Most Selective Ohio Colleges
Ohio has 9 four-year colleges that accept 50% or fewer of applicants, ranked from most to least selective.
Denison University is the hardest to get into in Ohio, accepting just 17% of 15,012 applicants. Also highly selective: Kenyon College, Art Academy of Cincinnati and Oberlin College.
Selectivity does not always equal academic difficulty. Some schools admit a small share of applicants because demand exceeds capacity, not because admission standards are extreme. If you need safety schools, see our highest acceptance rate colleges in Ohio. For academically demanding options, explore colleges with the highest SAT, highest ACT, and highest GPA averages.
Denison University
- Private 4 Year
- Granville, OH
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
- 17% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Denison is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate economics, the sciences, and theatre. Most students live on the hillside residential campus in the village of Granville.
- SAT Range 1320-1490
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.76
- Net Price $43,721
Kenyon College
- Private 4 Year
- Gambier, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 31% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Kenyon is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate English and creative writing. The rural campus occupies much of the small village of Gambier.
- SAT Range 1358-1503
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.84
- Net Price $46,859
Art Academy of Cincinnati
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Aug 1 application deadline
Art Academy of Cincinnati is a private art college known for undergraduate fine arts, illustration, and design. The urban campus sits in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Net Price $33,491
Oberlin College
- Private 4 Year
- Oberlin, OH
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Oberlin is a highly selective private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music through its Conservatory and for the arts. Most students live on a residential campus in the small college town of Oberlin.
- SAT Range 1360-1520
- Avg GPA 3.67
- Net Price $51,624
Case Western Reserve University
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, OH
-
5.0 | 4 reviews
- 37% acceptance rate
- Jan 15 application deadline
Case Western is a private university known for undergraduate engineering, biomedical engineering, and nursing. The urban campus sits in Cleveland's University Circle near major hospitals and museums.
- SAT Range 1430-1540
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.86
- Net Price $44,000
Ohio Christian University
- Private 4 Year
- Circleville, OH
-
3.0 | 2 reviews
- 38% acceptance rate
Ohio Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry and business. The campus is in Circleville, a small city south of Columbus.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $20,290
Wilberforce University
- Private 4 Year
- Wilberforce, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 41% acceptance rate
- Jul 1 application deadline
Wilberforce is a private historically Black university with undergraduate programs in business, communication, and the social sciences. The small campus is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
- SAT Range 840-940
- Predicted Avg GPA 2.82
- Net Price $5,533
Cleveland Institute of Music
- Private 4 Year
- Cleveland, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 47% acceptance rate
- Dec 1 application deadline
Cleveland Institute of Music is a private conservatory known for undergraduate classical performance and composition. Students take academic courses through a partnership with nearby Case Western Reserve University in University Circle.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price $29,683
Defiance College
- Private 4 Year
- Defiance, OH
-
2.0 | 2 reviews
- 48% acceptance rate
Defiance is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, business, and criminal justice. The residential campus sits in the small city of Defiance in northwest Ohio.
- SAT Range 860-1110
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Net Price $26,298