Ohio’s public universities are raising prices for new in-state students taking a full-time courseload this fall. The average cost of tuition and mandatory fees across the state’s 13 four-year schools is about $13,211. That’s slightly higher than the same time last year.
Public universities can only raise tuition by 3% or less each year for incoming undergraduate classes under current state law. State senators tried – and failed – to boost that number to 4% in the most recent state budget cycle.
Ohio law also requires universities to freeze these prices for each incoming class. This means students will pay the same tuition rates in their senior year as they did in their first year.
Some institutions also offer additional agreements locking in other costs, such as room and board over the course of a student’s career. Yet there are typically no guarantees for other college-related expenses students take on, including food, transportation and books. These costs can sometimes be even higher than tuition prices.
Most students, though, end up paying less than the listed sticker tuition price due to institutional financial aid, state and federal grants, and outside scholarships.
Nearly half of people graduating from a public university nationwide take out no student loans to pay for school, according to an estimate from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities. Among those who do borrow, 80% graduate owing $30,000 or less in federal student loans.
Miami, Ohio universities top list of highest tuition, fees
At $18,520, Miami University has the highest listed tuition and fees in the state for the 2025-26 school year, followed by Ohio University at $14,582 and the University of Cincinnati at $14,394.
The state’s flagship university, Ohio State, ranks in the middle of the 13 public four-year universities at $13,641. Officials said they evaluate tuition and fees annually, setting “rates based on program needs, changes in costs and market data,” according to a recent news release.
Tuition and fees at Central State University come in at $9,912, meaning the university in Wilberforce has the lowest sticker price for the upcoming year.
Annual estimated cost of tuition and some mandatory institutional fees for 2025-26:
- University of Akron: $13,740 (source)
- Bowling Green State University: $14,342 (source)
- Central State University: $9,912 (source)
- University of Cincinnati: $14,394 (source)
- Cleveland State University: $13,262 (source)
- Kent State University: $13,466 (source)
- Miami University: $18,520 (source)
- Ohio University: $14,582 (source)
- Ohio State University: $13,641 (source)
- Shawnee State University: $10,180 (source)
- University of Toledo: $12,524 (plus an additional “miscellaneous students service” fee depending on the number of credit hours a student takes, source)
- Wright State University: $11,816 (source)
- Youngstown State University: $11,376 (source)
Note: These amounts reflect the in-person, Ohio resident full-time rates for each university’s main campus. There may be additional required fees or costs not listed in these breakdowns.