by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the graduate school options in Ohio, narrowing things down is no easy task. Our ranking highlights **30** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual evaluated 30 graduate schools across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Here is the early-career salary range across the top-ranked graduate schools:
Learn more about these excellent graduate schools below:
University Of Dayton earned the #1 spot in this year's Best Graduate Schools ranking in Ohio. University Of Dayton is a private not-for-profit school based in Dayton, OH. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $49,140. Early-career graduates earn a median of $56,077. The median student debt is $25,033.
You'll be in good company at Ohio State University Main Campus, which ranked #2 this year. Located in Columbus, OH, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Ohio State University Main Campus graduates report median early-career earnings of $58,088. Students borrow a median of $22,053 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #3 makes Case Western Reserve University one of the top graduate schools in Ohio. This private not-for-profit school is set in Cleveland, OH. Roughly 87% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $66,608. Early-career graduates earn a median of $74,459. Graduates carry a median of $25,106 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at Xavier University earned it the #4 place in Ohio. Based in Cincinnati, OH, Xavier University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 68% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,425. Xavier University graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,045. Xavier University students take on a median of $26,614 in debt.
You'll be in good company at Miami University Oxford, which ranked #5 this year. Based in Oxford, OH, Miami University Oxford is a public institution. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $17,519, compared with $38,965 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,700 early in their careers. Miami University Oxford students take on a median of $24,177 in debt.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus came in at #6 in this year's ranking. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public school based in Cincinnati, OH. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 74%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,363, compared with $28,697 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $58,659. The median student debt is $23,530.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in Athens, OH. Ohio University Main Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 65%. In-state tuition and fees run about $14,158, compared with $24,838 for out-of-state students. Ohio University Main Campus graduates report median early-career earnings of $49,736. Typical student debt is $24,546.
Kettering College ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This private not-for-profit school is set in Kettering, OH. Roughly 62% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $16,320. Median early-career earnings reach $75,573. Graduates carry a median of $32,543 in student loans.
Ohio Northern University came in at #9 in this year's ranking. Set in Ada, OH, Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Ohio Northern University posts a six-year graduation rate of 72%. Students from in state pay about $39,600 in tuition and fees. Early-career graduates earn a median of $56,878. Ohio Northern University students take on a median of $26,661 in debt.
University Of Mount Union did well this year, earning the #10 position. Set in Alliance, OH, University Of Mount Union is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 59%. In-state tuition and fees average $36,600. Graduates go on to earn a median of $52,058 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,988.
Otterbein University placed #11 among the best graduate schools in Ohio. Based in Westerville, OH, Otterbein University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $35,548. Early-career graduates earn a median of $45,871. Typical student debt is $25,282.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus landed the #12 spot in Ohio this year. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a public school based in Bowling Green, OH. About 61% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, compared with $21,900 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $45,196. Students borrow a median of $25,449 to complete a degree here.
Cedarville University did well this year, earning the #13 position. Cedarville University is a private not-for-profit school based in Cedarville, OH. The six-year graduation rate is 72%. Students from in state pay about $37,150 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $57,104. The median student debt is $22,110.
University Of Toledo ranked #14 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. Located in Toledo, OH, University Of Toledo is a public institution. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,157, compared with $21,517 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $52,675 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $24,923 to complete a degree here.
Walsh University did well this year, earning the #15 position. Based in North Canton, OH, Walsh University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 58% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $33,030 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $53,629. Walsh University students take on a median of $28,064 in debt.
The University Of Findlay placed #16 among the best graduate schools in Ohio. This private not-for-profit school is set in Findlay, OH. The University Of Findlay graduates 58% of students within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $41,164. The University Of Findlay graduates report median early-career earnings of $57,676. Typical student debt is $25,759.
Wright State University Main Campus did well this year, earning the #17 position. This public school is set in Dayton, OH. Roughly 42% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $10,991, with out-of-state students paying around $20,691. Median early-career earnings reach $49,077. Wright State University Main Campus students take on a median of $25,836 in debt.
Franklin University landed the #18 spot in Ohio this year. Set in Columbus, OH, Franklin University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 3%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $9,577. Graduates go on to earn a median of $57,471 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $35,890 to complete a degree here.
Ashland University came in at #19 in this year's ranking. Set in Ashland, OH, Ashland University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $31,210. Median early-career earnings reach $48,852. Students borrow a median of $24,536 to complete a degree here.
Cleveland State University did well this year, earning the #20 position. Set in Cleveland, OH, Cleveland State University is a public institution. Roughly 51% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $12,982 in tuition and fees, compared with $18,502 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,648 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,336.
Antioch University Midwest placed #21 among the best graduate schools in Ohio. Set in Yellow Springs, OH, Antioch University Midwest is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $17,073. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $52,856. The median student debt is $33,752.
Capital University came in at #22 in this year's ranking. Based in Columbus, OH, Capital University is a private not-for-profit institution. Capital University graduates 60% of students within six years. Students from in state pay about $43,234 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $46,516. The median student debt is $28,269.
College Of Mount St Joseph did well this year, earning the #23 position. Based in Cincinnati, OH, College Of Mount St Joseph is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 56% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $38,150 in tuition and fees. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $69,964. Students borrow a median of $28,273 to complete a degree here.
Kent State University At Kent ranked #24 on our 2027 list of the best graduate schools. This public school is set in Kent, OH. About 64% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, compared with $21,575 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $44,776. Typical student debt is $25,174.
Northeast Ohio Medical University landed the #25 spot in Ohio this year. Located in Rootstown, OH, Northeast Ohio Medical University is a public institution. Median early-career earnings reach $76,023.
These graduate schools also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked graduate schools only.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.