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Athens State Hospital Cow BarnAthens State Hospital Cow Barn · Photo: Ed!(Hall of Fame) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Athens

Athens is a college town: 57 of every 100 residents are students

Ohio University (18,668 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Ohio, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town57% of residents are studentsOhio University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Athens. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
20,268 students on campus
Nearest college
0.1 mi
Ohio University
Residents in college
57%
Above OH (6%)
Nearest community college
10.3 mi
Hocking College · $5,540 tuition
Nearest public university
0.1 mi
Ohio University · $14,158 in-state
Students on campus in Athens
18,668
next to 25,313 residents

What stands out about college in Athens

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town57 of every 100 Athens residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.A university in AthensOhio University has 18,668 students on campus in Athens, 65% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Ohio UniversityLiving in Ohio, Ohio University charges $14,158 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $24,838. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 10.3 miles awayHocking College in Nelsonville: tuition and fees $5,540 a year for Ohio residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Athens

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

57 of every 100 Athens residents are in college (OH: 6).

18,668students on campus at Ohio University, next to 25,313 residents (dorm students count as residents)
6,908college students live in Athens households rather than dorms
21.6median age · OH 39.7
67%of homes rented · OH 33%
$1,011median rent · 2% below the state
AthensAthens, OH
Cost of living$1,011/mo median rentDSafetyCrime reported to the FBIBHealthCDC estimatesB−Jobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC+HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Athens’ other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C+

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 40.3% of Athens residents are below the poverty line, 16.8% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 10 points either way). 73% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D

The Cost grade leaves out the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent wherever students are a quarter of residents or more (57% here): it would mostly measure student incomes.

Health B−

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Athens’ median age is 21.6 (Ohio 39.7), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety B

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Athens

Both are public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Athens.

5 mi10 mi15 miOhio UniversityHocking CollegeAthens
University or collegeCommunity college
Ohio UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 18,668 on campus · In Athens85%admitted$22knet price65%graduate$53kearningsEarnings are reported for all 6 campuses that file with it.Hocking CollegeCommunity college · Public · 1,600 on campus · 10.3 mi · Nelsonville$14knet price37%graduate$38kearningsTuition and fees: $5,540 a year. The net price counts housing and food at full cost.

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $30–48k, where Athens’ median household income ($38,204) falls.

Hocking College10.3 mi · Nelsonville · sticker $19,171 · tuition $5,540$12,869a year
Ohio UniversityIn Athens · sticker $30,586$15,160a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Athens: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Ohio UniversityHocking College
Ohio University65% graduate$53k earnings*$21k typical debt
Hocking College37% graduate$38k earnings$12k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid. *Reported for all the campuses that file together: Ohio University (6).

Majors

What students study in Athens

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Ohio University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 25%Business 17%Communication 9%Psychology 6%Biology 5%Social sciences 5%Everything else 35%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing1,396 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Psychology, General247 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Marketing242 graduates a year
$79k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods220 graduates a year
$44k4 yrs out
Finance and Financial Management Services175 graduates a year
$81k4 yrs out
Communication and Media Studies148 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Zoology/Animal Biology146 graduates a year
$55k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations134 graduates a year
$71k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Athens

Is Athens a college town?

Yes. 57 of every 100 Athens residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Ohio. Ohio University has 18,668 students on campus, next to 25,313 residents.

What colleges are in Athens?

Ohio University is inside the city. Hocking College is 10.3 miles away in Nelsonville.

Why is Athens’ poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 40.3% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 16.8% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 10 points).

What is the closest community college to Athens, and what does it cost?

Hocking College in Nelsonville, 10.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $5,540 a year for Ohio residents; the federal net price, $13,704, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Ohio University?

Ohio University admitted 85% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,090–1,290 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Athens. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →