Ohio Wesleyan University

Ohio Wesleyan University's published cost of attendance is $68,424, but need-based aid reshapes that figure across income levels. Low-income families pay approximately $15,412; middle-income families pay around $13,339; and higher-income families pay approximately $30,036.

Azimuth ranks Ohio Wesleyan University #954 for post-graduation affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Net prices by income band are medians within those bands; individual aid packages vary, so some families in each band pay more and some less than the figures shown.

Ohio Wesleyan's aid structure is need-based, with financial aid applied to close the gap between sticker price and what families pay. The institution participates in federal (Pell Grants, Direct Loans), state, and institutional aid programs.

Families apply using the FAFSA and CSS Profile, and work-study is available as part of the aid package. Median federal student loan debt at graduation is $27,000, and families using Parent PLUS borrow a median of $36,553; private or institutional loans may add further borrowing that falls outside these federal-only figures — see the [Parent PLUS risk framework](/analysis/ou-what-happens-when-parents-borrow-too/) for how household context shapes PLUS decisions.

For a graduate at the institution's median four-year earnings of $54,483, median federal debt of $27,000 projects to a monthly payment of about $305 under standard ten-year repayment. For personalized projections across earnings scenarios — including Parent PLUS planning — use [Azimuth's Financial GPS tool](/analysis/financial-gps-framework/).

Graduates of Ohio Wesleyan University earn median 4-year earnings of $54,483, placing Ohio Wesleyan University in the 14.1 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. Ohio Wesleyan University sits in the 14.3 percentile for [earnings beyond expectations](/analysis/a-value-added-approach-to-college-outcomes/) among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Azimuth ranks Ohio Wesleyan University #1082 for return on investment among nonprofit four-year institutions. These outcomes reflect the institution's ability to position graduates into careers with sustained earning potential relative to their peer cohort.

The earnings pattern is anchored in Biological Sciences, which shapes the institution's economic profile. Zoology/Animal Biology is the largest program with 35 graduates, followed by Psychology, General with 35 graduates earning median 4-year earnings of $47,941 — 0.9x the national benchmark for the field.

The Kinesiology program graduates 33 students earning $55,420, and Business Administration with 26 graduates earning $66,800 — 1.0x the benchmark. Economics rounds out the top five with 22 graduates.

This program mix, concentrated in biological and life sciences alongside complementary fields, supports consistent outcomes across the institution's degree portfolio.

Ohio Wesleyan University's program mix is anchored in biological sciences, chemistry, and business fields—a signature reflecting the institution's liberal arts identity with applied professional depth. Across ranked programs serving roughly 1,500 students annually, several deliver strong four-year earnings outcomes.

The highest-earning programs at Ohio Wesleyan University cluster in quantitative and applied fields. Economics leads with median 4-year earnings of $54,000 among graduates, followed by Finance with graduates earning $53,000, and Accounting with graduates earning $52,000.

The concentration of strength in business and economics reflects both the institution's academic focus and the labor-market demand for graduates in these fields. Several of these programs represent high-mobility pathways where graduates enter the workforce directly and earnings reflect national labor-market outcomes.

Others, particularly within the biological sciences cluster, are grad-school-dependent fields where four-year earnings undercount lifetime trajectory because a meaningful share of graduates continue to medical school, graduate study, or doctoral programs. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how Ohio Wesleyan University's dominant program families align with national wage trends and employer demand.