as favorable as tuition costs. Of the 29 schools for which we have acceptance rate data, only Case Western Reserve University is below half, at 35%. Two more schools have acceptance rates in the 51-59% range, while the others are pretty evenly distributed from 60% to as high as 96% at the University of Akron (main campus). In fact, there are four schools with acceptance rates of 90% or more.

    Graduation rates for undergraduate programs in Ohio are a bit on the low side given the relatively low tuition costs and high acceptance rates, with an overall average of around 53.5% for the 32 schools for which we have data. There are 14 schools with graduation rates under 50%, 6 schools between 50% and 60%, and 12 schools above the latter figure. John Carroll University has the best combination of acceptance rate (83%) and graduation rate (76%) on our list.

    The table below shows all the important data about our undergraduate business schools, including annual in-state tuition costs, average aid, acceptance rates, median SAT and ACT scores of accepted students, and graduation rates. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

    SchoolCityTuitionAidMedian SATMedian ACTAccept. RateGrad. Rate
    Ashland UniversityAshland$20,392$10,681956-117320-2572.5%62.1%
    Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green$11,057$7,176900-115019-2476.1%53.3%
    Capital UniversityColumbus$33,492$22,100950-118022-2869.2%59.3%
    Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland$46,006$27,4151280-149030-3435.4%81.8%
    Cedarville UniversityCedarville$28,110$13,8261080-131023-2969.1%72.3%
    Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewark$4,296$3,771
    Cleveland State UniversityCleveland$9,768$6,263890-116019-2587.5%40.9%
    Columbus State Community CollegeColumbus$3,808$3,886
    Defiance CollegeDefiance$31,680$17,005790-101018-2358.2%41.8%
    Franciscan University of SteubenvilleSteubenville$25,680$9,7741040-130022-2878.8%75.3%
    Heidelberg UniversityTiffin$29,200$17,708850-108019-2579.3%48.8%
    Hocking CollegeNelsonville$4,390$4,879
    James A Rhodes State CollegeLima$3,845$3,161
    John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights$38,490$23,005990-120022-2783.0%76.4%
    Kent State University at KentKent$10,012$6,749950-116021-2585.4%54.8%
    Lake Erie CollegePainesville$29,960$19,434840-102018-2263.1%44.5%
    Lourdes UniversitySylvania$20,620$9,976860-110018-2489.3%28.3%
    Malone UniversityCanton$29,422$17,029830-106019-2572.8%53.3%
    Miami University-OxfordOxford$14,736$9,4391130-135026-3165.4%78.4%
    Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon$26,950$15,040920-118020-2574.2%57.3%
    North Central State CollegeMansfield$3,591$3,325
    Northwest State Community CollegeArchbold$3,858$3,053
    Ohio Dominican UniversityColumbus$31,080$18,060870-104019-2452.2%36.8%
    Ohio Northern UniversityAda$29,820$19,0161030-123523-2864.1%73.8%
    Ohio University-Main CampusAthens$11,744$5,909990-120021-2674.9%63.8%
    Owens Community CollegePerrysburg$4,643$3,329
    Shawnee State UniversityPortsmouth$7,365$10,650018-2473.6%30.5%
    Sinclair Community CollegeDayton$3,604$2,969
    Stark State CollegeNorth Canton$3,686$3,851
    The University of FindlayFindlay$32,402$19,140940-104020-2573.0%63.4%
    Tiffin UniversityTiffin$23,125$11,73375.6%45.1%
    University of AkronAkron$10,270$5,920910-118019-2695.9%42.8%
    University of CincinnatiCincinnati$11,000$6,7031030-129023-2876.4%66.8%
    University of DaytonDayton$40,940$20,9901020-124024-2960.3%75.3%
    University of Northwestern OhioLima$10,440$6,44333.0%
    University of Rio GrandeRio Grande$23,860$7,22220.1%
    University of ToledoToledo$9,547$7,617920-121020-2694.3%43.4%
    Ursuline CollegePepper Pike$29,940$15,157890-111019-2489.6%51.8%
    Wright State UniversityDayton$8,730$6,379930-121018-2595.2%35.4%
    Xavier UniversityCincinnati$36,150$19,3611010-119023-2868.6%71.8%
    Youngstown State UniversityYoungstown$8,317$6,237850-109018-2567.5%31.2%

    26 Graduate Business Schools in Ohio

    If you’re looking to supplement real-world experience with a graduate business program or augment your freshly minted bachelor’s degree, Ohio offers 27 accredited options for obtaining an MBA or equivalent. Like their undergraduate counterparts, these are among the more affordable options in the country. The overall average cost of tuition and fees is a very reasonable $28,000; however, this number includes two pricy outliers: Ohio State University ($62,000) and Case Western Reserve University ($90,000). When these are excluded, the average falls to $24,000, with no other school above $38,000.

    We have average admission GMAT scores for 16 of the 27 accredited graduate business schools in Ohio, which fall in a pretty tight range: 441 (University of Toledo) to 655 (Ohio State University). About half of our graduate schools provided information on full-time faculty with doctorate degrees, with rates falling into a fairly typical range of about 68% to nearly 100%.

    If you want to get a business degree while continuing to work full time, there are several online MBA programs in Ohio that will let you keep your day job while studying at your own pace. Some well-respected, accredited programs can be found at Cleveland State University, the College of Business at Ohio University, and the Carl H. Lindner School of Business at the University of Cincinnati. Most online programs offer the same basic curriculum and courses as their offline equivalents.

    The table below shows graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, the percentage of faculty with a doctorate, and student-to-faculty ratios. Click any column header to sort the table based on its contents.

    SchoolCityTuitionAvg. GMATFaculty
    with Doct.
    Degree
    Student/
    Faculty
    Ashland UniversityAshland$29,500
    Bowling Green State UniversityBowling Green$17,49371%3.07
    Capital UniversityColumbus$19,500
    Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland$89,90063588%12.81
    Cedarville UniversityCedarville$21,456
    Cleveland State UniversityCleveland$27,31262575%3.63
    Heidelberg UniversityTiffin$20,300
    John Carroll UniversityUniversity Heights$28,21553588%1.25
    Kent State UniversityKent$30,12053980%1.92
    Malone UniversityCanton$21,420
    Miami University OhioOxford$37,80062275%0.21
    Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityMount Vernon$17,928
    Ohio Dominican UniversityColumbus$22,200
    Ohio State UniversityColumbus$62,27865579%3.77
    Ohio UniversityAthens$19,08852868%6.18
    The University of AkronAkron$17,452572
    The University of FindlayFindlay$23,086
    Thomas More CollegeCincinnati$23,430561
    Tiffin UniversityTiffin$25,200
    University of AkronAkron$25,48553376%0.3
    University of CincinnatiCincinnati$31,43760386%3.21
    University of DaytonDayton$29,40055776%
    University of Northwestern OhioLima$20,160
    University of ToledoToledo$21,82344170%4.5

    Popular graduate programs in Ohio: Online MBA in Forensic Accounting | Online MBA in Healthcare Management | Online MBA in Marketing

    Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Ohio

    Business graduates nationwide have good prospects for the future. Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data predicts 2016 to 2026 total growth of at least 5% in all but 5 of 37 business and management occupations. Market analysts and marketing specialists are expected to see the most growth, at 22.8% over the decade-long period, with financial managers coming in second at 18.7%.

    According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the Buckeye State’s overall unemployment rate stands at a low 4.4% as of March 2018, down from 5.1% a year earlier. Just shy of 380,000 people were employed in the business and management sector in Ohio in 2016. General and operations managers were the largest subgroups with 61,360 employed, well ahead of accountants and auditors (44,500) and business operations specialists (34,570).

    Based on BLS data, the average annual wage in 2016 across all Ohio occupations was $45,749, ranking the state 36th out of 51 in the US (including the District of Columbia). For the business and management occupations shown below, the weighted average annual salary was just over $90,000, or close to double the overall state average. This fits the general trend seen in most states. As is also the case in most places, Ohio’s chief executives had by far the highest average salaries, at around $198,000. The data shows an interesting “near-tie” for second place in the state among financial managers, marketing managers, architectural and engineering managers, sales managers, computer and information systems managers, all of which were in the neighborhood of $133,000. Labor relations specialists were the lowest-paying subcategory at $38,190.

    Occupation TitleBLS.gov
    Code
    2016
    Total
    Employment
    Ohio
    Mean
    Hourly
    Wage
    Ohio
    Mean
    Annual
    Wage
    Ohio
    National
    Growth
    2016-26
    Accountants and Auditors13-201144,500$35$72,35010.0%
    Administrative Services Managers11-301110,130$45$92,77010.1%
    Advertising and Promotions Managers11-20110,420$43$89,4605.8%
    Agents and Business Managers of Artists, and Athletes13-10110,110$26$54,8104.9%
    Architectural and Engineering Managers11-90416,170$64$133,0705.5%
    Budget Analysts13-20311,000$36$75,0006.5%
    Business Operations Specialists13-119934,570$33$69,0808.8%
    Chief Executives11-10114,990$95$198,2308.0%
    Compensation and Benefits Managers11-31110,560$58$121,4705.0%
    Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists13-11413,050$29$61,3408.5%
    Compliance Officers13-10417,830$31$63,8208.2%
    Computer and Information Systems Managers11-302114,110$64$133,87011.9%
    Construction Managers11-90219,680$50$103,33011.4%
    Cost Estimators13-105110,700$30$63,35010.6%
    Credit Analysts13-20412,940$36$75,1408.4%
    Credit Counselors13-20710,950$24$49,64013.9%
    Financial Analysts13-20518,500$39$80,83010.8%
    Financial Examiners13-20613,300$37$76,4609.8%
    Financial Managers11-303119,890$64$132,3600.187
    General and Operations Managers11-102161,360$55$114,7509.1%
    Human Resources Managers11-31214,480$57$117,9908.9%
    Human Resources Specialists13-107120,810$30$61,3707.1%
    Insurance Underwriters13-20534,840$36$75,030-5.2%
    Labor Relations Specialists13-10756,370$18$38,190-7.8%
    Loan Officers13-207212,130$35$72,49011.5%
    Logisticians13-10815,850$37$76,4106.9%
    Management Analysts13-111118,580$40$82,84012.0%
    Market Research and Marketing Specialists13-116123,100$32$66,53022.8%
    Marketing Managers11-20215,720$64$132,50010.0%
    Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners13-11212,330$23$47,58010.2%
    Public Relations and Fundraising Managers11-20311,820$55$114,55010.4%
    Purchasing Managers11-30612,580$58$119,6505.6%
    Sales Managers11-202210,830$64$133,1907.4%
    Tax Examiners and Revenue Agents13-20811,490$31$64,910-0.6%
    Tax Preparers13-20821,780$23$46,89010.8%
    Training and Development Managers11-31310,830$52$107,76010.3%

    6

    Other Popular State Pages


    References:
    1. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/
    2. AACSB, Best Business Schools:https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
    3. ACBSP, Business Schools:https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
    4. IACBE, Business Schools: http://iacbe.org/
    5. Higher Learning Commission: https://www.hlcommission.org/
    6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Ohio: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ga.htm
    7. US News & World Report: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools