College Azimuth

Career outcomes brief

Ohio State University-Main Campus Career Outcomes & Earnings

Updated

How much do Ohio State graduates earn?

The reported median is $70,682 four years after completion. The peer comparison uses $65,610 as its benchmark; the difference is $5,072 per year.

The median earnings four years after completing a degree at Ohio State University-Main Campus stand at $70,682, in the 77th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That is above the peer median of $65,610 by $5,072 among comparable institutions (same type and size).

Azimuth ranks the return 77th nationally. Graduates earn about $1,952 less than expects for similar students, a level in the 47th percentile.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $15,055. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $17,007. Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $3,126.

The earnings scenarios for Ohio State University-Main Campus stretch from a downside of $51,747 to an upside of $103,008, a spread that reflects the breadth of the university's program mix. The highest-earning programs sit well above the institutional median: Computer Engineering completers earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion, and Applied Mathematics graduates reach $120,495.

The largest programs show a narrower but still substantial range. Finance, the most-awarded field with 813 degrees, posts a median of $97,986, while Communication and Media Studies graduates earn $62,096.

Across the 94 programs with earnings data, the variation in outcomes is considerable, and the earnings scenarios capture that spread.

An estimated 31.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, a figure derived from the university's program mix rather than observed enrollment. Because four-year earnings figures capture only those working and not enrolled, the median earnings understate the eventual earnings of the sizable share of completers who pursue advanced degrees.

Median earnings · four years after completion
$70,682
Rank for difference from expectations
47th percentile
Four-year median earnings against two benchmarks
Ohio State reported median
$70,682
Peer schools comparable schools · $5,072 below Ohio State
$65,610
Model expectation what similar students would be expected to earn · $1,952 above Ohio State
$72,634

School and program earnings use pooled 2017–18 and 2018–19 completion cohorts, measured in 2022 and 2023 and expressed in 2024 dollars. How the model works.

How could earnings differ from the median?

The planning scenarios range from $51,747 to $103,008, around the reported median of $70,682. Compare the lower scenario with Ohio State borrowing and monthly payments to see how a smaller income could change your plan.

Modeled from the school’s program mix; not salary percentiles or a forecast for one graduate.

Earnings four years after completion
Planning rangeReported median
Lower estimate
$51,747
Median · reported
$70,682
Higher estimate
$103,008

Downside shows a lower-earning scenario based on the college’s mix of programs; upside shows a higher-earning scenario. Typical is the school’s reported median four years after completion. These are planning scenarios, not a forecast of your salary or percentiles of individual graduates.

Why the downside matters explores the risk hidden by medians, using older ten-year entrant data. Read about the move to four-year earnings.

Do Ohio State graduates earn more than expected?

Azimuth models what we would expect graduates to earn based on who the college enrolls, how selective it is and its local economy. The difference between that expectation and reported earnings is what Azimuth calls value added.

Ohio State graduates’ reported earnings are $1,952 below that expectation, the 47th percentile for this measure. Unlike a peer comparison, it adjusts for who enrolls.

The breakdown separates the contribution attributed to observed factors from the remaining difference. Neither component establishes how much attending Ohio State caused a student to earn. Read how expected earnings are estimated.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$15,055
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$17,007
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
-$1,952

These are statistical model components, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

Which fields at Ohio State report the highest earnings?

Azimuth ranks 86 bachelor's programs at Ohio State University-Main Campus, spanning fields from engineering to education. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where completers earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion, with 404 degrees awarded and a national rank of #21.

Among the largest programs, Finance leads with 813 degrees awarded and median earnings of $97,986, ranking #25 nationally. Communication and Media Studies follows with 489 degrees awarded and median earnings of $62,096, ranking #49.

In contrast, Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services reports median earnings of $73,594 on 416 degrees awarded, illustrating the spread between higher- and moderate-earning fields.

Ohio State University-Main Campus offers 86 ranked bachelor's programs, with several placing among the top ten nationally in their fields. Educational Administration and Supervision, with 67 degrees awarded and a median of $42,187 four years after completion, holds a #3 Azimuth national rank.

Family and Consumer Economics and Related Studies awards 64 degrees, earns a median of $67,018, and also ranks #3 nationally. Genetics ranks #4 nationally, with 56 degrees awarded and median earnings of $63,767.

The largest program by degrees awarded is Finance, which grants 813 degrees, ranks #25 nationally, and shows a median of $97,986 four years after completion.

Highest reported four-year program earnings
Computer Engineering
$123,731
Applied Mathematics
$120,495
Computer and Information Sciences, General
$118,833
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
$111,500
Management Information Systems and Services
$110,192
Industrial Engineering
$106,932
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$99,400
Chemical Engineering
$98,851

Explore Ohio State program cohorts and field ranks for more context.

Further analysis

Earnings scenarios grounded in the university's program mix show a downside of $51,747, a typical outcome of $70,682, and an upside of $103,008. Anchoring the range in named programs, Computer Engineering graduates earn a median of $123,731 four years after completion, while among the largest programs with published earnings, Communication and Media Studies sits at $62,096.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of Ohio State University-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $70,682. The median is drawn from a cohort of 12,019 completers.

That figure sits $5,072 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Graduates earn about $1,952 less than the model expects for similar students.

That result sits at the 47th percentile. The metric compares actual pay with the model's expectation for similar students.

Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix span from $51,747 on the downside to $103,008 on the upside, with a typical scenario of $70,682. An estimated 31.3% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

The earnings picture is split: pay is above the peer median yet below the model's expectation for comparable students.

Data & methodology

Sources and reporting periods: methodology.

Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.

Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.

Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.