The University will be closed December 18, 2025 to January 4, 2026. If you need assistance during that time, please call 1-855-OWU-1842 and leave a detailed voicemail along with your contact information. One of our colleagues will respond to your call as soon as possible.
If you would like to make a 2025 gift, please make your gift before midnight on December 31.
Respected national publications have taken note of OWU's success and are writing about us. Read on for the experts' take on where we stand and why we're rated so highly.
U.S. News & World Report: OWU ranks among the 2026 "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges," "Top Performers on Social Mobility," and "Most Innovative Schools."
The Princeton Review: One of 2026's "Best 391 Colleges" in the United States. Only about 15% of America's 2,400 four-year colleges are profiled in the book, according to its editors, and they are chosen based on eight categories, including academics, admission selectivity, financial aid, and quality of life. Ohio Wesleyan also is included on The Princeton Review's 2026 lists for "Best Value" and "Best Midwest" colleges.
Forbes: OWU ranks as one of "America's Top Colleges 2026" and among the nation's top "25 Private Schools with Generous Financial Aid" for first-time, full-time undergraduate students.
Money Magazine: OWU ranks as one of Money's "Best Colleges in America" for 2025. According to the magazine, the list "showcases the country's top values, based on graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial aid, alumni salaries, and more." The magazine chose only 732 of the more than 2,400 U.S. colleges for its list. Complete story
Phi Theta Kappa: Ohio Wesleyan has been named to Phi Theta Kappa's 2025 Transfer Honor Roll, recognizing OWU as one of the nation's most transfer-friendly colleges. This prestigious recognition celebrates excellence in developing and supporting dynamic, innovative pathways for community college transfer students. OWU is one of only 251 colleges and universities nationwide to receive the honor. Complete Story.
WalletHub: OWU ranks among the best colleges in the state and nation on the personal finance company's 2026 list. WalletHub compared 791 institutions to determine the best, based on 30 metrics, including graduation rates, student loan debt, and post-attendance median salary.
National Science Foundation: Ohio Wesleyan ranks No. 68 among all U.S. colleges (public and private) for the percentage of STEM graduates who go on to earn doctoral degrees in STEM fields. OWU also ranks No. 46 in the United States for women who go on to earn doctorates as well as No. 21 for women who earn doctorates in the life sciences or biological sciences. The rankings come from the Council of Independent Colleges' 2019 report, "Strengthening the STEM Pipeline Part II: The Contributions of Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges," using 2007-2016 data from the National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and Survey of Earned Doctorates.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges: One of the "best and most interesting" four-year colleges in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland – providing "strong preparation for graduate and professional school, a solid grounding in the liberal arts, real-world experience, and an emphasis on having fun outside the classroom." Complete story
Colleges That Change Lives: One of 45 U.S. colleges and universities included in the latest guidebook created by a former New York Times education editor. Newest edition
The small university ... is a shining beacon of what happens when a campus embraces collaboration in the context of liberal learning. All types of students are engaged. Professors are invigorated.
Washington Monthly: Among the nation's top liberal arts colleges for 2024, selected "based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service," and among the Midwest's "Best Bang for the Buck" schools for 2024, based on "how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices." Complete story
Study Abroad Aide: OWU ranks among the top 18% of 8,536 colleges and universities worldwide based on Study Abroad Aide's 2025 rankings. The rankings include universities in 82 countries and are based on factors including the percentage of a school's international student population and its academic reputation. Complete story.
Columbus Navigator: No. 18 among the "most influential colleges and universities in Ohio," as well as No. 242 in U.S. influence and No. 809 in global influence. The rankings are based on influence tracking provided by AcademicInfluence.com. The ranked schools represent "the top Ohio universities and colleges with rich histories of developing influential scholars and thought leaders," Columbus Navigator states. Complete story
Over the past 10 years, Ohio Wesleyan students have been accepted into medical school 100% of the time when their OWU GPAs and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores are at or above the national mean for accepted students.
A 2017 New York Times report shows 66.9% of lower-income OWU students moved to the top 40% in income 10 years after graduation - a higher mark than schools such as Denison, Kenyon, Miami, Oberlin, and Wooster.
Phi Beta Kappa includes OWU among the top 10% of America's most distinguished colleges and universities with a chapter of the nation's oldest academic honor society. Complete story
Ohio Wesleyan is located within the City and County of Delaware, both consistently ranked as great places to live, work, and raise a family.
The City of Delaware (with nearly 44,000 residents) has been recognized by Money Magazine as one of the "Top 50 Places to Live in America" and by WalletHub.com for being in the 70th percentile of America's best small cities based on economic health, affordability, quality of life, safety, and education and health.
Delaware County (with more than 226,000 residents) is recognized routinely as one of Ohio's fastest-growing and finest communities, with a desirable quality of life that includes low unemployment and strong schools.
Recent rankings and accolades for the Delaware area include:
Ohio Wesleyan is located about 30 minutes from Ohio's capital city of Columbus. Recent rankings for Columbus include: