A Guide To Online Colleges in Ohio

The country's seventh most populous state has been occupied since as far back as 13,000 BC. Today, large earthworks and artifacts can still be found throughout the Ohio River Valley. The state as we know it developed over the course of the French and Indian War and the Northwest Ordinance in 1787. Thomas Jefferson formally approved Ohio's boundaries and constitution in 1803. (Through a curious oversight, the state actually wasn't admitted into the union until 1953.) Eight presidents have come from Ohio — William Henry Harrison, Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, Benjamin Harrison (grandson of William Henry Harrison), William McKinley, William Howard Taft, and Warren G. Harding — tying it with Virginia. As of 2010, the state has the second-best business climate in the country; it has won three consecutive Governor's Cup awards for business growth and development, and its GDP is nearly $480 billion, making it the seventh-largest in the US. Its primary industries are in manufacturing, biosciences, and financial services. Most important, it has stop quality universities: five of the top 115 colleges in the country are in Ohio, according to US News. As so, online students should think about in-state opportunities before exploring expensive out-of-state schools.

In-state tuition is often applied to public schools offering online programs. Many online programs require some face-to-face time, or more numerous support services at their brick and mortar locations. Intensive study experiences–often on the weekends or in several week long bouts–enable many online students to accelerate their time until graduation. And students looking at online education can drastically expand their educational options if they also look to hybrid degrees (degrees where degrees can be taken partially, or mostly online). Finally, one of the most common stipulations in scholarships is that students be from a certain state or region, often more funds are available to students seeking degrees in-state.

An impressive 37 public schools offer online degrees in Ohio, including associate's degrees all the way through doctorates. The largest of these is Columbus State Community College with 93 degrees, including 80 bachelor tracks, 12 associates, and one master in Applied Politics. Additional areas of study range from business and healthcare, to criminal justice and human resources. Other large providers include the University of Cincinnati (Clermont, Blue Ash, and main campus all offer around 30); Kent State (East Liverpool offering 46); and Cleveland State University, with 11 bachelors, 25 masters, and one doctorate in Nursing Practice. Of Ohio State's 11 online degrees, there are 7 master's across the sciences, including Global Engineering, Plant Health Management, Welding Engineering, and In-agriculture And Extension Education.

There are 19 private universities offering online degrees. Tiffin has 27 total online degrees, including 13 bachelor's and 14 master's degrees in areas like Accounting, Healthcare Administration, Organizational Management, Law Enforcement, Homeland Security, and Psychology. Tiffin's MBA program includes concentrations in HR Management, Marketing, Sports Management, and Finance, among others. Antioch, Union Institute & University, The University of Findlay, University of Northwestern Ohio, and Franklin University all offer a wide range of tracks, as well. Union has the largest undergraduate offerings (14), with extensive studies in business, child development, education, and healthcare; while Franklin has an MBA, MHA, MPA, MS in Accounting, MS in Instructional Design & Performance Technology, MS in Marketing & Communication, and more.

Featured Online Schools

Potential Resident

For a variety of reasons, a student may look to move to the state of their online college program whether specifically required by the program or not – be it for a job, location desirability, school benefits, etc. Different states have different policies, however, and some of them can be rather demanding. Ohio's requirements are set by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) in the Ohio Administrative Code, outlined in Chapters3333-1-10 and 3333.31. These state that to declare Ohio residency, dependent students must have a spouse, parent, or legal guardian who has lived in the state for at least 12 consecutive months or has accepted full-time employment in Ohio by the day of enrollment. In these cases, proof of documentation may include a copy of lease agreement, utilities bill, or a written statement from the employer. There are additional rules for veterans, independent students, and others. Ohio State has a simplified breakdown of these rulesavailable online.

Compared to the rest of the country, tuition at Ohio public 4-year schools is slightly above average, at $10,196. Still, tuition remains lower than several other competing states. Further — and most important — tuition has increased just 3% over the past five years, while the national average is 13%. In some cases, tuition has increased by as much as 50%. This means that a) for all intents and purposes, tuition can be seen as frozen when adjusted for inflation, and, therefore, b) students can confidently project total costs over the course of a degree. This is, of course, a major financial and educational advantage: students in Ohio can focus on academics instead of worrying about if they'll be able to afford a degree. Plus, factoring in the quality of public higher education in the state — Ohio State, for instance, is one of the top-ranked schools in the US — students are getting an excellent value.

The state capital has three universities that offer online degrees — Columbus State Community College, Franklin University, and Ohio State. Columbus State specializes in pre-professional associate degrees (Finance, Business Management, Supply Chain Management, Geographic Information Systems, etc.) and associate-to-bachelor's tracks in a large range of studies (80 total); it has transfer agreements with Indiana Wesleyan University, Franklin University, Florida International, Ohio Christian, Mount Vernon Nazarene College, DeVry, Bowling Green, and more. Franklin, a private school designed for adult learners, offers bachelor and master's degrees; of particular note are an MBA, MHA, MPA, RN to BSN, and several business-related undergraduate degrees. Ohio State offers online course work at their main campus, Mansfield, and Newark, though the largest of these is the main campus, which includes 3 bachelor's, 7 master's, and one online doctoral degree. Mansfield offers a bachelor's in Social Work, and Newark offers a RN to BSN.

Cleveland is home to a number of the state's best colleges and universities. Cuyahoga Community College District, Cleveland State University, Notre Dame College, and Remington's Cleveland campus all offer online degrees . Cuyahoga offers four associate's of applied business in Captioning And Court Reporting, Marketing, Purchasing And Supply Chain Management, and Business Management/International Business. Cleveland State has one of the largest distance education programs in the state, including 11 bachelor's degrees and 25 master's. MEd concentrations are available in Organizational Leadership, School Counseling, Adult Learning And Development, Community Health, Curriculum And Instruction, Educational Technology, and others. There's also an MPH, accelerated MBA, and a range of nursing master's tracks. Notre Dame and Remington are both private schools. offering a range of business degrees, associate tracks, and bachelor's in Criminal Justice, Organizational Management, and Education, among others.

Cincinnati, the third-largest city in the state, has six institutions of higher learning that offers online programs: Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Union Institute & University, Gods Bible School and College, and three campuses at the University of Cincinnati (main, Clermont, and Blue Ash). The latter offers the largest offerings in the city by far, and — taken together — the largest in Ohio, at 95 total, including associate, bachelor, and master tracks. Unique and notable programs include an RN to BSN, BS in Fire Science Technology, BS in Substance Abuse Counseling, BSHS in Health Information Management Administration, and a wealth of MBA, MEd, MHA, and MPA tracks. Cincinnati State Technical and Community College specializes in pre-professional associate degrees, with 10 programs in areas like Pre-Business Administration, Public Safety Technology, Hospitality Management, Computer Programming And Database Management, and Business Programming And Systems Analysis. Union offers 14 bachelor's degrees (most of which are BS tracks), and Gods Bible School offers 2 associates and 2 bachelors in ministry studies.

The Best Online Colleges in Ohio

Monitoring the accreditation of a university you are interested in attending is incredibly important. Accreditation ensures your credits can transfer that you can receive Federal financial aid, and most importantly that certain standards of educational quality are during your schooling. The highest accreditation standard for most programs in the United States is provided by regional accreditation agencies. The regional accrediting agency for California is the Higher Learning Commission, one of six regional accrediting agencies responsible for accrediting schools in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

Making sure that a University you're hoping to attend is regionally accredited — or accredited by a real and respected accrediting agency — is one of the most important choices you can make in ensuring the quality of your education.

Three Steps for Securing Financial Aid

• Submit your FAFSA.

• Check to see if additional forms are needed at your university of choice.

• Search and apply for private scholarships.

Through the previous three steps most students find themselves offered some sort of federal grant, work study, private grant, scholarship, or stipend.

Great Ohio Higher Education Resources

• The Ohio Department of Education's website includes resources for parents, students, administrators, and teachers, alike.

• The Ohio Education Resource Center is a collaboration of six state universities and four research organizations offering research, education resources, and policy analysis.

• Students interested in Northeast Ohio educational opportunities check out the NOCHE.

• The OACHEoffers resources for the 32 counties of Appalachian Ohio.

• And the SOCHE is a regional consortium of 22 colleges and universities in southwest Ohio.

• For a primer on financial aid in Ohio, visit the Attorney General's Student Loan Center site.

• For information on 529 plans, check out the Ohio Tuition Trust Authority's College Advantage page.

• The OASFAA is an excellent resource for general inquiries and news updates.

• Established in 1967, The GAR Foundationsupports Greater Akron residents with financial aid opportunities.

• Students interested in community college options can click here.

• Also check out the Ohio State Board of Career Colleges and Schools.

• The Inter-University Council of Ohio (IUC)represents Ohio's 14 public universities. Check out the site for news on educational reform, public policy, and more.

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