Private nonprofit · University

Ashland University

Ashland, Ohio · Fringe town

76.4%
Admit rate
$21,988
Avg net price
61%
Graduation rate
$52,928
Median earnings

Ashland University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Ashland, Ohio (fringe town setting), enrolling 2,199 undergraduates. It has a Brethren Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,199 undergradsFringe townAccessible · 76% admitNCAA Division II with football · Great Midwest Athletic ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Ashland University's admitted students.

Admit rate
76.4%
SAT (mid 50%)
1035–1208
Avg GPA (est.)
3.23

Enter a test score to see where you land against Ashland University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Ashland University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Ashland, Ohio

Ashland is a city in Ashland County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Ashland was laid out by William Montgomery in 1815. Ashland was originally called Uniontown, but in 1822 the city was compelled to adopt a new name because another city in Ohio was already named Uniontown. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Fringe town
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
45 miles to Akron, OH
To Great Lakes shore
37 miles
Nearest airport
45 miles to Cleveland Hopkins (CLE) · major hub

How Ashland University compares

Selectivity76.4%

More selective than 52% · #32 most selective of 65 in Ohio

SAT average1120

Higher than 37%

Graduation rate61%

Higher than 61% · #25 of 73 in Ohio

First-year retention77%

Higher than 51%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$52,928

Higher than 47% · #34 of 74 in Ohio

Average net price$21,988

Cheaper than 41% · #41 cheapest of 73 in Ohio

Median debt at graduation$25,000

Lower than 34%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment2,199

Larger than 60%

Percentiles compare Ashland University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Ohio.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

3,328students
  • Undergraduate2,19966%
  • Graduate1,12934%

Undergraduates by gender

2,199undergrads
  • Women96844%
  • Men1,23156%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White77%
  • Black9.5%
  • Hispanic4.1%
  • Asian1.2%
  • Other or multiracial8.6%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,199
Graduate enrollment
1,129
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
29%
First-generation students
41%
Students over 25
18%
Median family income
$10,702
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$69,309
Endowment
$71,414,534

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
76.4%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1035–1208
SAT average
1120
SAT reading
505–610
SAT math
530–598
ACT composite
20–25
Average GPA (estimated)
3.23

Cost

In-state tuition
$31,210
Room & board
$13,568
Books & supplies
$960
Total cost of attendance
$43,434
Average net price
$21,988

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
61%
Graduated on time (4 years)
49%
First-year retention
77%
Transferred to another college
26%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$47,722
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$52,928
Median debt at graduation
$25,000
Students with federal loans
38%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
61%

About 12% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
49%
Low-income (Pell)
42%
First-generation
44%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
1,593
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
72%
Housing charge (year)
$6,500
Meal plan (year)
$5,460
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division II with football
Football conference
Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Varsity athletes
916 (568 men · 348 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)311
Football163
Soccer75
Other Sports73
Swimming and Diving (combined)50
Baseball48
Wrestling37
Basketball33
Lacrosse31
Softball30
Golf27
Tennis20
Volleyball18

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.7 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
8
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (4,106 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

3.0reported offenses a year
2.7 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
2.3
Fondling
0.3
Burglary
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$16,489
$30–48k
$17,893
$48–75k
$19,052
$75–110k
$24,229
$110k+
$26,507

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$81,845

$19,052/year × about 4.3 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

98%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$15,724
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 98% — get grant money from Ashland University itself, averaging $15,724, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 486 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$52,928
Typical debt at graduation
$25,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
47%
Out-earn a HS grad
67%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$50,635
Men
$58,302

Men out-earn women by $7,667 (15%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
83°F
Winter low
17°F
Annual rain
42.5″
Annual snow
49.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Ashland 2 SW, OH US station (2.5 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Ashland University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Ashland University side by side →

Colleges near Ashland University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.