There are many different higher education options for students in Ohio, as there are dozens of public, private and liberal arts colleges in the state. Ohio is home to a number of highly ranked institutions of higher learning, affording students the opportunity to attend some of the best schools in the country. It may be most well known for its largest and highest rank public university, The Ohio State University, which is located in Columbus.
The Ohio State University was founded in 1870, and while it is one of the largest schools in the state it is not one of the oldest. It was the ninth university to be founded in the state. Originally it was an agricultural college, and continues to be a land-grant institution to this day. The state of Ohio has a relatively new university system, known as the University System of Ohio, and Ohio State has been named the flagship research institution of this system. It is the third largest public university in the country, and is well known for its stellar academic programs such as business, political science and law. Many people who have graduated from OSU have gone far in life, and some of the more notable alumni include Olympic gold medalists, Nobel Prize winners and Pulitzer Prize winners.
The highest ranked university in Ohio is Case Western Reserve University, which is a private research university. Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, and was founded in 1967 after two top universities in Cleveland merged together to form one institution of higher learning. Many of its academic programs are ranked nationally, and most students who come to Case Western Reserve University intend to study computer engineering, math or pre-professional programs such as pre-med, pre-law and pre-dental. Some of the greatest technological minds of the present day graduated from Case Western Reserve University including the founder of Craigslist, Craig Newmark and the creator of Gmail, Paul Buchheit.
Some of the other top schools in Ohio include Ohio University, located in Athens and known for its journalism school, Miami University of Ohio, located in Oxford and known for its teacher education programs and University of Dayton, a private school located in Dayton. University of Dayton is known for its business programs and it is also known for having one of the largest campus ministry programs not only in the country but also across the globe.