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About Ohio State

One of Ohio’s greatest assets, The Ohio State University is a world-class public research university and the leading comprehensive teaching and research institution in the state. Ohio State provides a distinctive educational experience for students and pursues cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that brings together scholars from diverse disciplines to solve key problems in society. One of the university’s core values is to “ignite a lifelong love of learning” in students. Ohio State students benefit from a scholarly environment in which research inspires and informs teaching.

Ohio State is a multi-campus university with a main campus in Columbus; regional campuses in Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark; the Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI) and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) in Wooster; and Extension offices in every county around the state. With more than 60,000 students, 18 colleges, and 170 majors, the university offers its students tremendous breadth and depth of opportunity in the liberal arts, the sciences, and the professions.

With more than 400,000 alumni all over the world, Ohio State has attained international distinction in education, scholarship, and public service. Closer to home, the university provides a sense of history and identity to the Columbus community and to the state as Ohio’s flagship university.

More Ohio State history >

Impressive Numbers

• Better-prepared students. For the 12th consecutive year, our 2007 first-year class is the best-prepared in history, with an average ACT score of 27.
• Greater “returns.” This academic year, 92.4% of last year’s first-year students returned for their second year, well above the national average of 77.5% for comparable universities. Also, 89.3% of first-year African American students and 89.3% of Hispanic students returned for their second year, both all-time highs.
• Increased graduation rates. Of students who entered Ohio State in 2001, 71.2% have graduated, compared to 55% for students who entered in 1990. Each of our last six spring graduating classes has set records in degrees granted, with a record 7,623 students receiving diplomas at the 2007 spring commencement.
• Research recognition. We have moved up to seventh among the nation’s public universities and 11th among all universities in research expenditures. Our research spending supports some 20,000 Ohio jobs.
• Rising rankings. We are again ranked 19th among public universities in U.S. News & World Report ’s 2008 “America’s Best Colleges.” Ohio State is rated 10th among national public institutions in the Washington Monthly College Guide.

Cutting-Edge Research

Ohio State is committed to increasing its leadership in research and scholarship to benefit residents of Ohio, the United States, and the world. According to the latest U.S. government rankings, Ohio State now ranks seventh among the nation’s public research universities and 11th among all universities in research expenditures. Our funding from industry-sponsored research puts us in second place nationally. Ohio State’s total research expenditures were $652 for fiscal year 2006 and are projected to reach $720 million during fiscal year 2007.

Research highlights:

• Solving global problems: The university plans to spend $110 million toward 10 high-impact research projects, including clean sustainable energy, climate change, and public health preparedness.
• Climate change: Researchers at the Byrd Polar Research Center have analyzed tropical ice cores and climate records from around the world to get a picture of how modern climate is changing, including clues to global warming and other planetary climate events.
• State-of-the art equipment: Our faculty and students have access to some of the most advanced research equipment in the world. One of the newest is the first North American site for the world’s highest-resolution, commercially available scanning/transmission electron microscope, the Titan 80-300.
• Prostate cancer: Ohio State is a leader in the field of robotic prostate surgery under the leadership of Vipul Patel, MD, one of only two surgeons in the world to have performed the robotic prostatectomy procedure more than 1,400 times.
• Diseases: The gene research work of microbiologist Tina Henkin could lead to more potent antibiotics for fighting tuberculosis and pneumonia.
• Alternative energy: Our Center for Automotive Research recently became the first automobile hydrogen refueling station in Ohio. Shell Oil recognized our commitment to alternative fuel research with a $1 million grant to the College of Engineering to study hydrogen for fuel cells.

Outreach & Engagement

Public service has always been central to Ohio State’s mission, and the university is engaged in a multitude of undertakings to improve the quality of the community’s life, including:

• Medical care: Annually recognized among the nation’s best, The Ohio State University Medical Center accommodates 90,000 outpatient visits and provides $41 million in uncompensated care.
• Cancer treatment: The Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute offers patients a modern facility dedicated to detecting and treating cancer.
• Dentistry: The College of Dentistry provides dental care to children, senior citizens, and other underserved populations in the state.
• Business impact: Ohio State’s research and development has substantial employment impact, supporting more than 20,000 jobs in Ohio.
• P-12 education: The university assists Ohio schools through teacher education programs, student mentoring, and state education reform.

Reflecting its land-grant heritage of public service, the university has a deep commitment to outreach and engagement that connects the institution and its students to the community, the state, and the nation. Ohio State is committed to serving the broader community by putting its academic and research excellence to work for the betterment of society and to fulfilling the Ohio State motto, “Education for citizenship.” Since its founding in 1870, Ohio State has taken the lead in furthering research and education for the citizens of Columbus, in the state of Ohio, and for the nation.