Admission criteria

Columbus campus

Applicants with 30 or more earned semester hours (45 quarter hours)

If you have earned 30 or more semester hours (45 quarter hours) after high school graduation at the time of application, admission to the Columbus campus is based on your cumulative college or university academic performance.

  • The grade point averages and earned credits are combined to create a cumulative grade point average of all colleges and universities attended after high school graduation.

  • Applicants who have earned a cumulative 2.5 or better from all colleges and universities attended are typically competitive for admission to the Columbus campus. Grade trends and performance in courses key to the chosen major are considered in the admissions decision.

Applicants with fewer than 30 semester (45 quarter) earned hours (earned post high school graduation)

To determine if you are eligible for admission to the university, admissions staff conduct a holistic review of your academic record, including performance at all colleges or universities attended after high school graduation, as well as your high school record and ACT or SAT scores.

All applicants

  • Ohio State only evaluates completed course work. So, what if you’re currently taking classes and won’t have final grades in time to meet our application deadline? Go ahead and send the in-progress transcript. We'll let you know if we need you to submit a final transcript that captures all completed course work.
  • Non-academic factors may also be considered when determining your eligibility for admission:
    • Ability and desire to contribute to and engage with a diverse campus community

    • 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

    • 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

Enrollment in your intended major

Once it is determined that your application is admissible, you will be considered for enrollment in the college of your intended major. Read about enrollment criteria.

Regional campus

If you are an Ohio resident, you may apply for admission to a regional campus. If, at the time of application, you have earned at least a 2.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) on college course work completed after high school graduation, we will review your academic performance in college to determine your eligibility for admission.

Depending on the number of credit hours you are transferring and your desired major, a regional campus may be a great option. Each regional campus also offers a number of complete, four-year degree programs.

Tip: If you’ve completed a lot of course work already, be sure your campus of choice offers the courses you need to progress toward a degree. Contact your regional campus for more information.

Transfer student profile

Enrolled transfer students, autumn 2022

New transfer students1,753
Average # of hours transferred43
Average GPA3.23
Average age21
# who are veterans43