Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Cost is resident tuition plus required fees, 2023-24.
Bachelor's Degrees in Ohio
8
Meet the Ranking Threshold
5
Median Resident Tuition and Fees
$14,879
With a Fully Online Option
1
General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Ohio
General studies bachelor's degrees in Ohio are concentrated at four public universities, Kent State, Youngstown State, the University of Toledo and Shawnee State in Portsmouth, which with Ohio Christian University in Circleville make up the five ranked programs. Three more sit below the threshold at private colleges: the University of Mount Union in Alliance, the University of Dayton and Defiance College, awarding between four and eight degrees a year.
Kent State has the top score at 67.6 on the strength of completion: a 64% graduation rate, 89 degrees a year and $11,767 in resident tuition and required fees. Youngstown State scores 59.5 on a different profile, 135 degrees a year, the most at this level in the state, with a 50% graduation rate at $9,757, and its nonresident rate of $10,117 is barely above the resident one. The University of Toledo (50) graduates 57% on 22 degrees a year at $11,742, Shawnee State (37.5) graduates 48% on 12 degrees at $9,622, and Ohio Christian (19.7) graduates 34% on 20 degrees at $17,990.
So the ranked five span $9,622 at Shawnee State to $17,990 at Ohio Christian in tuition and fees, and 34% at Ohio Christian to 64% at Kent State in graduation rate, with the four public universities clustered between $9,622 and $11,767. Among the three others, the University of Dayton's 80% graduation rate comes at $47,600, Mount Union's 59% at $35,400 and Defiance's 31% at $38,778.
The 5 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Ohio
The best general studies bachelor's degrees in Ohio are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Ohio. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.
1
Kent State University at Kent
Ohio
67.6- Public
- College graduation rate
- 64%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $11,767 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 89
About the Program
Kent, Ohio is home to Kent State University at Kent, a public university of 26,374 students. Some 89 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 76% of the programs ranked alongside it. Of the students who start at Kent State University at Kent, 64% graduate, and that beats 85 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Expect tuition and fees of $11,767 a year as a resident and $20,880 otherwise. Getting in is not automatic, because 86% of applicants are admitted. Strongest of its measures is the graduation rate of its college, which lands at the 85th percentile.
2
Youngstown State University
Ohio
59.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 50%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,757 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 135
About the Program
Based in Youngstown, Ohio, Youngstown State University is a public university with 12,204 students on its rolls. It conferred 135 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 86% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Its college-wide graduation rate is 50%, the 50th percentile, because the federal record tracks completion by institution. Expect tuition and fees of $9,757 a year as a resident and $10,117 otherwise. About 84% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. Strongest of its measures is the number of degrees it awards, which lands at the 86th percentile.
3
University of Toledo
Ohio
50.0- Public
- College graduation rate
- 57%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $11,742 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 22
About the Program
University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio that enrolls 14,358 students. It conferred 22 bachelor's degrees in the latest reported year, which is more than 31% of the bachelor's programs ranked at this level. Of the students who start at University of Toledo, 57% graduate, and that beats 71 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Expect tuition and fees of $11,742 a year as a resident and $21,102 otherwise. Getting in is not automatic, because 92% of applicants are admitted. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 71st percentile.
4
Shawnee State University
Ohio
37.5- Public
- College graduation rate
- 48%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $9,622 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 12
About the Program
Portsmouth, Ohio is home to Shawnee State University, a public university of 3,231 students. The program's last federal report shows 12 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 6 in every 100 programs measured here. A 48% graduation rate puts the college at the 44th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Residents pay $9,622 a year in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay $16,157. Its strongest mark is price, at the 54th percentile.
5
Ohio Christian University
Ohio
19.7- Private nonprofit
- Fully Online Option
- College graduation rate
- 34%
- In-state tuition and fees
- $17,990 a year
- Degrees awarded, latest year
- 20
About the Program
Circleville, Ohio is home to Ohio Christian University, a private nonprofit university of 1,431 students. During the most recent year on record it awarded 20 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 27th percentile for size. A 34% graduation rate puts the college at the 13th percentile, though that figure counts every student who started there and not this degree alone. Tuition and fees are $17,990 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Because the full degree is offered online, it is open to students well outside the region. About 38% of applicants are admitted, so an application is not a formality. On the number of degrees it awards it does best, reaching the 27th percentile.
Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Ohio
The other general studies bachelor's degrees in Ohio awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.
| College | Degrees Awarded | Graduation Rate | Tuition and Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Mount Union, Alliance | 8 | 59% | $35,400 |
| University of Dayton, Dayton | 6 | 80% | $47,600 |
| Defiance College, Defiance | 4 | 31% | $38,778 |
Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.
How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in Ohio?
A general studies bachelor's degree in Ohio costs $14,879 a year in resident tuition and required fees at the median of the eight programs, a midpoint no program charges, because the four public universities sit between $9,622 and $11,767 and the four private colleges between $17,990 and $47,600. Shawnee State is the cheapest at $9,622, then Youngstown State at $9,757, the University of Toledo at $11,742 and Kent State at $11,767, all 2023-24 rates. Nonresidents pay $10,117 at Youngstown State, $16,157 at Shawnee State, $20,880 at Kent State and $21,102 at Toledo. The private colleges charge everyone the same: Ohio Christian $17,990, Mount Union $35,400, Defiance $38,778 and Dayton $47,600.
The state aid that applies at this level is the Ohio College Opportunity Grant, which Ohio Revised Code 3333.122 limits to Ohio residents with an expected family contribution of $3,750 or less. It's need-based, and a student finishing a general studies bachelor's a few courses at a time still receives it, based on the number of credit hours enrolled. Against Shawnee State's $9,622 or Youngstown State's $9,757, the grant goes a lot further than it does against a $35,400 private rate.
How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Ohio?
Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in Ohio on terms the state fixes for its public universities, which covers Kent State, Youngstown State, the University of Toledo and Shawnee State but not the four private colleges. If you completed the Ohio Transfer 36 at any Ohio public college, the public university receiving you considers you to have met its Ohio Transfer 36 requirements, and an AA or AS from an Ohio public institution with an overall 2.0 GPA and passing grades in each Ohio Transfer 36 course counts the same way. Ohio Revised Code 3333.16 adds that associate graduates whose degrees include an approved transfer module shall be admitted to a state institution.
How much of the bachelor's is left depends on the pathway. An associate degree in an Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway area brings junior standing and a bachelor's in an equivalent field in approximately 60 additional credit hours. Ask Kent State or Youngstown State how your associate maps onto the major and how many credits land as electives. If your associate is an Associate of Individualized Study, the state classes it as an applied degree, and applied degree graduates moving into a bachelor's program typically have to complete additional general education courses, so ask what you still owe. Ohio Christian, Mount Union, Dayton and Defiance set their own terms, so ask them directly.
What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Ohio?
Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in Ohio pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.
How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in Ohio
How to choose a general studies bachelor's degree program in Ohio is mainly a choice among four public universities with tuition and fees between $9,622 and $11,767 and graduation rates between 48% and 64%, and the trade-off the data shows is Kent State's 64% completion at $11,767 against Youngstown State's 50% at $9,757 and Shawnee State's 48% at $9,622. Toledo splits the difference at 57% and $11,742 but awards 22 degrees a year, so it is a small program inside a large university. Ohio Christian University is the only ranked program at this level with a fully online option, at $17,990 with a 34% graduation rate.
If you're arriving with credit already earned, what you bring decides how long you'll be there. A degree in an Ohio Guaranteed Transfer Pathway area brings junior standing and a finish in approximately 60 additional credit hours. So bring your transcript with the Ohio Transfer 36 courses marked, ask Kent State or Youngstown State how many of your remaining credits count toward the general studies major rather than as electives, and if your associate is an Associate of Individualized Study, ask what general education you still owe.
If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Ohio have their own page.