Top Nursing Colleges in Ohio [2023]
Published: September 1, 2022
By: Colleges of Distinction Staff
Jump to: Case Western Reserve University | Defiance College | Hiram College | Miami University – Oxford | Otternbein University | University of Cincinnati | Walsh University | Xavier University | Frequently Asked Questions
The path to becoming a nurse is undoubtedly a long and arduous process that requires hard work and dedication. With a shortage in capable and compassionate nurses, it is becoming increasingly important that nursing programs are well rounded, highly accredited, and focused on student success. Colleges of Distinction is proud to recognize schools with these very programs, ones that fully support future nurses along (and beyond!) their undergraduate journey. These institutions, already highly regarded for their commitment to the Four Distinctions, go the extra mile with their cutting-edge nursing degrees.
Our Ohio top colleges for nursing offer students an exciting place to learn and thrive, as proven by the following:
Stability and excellence as core tenets of these nursing programs. Not only have these programs been awarding degrees for more than 10 years, but faculty are continually recognized for their impressive experience and research.
Validation from the ACEN (Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing) and/or CCNE (Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education) for their commitment to quality and student success.
Practical experiences that provide ample opportunities for students to apply their knowledge to the real world through internships, mentorship programs, and volunteer opportunities.
High mastery rates in such standardized exams as the NCLEX and HESI A2.
Dedicated advising and counseling available specifically for nursing students.
Liberal arts exposure to make students culturally competent, well-rounded individuals with superior critical thinking and leadership skills.
High-impact practices embedded into the curriculum.
Industry connections cultivated by faculty and staff to help students build their network and find meaningful work.
Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Start your journey at Case Western Reserve University. The private university in Cleveland, Ohio, has over 90 undergraduate degree choices to explore. A community of innovators, knowledge-seekers and groundbreakers, Case Western Reserve University is a leading national research university that is also within walking distance of three major hospitals—a great benefit for those looking to study medicine!
With programs spanning the arts and sciences, engineering, health sciences, law, management, and social work, the University’s research and educational opportunities allow students, faculty, staff, and alumni to tackle today’s toughest problems—and transform the future.
Acceptance rate 30% • Net price $36,002 • SAT Range 1340-1520 • Students submitting SAT scores 69%
Total Undergrad Population 11,465 • Setting City: Large • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 85% • Retention rate 93% • Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1
Defiance College
Defiance, OH ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Defiance College emphasizes learning on the basis of its mission’s four pillars: to know, to understand, to lead, to serve. The liberal arts-based institution offers 40+ majors and pre-professional programs designed to prepare students to live in the world and change it for the better.
Defiance College is a comprehensive, private, coeducational college affiliated with the United Church of Christ. Founded in 1850, the 150-acre campus is located in Northwest Ohio, an area of picturesque farmland at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers.
SERVICE-LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP
DC is home to the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity: an innovative research program devoted to teaching, service, scholarship, and action to improve the human condition. Distinctive among colleges and universities across the U.S., the McMaster School utilizes Defiance College’s nationally recognized model of service and civic engagement. Through its program, students and faculty make a lasting impact as they apply their academic expertise to real-world contexts. In recent years, participants have developed projects and established partnerships in Belize, Cambodia, Tanzania, and Panama. Much of the success of the projects can be credited to learning communities—groups of peers who meet on a regular basis to strategize and prepare for their research and travel.
Acceptance rate 55% • Net price $25,251 • SAT Range 890-1050 • Students submitting SAT scores 35%
Total Undergrad Population 607 • Setting Town • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 45% • Retention rate 60% • Student-to-faculty ratio 12:1
Hiram College
Hiram, OH ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Hiram College prepares students to answer tough questions, solve complex problems, and communicate their ideas through a broad, interdisciplinary curriculum rooted in liberal arts. Recognizing that learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom, 100 percent of Hiram students complete an internship, research, or study-away experience as they connect classroom learning with the “real world.”
TECH AND TREK
Introduced in fall 2017, Hiram’s Tech and Trek program puts an iPad Pro, Apple pencil, and keyboard bundle in the hands of every full-time traditional student. This is all part of Hiram’s New Liberal Arts: integrated study, high-impact experiences, and mindful technology. Truly transformational, the 1:1 mobile technology program (which is the first in an Ohio four-year college or university), enables students to capture, connect, and reflect upon life-changing ideas.
HIRAM PLAN
In addition, Hiram’s small, close-knit campus community is often described as a “family,” and faculty are praised for their guidance not only through students’ classes and majors, but also through their future plans and career paths. Hiram’s unique semester format, the Hiram Plan, consists of a 12-week session followed by an intensive 3-week session during which students focus on a single subject (often through internships, faculty-guided research, or study-away trips).
Acceptance rate 93% • Net price $20,072 • SAT Range 890-1100 • Students submitting SAT scores 13%
Total Undergrad Population 1,110 • Setting Town • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 50% • Retention rate 75% • Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1
Miami University—Oxford
Oxford, OH ‧ Public ‧ 4-year
Miami University provides a rigorous collegiate curriculum. Students are given the opportunities of a large university while experiencing the personalized teaching and attention found at small colleges.
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
Miami has a longstanding commitment to undergraduate research. It has always encouraged its students to pursue research opportunities, whether they be within their specific fields of study or come as an extension of a professor’s work. of a professor’s work. Through research, students gain skills that are valued by both employers and graduate schools alike; not only do they learn about the research process itself, but they gain hands-on practice with inquiry-based learning. Miami research extends beyond the laboratory and into such areas as the humanities, engineering, and business. Essentially, this means that there are opportunities applicable to all students’ interests.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SERVICE
One of the most complex and effective forms of community engagement is service-learning, an academic course that draws connections between what is learned in class and what is needed in the community. This type of learning is dynamically charged as it pushes students to apply academic theory to real-world application. Most often, service-learning courses involve some degree of reflection, allowing faculty and students to assess their impact and learn how best to utilize their drives to serve in the future.
Acceptance rate 92% • Net price $24,345 • SAT Range 1160-1370 • Students submitting SAT scores 29%
Total Undergrad Population 18,880 • Setting Town • Public 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 82% • Retention rate 88% • Student-to-faculty ratio 16:1
Otterbein University
Westerville, OH ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Otterbein University is an innovative and inclusive university populated by whole-brained thinkers. Otterbein students and faculty are advocates, champions, and problem-solvers who believe in doing what’s right for the right reasons. A community of scholars, artists, scientists, nurses, writers, musicians, athletes, and friends alike, Otterbein is full of opportunity.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
The Office of Social Justice & Activism oversees a group of students called the Social Justice Ambassadors. These student ambassadors serve as an extension of OSJA by facilitating monthly programs, gauging campus climate, and connecting Otterbein to community partners. Their work primarily involves such topics as inclusion, social equity, and community engagement.
CUTTING-EDGE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
The Point, Otterbein’s STEAM innovation Center, gives students the chance to work side-by-side with active researchers and startup companies in a space equipped with sophisticated tools, labs, and special manufacturing and engineering equipment.
Acceptance rate 76% • Net price $23,229 • SAT Range 990-1225 • Students submitting SAT scores 22%
Total Undergrad Population 2,652 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 66% • Retention rate 78% • Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH ‧ Public ‧ 4-year
Located in the bustling city of Cincinnati, UC offers students an unparalleled academic experience, the difference of which lies in the community, people, and ideas it fosters. Committed to serving the people of Ohio and beyond, UC equips students with the tools and experience to think critically about the world around them. The University of Cincinnati prides itself on its commitment to diversity and inclusion of students, faculty, and staff to create an environment where innovation and freedom of intellectual inquiry flourish.
LEARNING COMMUNITIES
Nearly 65% of undergraduate students participate in UC’s learning communities, which enrolls small groups of students into a common set of courses so that they can foster a strong academic and social network of peers. Such tight-knit communities connect students to faculty, peer mentors, campus resources, and special insights into their program of study.
Acceptance rate 76% • Net price $22,767 • SAT Range 1120-1330 • Students submitting SAT scores 21%
Total Undergrad Population 40,826 • Setting City: Large • Public 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 72% • Retention rate 88% • Student-to-faculty ratio 19:1
Walsh University
North Canton, OH ‧ Catholic ‧ 4-year
Walsh University is a fully accredited, Catholic liberal arts and sciences university in North Canton, Ohio. The school offers nearly 100 programs, including eight graduate programs and an accelerated-degree program for working adults. As a Catholic university welcoming students of all faiths, Walsh’s ultimate mission is to develop leaders in service to others.
Walsh University believes in a small university setting that promotes academic excellence, a diverse exchange of ideas, and close student-teacher interactions. It provides its students an education that fosters critical thinking, effective communication, spiritual growth, and personal, professional, and cultural development.
STUDENT COLLABORATION
At Walsh University, students’ own personal values and interests help shape their educational experiences. Walsh supports their passions by providing the framework and resources to help them excel. For instance, “The Garage” is a student-directed business incubator in which students have the opportunity to develop enterprising skills and collaborate on business ideas. And through the living-learning communities, students come together with faculty and staff outside the classroom for a deeper level of learning and collaboration. Walsh also launched several institutes to focus on such areas as food insecurity, civic engagement, and community health as well as economic development and quality-of-life issues.
Acceptance rate 77% • Net price $19,792 • SAT Range 978-1170 • Students submitting SAT scores 15%
Total Undergrad Population 2,651 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 60% • Retention rate 71% • Student-to-faculty ratio 15:1
Xavier University
Cincinnati, OH ‧ Catholic ‧ 4-year
Rich history and traditions, great opportunities for academic and social growth, and the promise of a rewarding future come with a Xavier degree. Xavier University provides a holistic education. Over 145 academic clubs, student organizations, campus activities, international study opportunities in six continents, small student to faculty ratio, and an excellent reputation with employers offer Xavier students unlimited potential.
AN INCREDIBLE FUTURE
The Xavier name earns graduates the respect of both graduate schools and employers. More than 1,100 jobs and internships are posted to the XU Career Services Center’s online job board each year to help students easily identify internships and postgraduate, degree-required positions. In addition, initiatives such as on-campus recruiting and alumni networking, the Business Professions Program and formal professional mentoring programs help prepare students for successful transitions to graduate schools and careers after graduation. Finally, each student at Xavier has an assigned career counselor who specializes in a subset of academic offerings at Xavier.
Acceptance rate 81% • Net price $34,945 • SAT Range 1060-1250 • Students submitting SAT scores 33%
Total Undergrad Population 7,061 • Setting City: Large • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 69% • Retention rate 85% • Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1
What it’s like to attend nursing schools in Ohio and other FAQ:
The average undergraduate tuition & fees for colleges in Ohio is $7,991 for in-state students at public institutions, $17,634 for out-of-state students at public institutions, and $20,904 for students at private institutions.
Walsh University has an average net price of $19,792, making it the least expensive nursing degree program in Ohio that made our list.
Hiram College has an acceptance rate of 93%, with an SAT range of 890-1100, making it the least exclusive college with a nursing program on our list.
University of Cincinnati has a median total debt after graduation of $21,537. This is the typical debt for a student who completed their undergraduate degree.
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