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University or college · Private nonprofit

Otterbein University

Westerville, OH24 online only

Otterbein University is a private nonprofit university in Westerville, OH, with about 2,333 students on campus.

Visit www.otterbein.edu ↗Directions
Students on campus
2,333
plus 24 studying only online
Admission rate
85%
higher than at 64% of 4-year colleges
Net price a year
$19,237
lower than at 53% of 4-year colleges
Graduation rate
68%
higher than at 74% of 4-year colleges
Earnings, 10 yrs later
$53,313
higher than at 76% of U.S. colleges
In brief

What to know about Otterbein University

Easy to get into, and most students finish

Otterbein University admits 85% of applicants, yet 68% of students graduate, more than at 74% of 4-year colleges. Outcomes ↓

What you study here makes a big difference to pay

Among Otterbein University’s biggest bachelor’s programs, nursing graduates earn a median $80,188 four years out. Drama/theatre arts and stagecraft graduates earn $38,023. Majors ↓

Rent in Westerville is above the state median

Median rent in Westerville is $1,364 a month, 32% above the state median. Living in Westerville ↓

This summary is written from the data on this page. Figures are from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.

★ What stands out · Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay off?

Graduate
68%
within 6 years · Pell students 61%
Come back for year two
80%
full-time first-year students
Earnings, 10 years later
$53,313
median, students on federal aid
Typical debt
$26,000
about $276 a month over 10 years

Debt vs. the paycheck

The typical loan payment as a share of a typical graduate’s monthly pay six years after starting

7.4%
0%10%: a common comfort line25%

$276 a month against about $3,712 a month in pay.

Paying back loans

Federal student loans, this college

70%

of borrowers paid down at least some of their loan within three years, more than at 87% of U.S. colleges.

Almost none defaulted within three years (payments on federal loans were paused from 2020 to 2023, so recent default rates are near zero everywhere).

Earnings by family background

Median earnings 10 years after starting, by family income at enrollment

Lower incomeunder $30k
$44k
Middle income$30–75k
$53k
Higher incomeover $75k
$58k
Getting in

How hard is it to get into Otterbein University?

85%

of applicants admitted

About 17 of every 20 applicants get in.

Test scores of admitted students

ACT
22–28

The middle 50%: a quarter scored below the range and a quarter above it. Average SAT: 1220.

What it costs

The sticker price, and what families really pay

Sticker price: $48,321 a year

Before any grants

Tuition & fees $35,548Room & board $13,236Books & supplies $1,554

After grants, the average family on aid pays $19,237.

Your family’s price

Average net price after grants, by family income

$16,478

About $65,912 over 4 years · 66% off the sticker price

Under $30k$30–48k$48–75k$75–110kOver $110k
Majors

What students study, and what it pays

Share of degrees by field

Business 15%Health professions 15%Biology 13%Education 8%Visual & performing arts 8%Parks, recreation & fitness 6%Everything else 36%

Bachelor’s programs with the most graduates

And their graduates’ median earnings four years later (one year where that’s all that’s reported).

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing47 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$80k4 yrs out
Psychology, General39 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$49k4 yrs out
Biology, General38 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$43k4 yrs out
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness31 graduates a year · typical debt $25,000
$47k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and Operations31 graduates a year · typical debt $26,000
$70k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods29 graduates a year · typical debt $21,025
$47k4 yrs out
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General27 graduates a year · typical debt $27,000
$62k4 yrs out
Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management23 graduates a year · typical debt $25,850
$41k4 yrs out
Who goes there

The students

2,157 degree-seeking undergraduates.

By race and ethnicity

White 69%Hispanic 5%Black 13%Asian 4%Two or more 6%International 1%

Women and men

Women 60%Men 40%
12 : 1
students per teacher
31%
get Pell grants (lower income)
53%
take federal loans
3%
undergrads 25 or older
4%
study part time
The town around it

Living in Westerville

9% of Westerville’s 38,165 residents are enrolled in college. What the town is like, from TownRatings’ Westerville pages.

Westerville →
WestervilleWesterville, OH
$1,364/momedian rent · 32% above the state$446Ktypical home valueC+Safety Grade21° / 85°January low / July high · 19" of snowAHealth GradeAll colleges in and near WestervilleCompare prices, admissions and outcomes
Nearby

Other colleges within 30 miles

Straight-line distances from Otterbein University; colleges with 100 or more students on campus.

Felbry CollegeUniversity or college · For-profit · Columbus
2.2 mi214 students
American Institute of Alternative MedicineUniversity or college · For-profit · Columbus
3.2 mi393 students
Chamberlain University-OhioUniversity or college · For-profit · Columbus
5.1 mi320 students
Ohio Dominican UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Columbus
9.2 mi1,085 students
Ohio State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Columbus
9.5 mi56,206 students
Columbus State Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Columbus
11.1 mi20,012 students
Columbus College of Art & DesignUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Columbus
11.4 mi915 students
Capital UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Bexley
11.8 mi2,308 students

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (institution and field-of-study files) and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023); town figures from the Census American Community Survey and NOAA climate normals. Graduation rates count first-time, full-time students; earnings and debt are for students who received federal aid. Distances are straight-line. Colleges are described, not graded (how TownRatings describes colleges). Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.