Students from low-income backgrounds at Ohio Wesleyan University achieve notably strong earnings outcomes, ranking in the top quartile nationally for economic mobility among selective institutions.
The university combines this mobility performance with solid overall graduate earnings and excellent loan repayment rates, reflecting the value of its liberal arts education.
Ohio Wesleyan University is a small private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, that combines selective admissions with solid long-term outcomes for graduates. With only about 25% of students receiving Pell Grants and 22% being first-generation college students, Ohio Wesleyan serves a relatively affluent student body in the classic liberal arts tradition. The university falls into the "Selective Achievers" category for economic mobility, meaning it delivers strong outcomes for the students it enrolls, though access remains limited for low-income families.
Graduates earn a median of $55,624 ten years after enrollment, placing the university around the 60th percentile nationally for earnings outcomes. While this represents solid middle-class earning potential, it reflects the reality that liberal arts graduates often pursue careers in education, social services, and other fields that prioritize mission over maximum salary. The university's strength lies in preparing students for meaningful careers rather than optimizing purely for financial returns.
As a small private institution, Ohio Wesleyan offers the intimate educational experience that many families seek, with close mentoring relationships and a tight-knit alumni network. For students who thrive in smaller academic communities and whose families can manage the financial commitment, Ohio Wesleyan provides a solid foundation for long-term career success across diverse fields.
Ohio Wesleyan University's program portfolio reflects the classic liberal arts model, with Psychology as the largest major graduating 27 students annually, though with modest early-career earnings of $26,585. The university's highest-earning program is Accounting Technology, where 20 graduates achieve median earnings of $51,273, demonstrating how business-oriented programs within liberal arts institutions can provide stronger immediate financial returns.
Exercise Science and Kinesiology represents the university's highest aggregate return program, combining solid enrollment of 34 students with early-career earnings of $31,848. This field exemplifies Ohio Wesleyan's approach to career preparation, offering practical skills development within a liberal arts framework that prepares students for graduate study in physical therapy, sports medicine, and related health fields.
The program mix reflects Ohio Wesleyan's commitment to broad intellectual development rather than narrow vocational training. While immediate earnings may appear modest compared to more technically-focused institutions, the university's emphasis on critical thinking, communication skills, and ethical reasoning provides graduates with adaptable capabilities that serve them well as careers evolve. The small program sizes ensure close faculty mentoring and personalized attention that can be particularly valuable for students planning graduate study or seeking to develop specialized expertise within their chosen fields.
Ohio Wesleyan University graduates achieve solid middle-class earnings that reflect the liberal arts mission and career paths typical of small private colleges. Ten years after enrollment, graduates earn a median of $55,624, which places the university around the 60th percentile nationally. While these earnings are respectable, they represent the reality that many liberal arts graduates pursue careers in education, social work, nonprofit organizations, and other mission-driven fields where financial rewards are moderate but personal fulfillment runs high.
The university's program mix reflects this liberal arts orientation, with Psychology being the largest major, graduating 27 students annually with median early-career earnings of $26,585. Exercise Science and Kinesiology, with 34 graduates, represents the highest aggregate return program, while Accounting Technology stands out with notably higher earnings of $51,273 for its 20 graduates. This pattern is typical of liberal arts institutions, where business-oriented programs tend to generate the strongest immediate financial returns, while traditional liberal arts fields provide valuable but less immediately lucrative career preparation.
The university's approach emphasizes broad intellectual development and critical thinking skills that serve graduates well over the long term, even if initial earnings appear modest compared to more vocationally-focused institutions. Ohio Wesleyan's small size and close faculty mentoring help students develop the analytical and communication skills that prove valuable across many career paths, contributing to steady earnings growth as graduates advance in their chosen fields.
Ohio Wesleyan University's affordability profile reflects its position as a selective private liberal arts college, with net prices that vary significantly by family income level. Low-income students pay approximately $14,920 annually after aid, while middle-income families face costs around $15,819 per year. However, high-income families see substantially higher net prices of about $30,353, reflecting the university's practice of concentrating financial aid on students with the greatest need while expecting full-pay families to contribute more significantly to the cost of education.
The university's financial aid approach helps make the institution accessible to some lower-income students, though the relatively small Pell Grant population suggests that affordability remains a barrier for many families. Merit aid and need-based grants help reduce sticker prices considerably for qualifying students, but the underlying cost structure of a small private college means that even aided prices can stretch family budgets. The gap between low-income and high-income net prices demonstrates Ohio Wesleyan's commitment to economic diversity, though the overall student body composition shows this effort has limited reach.
For families who can manage the financial commitment, Ohio Wesleyan offers the value proposition common to selective liberal arts colleges: small classes, close faculty relationships, and a tight-knit alumni network that can provide career advantages over time. The investment reflects not just the cost of education but access to the personal attention and mentoring relationships that define the liberal arts experience.
Ohio Wesleyan University Hub Overview
Executive summary with admissions, cost, outcomes, and program analysis
