Otterbein University
Westerville, Ohio · Website
$53,313
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$53,313
median earnings, 10 years after starting
Otterbein University is a private nonprofit 4-year college in Westerville, Ohio with 2,157 undergraduates and 121 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $19,237 a year (tuition and fees $35,548). It admits 85% of applicants and 68% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $53,313 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $26,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$19,237
US median $17,138
Tuition and fees
$35,548
US median $11,837
Admission rate
85%
US median 78%
Completion rate
68%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$26,000
About $276 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$53,313
Rank 1,223 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $19,237
- Tuition and fees
- $35,548
- Cost of attendance
- $48,321
- Students with a need-based grant
- 31%
- Students with federal loans
- 53%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $12,458
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $12,659
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $16,478
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $23,061
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $24,620
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $31,624 in 2015-16 to $35,548 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 85%
- Average SAT
- 1,220
- SAT reading, middle
- 565
- SAT math, middle
- 566
- ACT, middle
- 23
- Undergraduates
- 2,157
- Graduate students
- 121
- Part-time students
- 4.3%
- Women
- 60%
- Students per teacher
- 12
- Completion rate
- 68%
- Retention rate
- 80%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 68
- Endowment
- $127.7M
- Other
- Religious affiliation
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 1,223 of 5,094 US colleges and 50 of 243 in Ohio (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | OH median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $19,237 | $17,906 | $22,320 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $35,548 | $15,202 | $31,170 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 85% | 78% | 74% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 68% | 59% | 57% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 80% | 74% | 77% | 75% |
| Median debt | $26,000 | $14,211 | $24,287 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $44,539 | $36,744 | $44,392 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $53,313 | $41,273 | $52,928 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US private nonprofit 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 70% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 77% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
68 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingBachelor's | Bachelor's | 47 | $27,000 | $69,287 | $80,188 | $88,910 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 39 | $25,000 | $29,604 | $49,090 | $50,706 |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 38 | $26,000 | $24,341 | $42,619 | $57,214 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingProfessional | Professional | 34 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $25,000 | $31,851 | $46,521 | $54,562 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 31 | $26,000 | $44,689 | $70,328 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 29 | $21,025 | $38,651 | $47,383 | $47,382 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 27 | $27,000 | $30,581 | $62,364 | $61,296 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsMaster's | Master's | 26 | Withheld | $78,149 | $117,614 | $103,485 |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and ManagementBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $25,850 | $19,801 | $41,121 | $45,338 |
| Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 23 | $21,500 | Withheld | Withheld | $65,466 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied CommunicationBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $20,500 | $37,430 | $58,065 | $63,560 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and StagecraftBachelor's | Bachelor's | 22 | $26,822 | $12,546 | $38,023 | $39,775 |
| Communication and Media StudiesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 21 | $18,500 | $31,207 | $51,006 | $56,359 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingMaster's | Master's | 16 | $60,824 | $109,981 | $125,033 | $120,193 |
| CriminologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 15 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,556 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 14 | $25,600 | $55,364 | Withheld | $83,343 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,374 |
| Agriculture/Veterinary Preparatory ProgramsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $49,880 |
| Systems EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 11 | $25,469 | $63,243 | Withheld | $105,185 |
| Health and Medical Administrative ServicesMaster's | Master's | 11 | Withheld | $57,208 | Withheld | $89,981 |
| Mechanical EngineeringBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $92,135 |
| Design and Applied ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $51,490 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $76,194 |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Westerville and Ohio on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Ohio
- Homes: Homes for sale in Ohio
Questions and answers
How much does Otterbein University cost?
$19,237 a year is the average net price at Otterbein University after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $35,548, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $48,321. Families earning under $30,000 pay $12,458 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at Otterbein University?
85% of applicants are admitted to Otterbein University. The average SAT score of admitted students is 1,220 and the middle ACT score is 23. The median admission rate of colleges in Ohio is 78%.
How much do Otterbein University graduates earn?
$53,313 a year is the median pay of former Otterbein University students who work, 10 years after they started ($44,539 after 6 years). That ranks 1,223 of 5,094 US colleges and 50 of 243 in Ohio. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's) at $109,981.
How much student debt do Otterbein University graduates have?
$26,000 is the median federal student loan debt of Otterbein University graduates, about $276 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 53% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at Otterbein University?
68% of first-time, full-time students at Otterbein University finish within 6 years. 80% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of private nonprofit 4-year colleges is 57%.
What are the most popular majors at Otterbein University?
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (47 bachelor's graduates), Psychology, General (39 bachelor's graduates), Biology, General (38 bachelor's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 68 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.