Best Colleges in Ohio by Salary Potential
Wondering which colleges and universities in Ohio produce the highest-paid graduates? Payscale has Ohio colleges ranked by salary potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: Case Western Reserve University | School Type:Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$72,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$126,600 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:35% |
| Rank:2 | School Name: Denison University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$56,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$121,000 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Wittenberg University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$54,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$120,500 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:4 | School Name: Miami University-Oxford | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$118,400 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: Kenyon College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$58,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$117,400 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: University of Dayton | School Type:Party School, Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$62,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$113,000 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:31% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: North Central State College | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$64,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,900 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:8 | School Name:_50px.png) Ohio Wesleyan University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$53,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$110,600 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: John Carroll University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$54,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$109,400 | % High Meaning:40% | % STEM Degrees:15% |
| Rank:10 | School Name:_50px.gif) Ohio Northern University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$60,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,900 | % High Meaning:45% | % STEM Degrees:19% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Oberlin College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$58,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,900 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:21% |
| Rank:12 | School Name: - Main Campus_50px.png) Ohio State University-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$60,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$103,800 | % High Meaning:49% | % STEM Degrees:27% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: The College of Wooster | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$51,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$102,600 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:38% |
| Rank:14 | School Name:_50px.png) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$58,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$101,600 | % High Meaning:52% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:15 | School Name: Ohio University-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$55,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,900 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Xavier University | School Type:Private School, Religious, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$55,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$98,100 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Marietta College | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$53,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,800 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:32% |
| Rank:18 | School Name: University of Toledo | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$56,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$95,300 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:22% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$45,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,700 | % High Meaning:- | % STEM Degrees:0% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Bowling Green State University-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$50,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$94,100 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: University of Akron Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$55,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,300 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:24% |
| Rank:22 | School Name: Franciscan University of Steubenville | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$51,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$93,200 | % High Meaning:59% | % STEM Degrees:9% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: The University of Findlay | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$53,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$92,900 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:4% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: Cedarville University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$57,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,600 | % High Meaning:55% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: Wright State University-Main Campus | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$54,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$91,300 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:27% |
With one of the five largest state university systems, Ohio is well known for schools like Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University, Oberlin College, Kenyon College and University of Cincinnati. Payscale has salary information for graduates of these four-year colleges in the state so that you can find the best Ohio universities by alumni salary.
Some of the highest-paid college graduates (with a bachelor’s degree as their highest degree) in Ohio earn their degrees from Case Western Reserve University, a private research and engineering university. Oberlin College is one of the most well-known liberal arts schools in the United States. It has a rich and unique history, and was the first college to admit women and black students in the country. It also has a world-renowned music conservatory, in addition to its liberal arts and science course offerings. Lena Dunham, Jad Abumrad (NPR’s Radiolab), Jerry Greenfield of Ben and Jerry’s fame and Alex Blumberg of This American Life are all Oberlin alumni. (Interestingly, the median salary of Oberlin alumni decreases if you include those who go on to earn a graduate degree.)
Actor and filmmaker George Clooney graduated from the University of Cincinnati, a school known not only for its arts programs but also for its health and science programs. This doesn’t make it the Ohio school with the highest percentage of STEM degrees, however that designation belongs to Case Western. Ohio is home to lots of prominent liberal arts schools, including Wittenberg University, Kenyon College, Otterbein College and The College of Wooster. Ironically, some of the top industries in the state include aerospace and defense, bioscience and energy development.