Why OWU?

1. OWU Connection Opportunities

OWU's unique approach to academics provides incredible opportunities for travel, research, internships, and more.

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2. Profs Who Care

Students overwhelmingly rate their close relationship with faculty as the best part of their OWU experience.

i³ 3-Minute Lectures

3. It Feels Like Home

Students describe OWU as friendly, inclusive, supportive, diverse, active, helpful - and home.

Student Life

4. Graduates Get Jobs

96% of OWU's 2022 graduates were employed or in graduate school shortly after graduation.

Graduate Outcomes

5. Location, Location, Location

A beautiful, green campus. A friendly hometown. The USA's 14th largest city just minutes away.

Visit Us

6. Battling Bishops

24 teams! Since 2000, we've won 73 conference championships, and 155 student-athletes have received All-America honors.

OWU Bishop Athletics

7. Celebrate the Arts

Majors and nonmajors alike create art, perform music, write poetry, act, dance, and more.

The Arts at OWU

8. We Mean Business

From Business Administration to Exercise Science, OWU combines career-oriented degrees with the breadth of the liberal arts.

Majors & Minors

When you explore Ohio Wesleyan, you'll see obvious reasons why OWU stands out as a university that can help you move forward to a better future:

Small classes with back-and-forth conversation — the student-faculty ratio is 11:1.
Opportunities beyond those at other small colleges: 70+ majors and concentrations, 24 varsity sports, global travel, internships, mentored research, even a marching band. Explore The OWU Connection!
A friendly, thriving hometown of Delaware, just 25 miles from Columbus, America's 14th-largest city.
Outstanding academic programs in the sciences, arts, humanities, and business, where in recent years, 97% of new graduates were shortly in jobs, grad school, or serving in the military.
Generous scholarship opportunities. Fully 99.3% of OWU students receive financial aid!

Look deeper. You'll see a community where the heart of learning is connection. That's our belief, our commitment, our campus culture.

It's the Oh-Wooo spirit.

This is a supportive campus where students work and learn in partnership with their professors, coaches, advisors, and fellow students. This is a campus of cooperation, not competition. Colleges That Change Lives says, "OWU's culture is defined by warmth and helpfulness."

Schedule your visit, and see why an OWU education is called one of the best values in America.

National Reputation

When you choose a college, you want advice from the experts — people who've been there and done that. Look below and see what outside experts say about Ohio Wesleyan and why OWU could be the right fit for you.

Best for Your Money

The 2024 U.S. News & World Report College Rankings place OWU among the "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges" and "Top Performers on Social Mobility."

The Fiske Guide to Colleges ranks OWU as one of the "best and most interesting four-year colleges in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland. The Princeton Review ranks OWU as one of 2024's "Best 389 Colleges."

OWU also appears on Money Magazine's "Best Colleges in America" based on quality, affordability, and student outcomes data points. Payscale ranked OWU as one of 2023's top national, state, and liberal arts colleges in salary potential for graduates in their early and mid-careers.

Ratings & Rankings

U.S. News: Best Value

U.S. News & World Report ranks OWU as one of the top "Best National Liberal Arts Colleges," and a "Top Performer on Social Mobility."

Money: A Great Investment

Nearly every OWU student receives financial aid (99.3%) and, on average, the university meets 89% of their need. An additional 27% receive merit grants in recognition of their academic success.

Upward Mobility

The Washington Monthly ranks OWU among the nation's top liberal arts colleges, selected "based on their contribution to the public good in three categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service."

Princeton Review: Profs Diverse & Supportive

"The professors are very diverse...bringing different perspectives and knowledge to campus...supporting me in applying for grants, research experiences...as well as jobs."

Fiske: One of Best & Most Interesting

Ohio Wesleyan is one of "the 'best and most interesting' schools in the United States, as well as in Canada, Great Britain, and Ireland," providing its students with "a solid liberal arts experience focused not on bells and whistles, but on practical career-related experience."

A College That Changes Lives

Ohio Wesleyan is one of only 45 colleges and universities included in the guidebook Colleges That Change Lives, created by a former New York Times education editor.

In fact, OWU has appeared in every edition of Colleges That Change Lives since it was first published in 1996.

Colleges That Change Lives

Entrepreneurial Experts

The U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition at Ohio Wesleyan University is a first-of-its-kind liberal arts business accelerator and the first-of-its-kind city, county, and educational institute partnership.

Through partnerships with the Delaware Entrepreneurial Center, the city, the county, and connections with Columbus, OWU students can tap into endless business opportunities.

Forbes Magazine ranks OWU at No. 17 in the nation among 'America's Most Entrepreneurial Colleges 2015,' making OWU first among Ohio-based schools.

U.S. Entrepreneurship Competition at OWU Entrepreneurship at OWU Entrepreneurship in Columbus

Forbes

Forbes ranked the colleges and universities "based on the entrepreneurial ratios – the total number of alumni and students who have identified themselves as founders and business owners on LinkedIn, divided by the school's student body."

Meet student entrepreneurs Connor King and Jackson Markley

They hope to launch a $5-million hedge fund in the next year. The goal is part of their plan to establish their company, Yorkshyre Capital Management, as a "dominant player" in the cryptocurrency market.

The Location Advantage

According to USA Today, Columbus, Ohio, is among the top 20 best cities to start a business in 2024, based on factors like the prevalence of self-employment and employment in startups, LLCs and other small businesses.

OWU By the Numbers

100% of Students Have An OWU Connection Experience

100% of students will complete an OWU Connection Experience. Connection Experiences are embedded in the academic program to ensure every student participates in experiential learning. Experiences include research, internships, community service, travel-learning, and semester study-away programs.

The OWU Connection

99.3% Receive Aid

Nearly all OWU students receive merit- or need-based financial aid. The average package of merit-based and other financial aid for first-year students is $53,210.

Financial Aid & Scholarships