Educads

8 Best Public Universities in Ohio

Ohio State University-Main Campus leads the 8 Public universities in Ohio at #190 in the QS World University Rankings 2026. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (#186 in United States) and Kent State University at Kent (#257 in United States) complete the top three. The universities on this list offer 71 matching courses between them.

8 universities · ranked best first

how we rank
1Best overall
OS Ohio State University-Main Campus logo
QS World #190 #45 in United States Columbus, Ohio, United States
#190 QS World University Rankings 2026
#45 in United States
2Top pick
UC University of Cincinnati-Main Campus logo
#186 in United States Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 29,310/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
29,882Students
International
Admissions open
#186 in United States · by research impact
10,215,229 citations · h-index 780
4Ranked
OU Ohio University-Main Campus logo
#263 in United States Athens, Ohio, United States

Ohio University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 24,838/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
19,633Students
International
Admissions open
#263 in United States · by research impact
2,474,147 citations · h-index 461
5Ranked
UA University of Akron Main Campus logo
#291 in United States Akron, Ohio, United States

University of Akron Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 20,815/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
9,052Students
International
Admissions open
#291 in United States · by research impact
1,987,760 citations · h-index 376
6Ranked
WS Wright State University-Main Campus logo
#313 in United States Dayton, Ohio, United States

Wright State University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 21,222/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
6,762Students
International
Admissions open
#313 in United States · by research impact
1,528,161 citations · h-index 383
7Ranked
MU Miami University-Oxford logo
#315 in United States Oxford, Ohio, United States

Miami University-Oxford

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 41,221/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
16,656Students
International
Admissions open
#315 in United States · by research impact
1,502,905 citations · h-index 380
8Ranked
BG Bowling Green State University-Main Campus logo
#344 in United States Bowling Green, Ohio, United States

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

Public University · 0 courses

No course listed yet for this search — see the university's full profile.

USD 22,448/yrTuition (indicative)
Founded
12,812Students
International
Admissions open
#344 in United States · by research impact
1,171,634 citations · h-index 359

By university type

How these universities are ranked

Only one university here holds a QS World position — Ohio State University-Main Campus at #190 — so it heads the list. Below them, universities follow their research output: Ohio State University-Main Campus is cited most (30,196,365 citations).

Public, private and where they are

8 are public and 0 private (100% public). By location, Ohio (8) account for the most of those we can place. Ohio State University-Main Campus is the largest, with 45,638 students.

What the courses look like

By level: 58 bachelor's, 3 master's, 2 diploma and 1 phd / doctorate. The most common subjects are Business & Management (11), Engineering (10), Professional Accounting & Finance (9) and Education (8). The usual length is 4 years and 2 years. 90% are full-time and 7 can be studied online. Start dates lean to Fall (100% of courses with a stated intake) and Spring (99% of courses with a stated intake). Ohio State University-Main Campus offers the widest choice, with 59 of these courses.

What it costs

We hold indicative fees for 8 of these universities. University of Akron Main Campus is the least expensive at USD 20,815 a year and Miami University-Oxford the most at USD 41,221; the middle of the range is about USD 24,838. Check each university's own fee page before you budget — figures change every year.

Frequently asked questions

What are the top universities for Public in Ohio?

Ohio State University-Main Campus (QS World #190), University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (#186 in United States) and Kent State University at Kent (#257 in United States) lead this list. QS World positions come first; the rest are ranked by research impact.

Which is the cheapest university for Public in Ohio?

Of those with published fees, University of Akron Main Campus is the least expensive at about USD 20,815 a year. Fees are indicative — confirm on the university's site.

How many public universities offer Public in Ohio?

8 public and 0 private universities are on this list.

How long does a Public course take in Ohio?

Most listed courses run 4 years, with 2 years the next most common.

When do Public courses start in Ohio?

Fall is the main intake — 100% of courses with a stated start date begin then, and Spring is the second.

Can I study Public online with a university in Ohio?

7 of these courses are listed as online.

Get your destination country university & scholarship updates

New scholarships, application deadlines and admission guides — a couple of emails a month, no spam.

Stay updated

Get admission alerts, scholarship deadlines & university news — free.