Who gets in?
What we're looking for
Applicants to The Ohio State University’s Columbus campus are considered for admission on a competitive basis. Our most important charge in Undergraduate Admissions is to select from all applicants a first-year class that exemplifies the best characteristics of The Ohio State University.
We seek students whose application demonstrates that they are prepared for the academic rigor of the Ohio State classroom; who are willing to lead; who see strength in diversity of people and ideas; who seek collaboration when solving problems; and who make use of all opportunities to figure out what kind of impact they want to have in the world.
How we evaluate applications
We evaluate each applicant in terms of criteria that measure the merit of academic achievement as well as personal interests, talents, accomplishments and challenges. See the list of criteria below.
We review every application we receive. To arrive at the most appropriate admission decision, we thoroughly review each application and all submitted materials.
We evaluate each applicant holistically. We don’t select applicants based on any single criterion. All criteria are considered as part of our review of the whole person.
Selectivity and building the class
Ohio State receives applications from many more students than we can admit each semester. In building the class to meet our goals, our admission committee evaluates each applicant against all applicants in that year’s pool.
The holistic and comprehensive process described here allows Undergraduate Admissions and the university to attract an exceptional and diverse incoming class that will be successful at Ohio State, contribute to our campus and graduate with an Ohio State degree.
Criteria of our holistic review, in no particular order.
Successful completion of Ohio State's minimum college prep requirements (see table below)
High school performance (class rank or GPA), including participation in accelerated programs like Honors, AP and IB; Ohio State does not have minimum requirements for class rank or GPA
Standardized test score (ACT or SAT); Ohio State does not have minimum requirements for ACT or SAT scores
Ohio State has adopted a test-optional policy for 2025 applicants.
Experiences that demonstrate leadership or engaged involvement (e.g., co-curricular activities, work experiences or military service)
Status as a first-generation college student
Demonstration of outstanding talent in a particular area
Ability/commitment to contribute to and engage with a campus community of people with a wide variety of lived experiences
Demonstrated personal qualities of collaboration, determination and resilience
High school performance if adversely affected by physical, mental or learning environment factors
Eligibility for and likelihood of benefiting from organized support services at Ohio State
Minimum college prep requirements
| Minimum required | Recommended | Additional consideration | |
| English | 4 units | ||
| Math | 3 units | 4 units | X |
| Natural science (with significant lab experience) | 3 units | X | |
| Social science | 2 units | 3 units | |
| Foreign language | 2 units of same language | 3 units | X |
| Visual or performing arts | 1 unit | ||
| Plus 1 additional unit in any of the above subjects. Advanced computer science can be used to fulfill a math or natural science unit, provided the secondary school categorizes the course as math or science. | |||
Understanding this table
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Enrollment in your intended major
Once it is determined that you are admissible, you will be considered for enrollment in the college of your intended major. Read about enrollment criteria.
A snapshot of last year’s admitted class, autumn term
Most exceeded minimum college prep requirements
85% exceeded foreign language requirements
99% exceeded math requirements
88% exceeded natural science requirements
Most ranked in the top of their high school classes
97% ranked in the top quarter
66% ranked in the top 10%
Most performed very well on standardized tests
ACT composite50% of admitted students scored between 28 and 33
SAT (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing + Math)
25% scored below 28
25% scored above 3350% of admitted students scored between 1340 and 1490
25% scored below 1340
25% scored above 1490