College Azimuth

Research brief & institution hub

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

OHLarge public institution · Overall rank #250 nationally

Data snapshot Updated

Azimuth ranks University of Cincinnati-Main Campus #250 nationally among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Who it’s a good fit for

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public university in Cincinnati, Ohio, whose degree mix is led by Business, Health Professions, and Engineering. Mobility is the strongest , at well above average.

Graduates out-earn what predicts for students like them. The model attributes part of that to the factors it measures, which adds, and part to what it cannot explain, which subtracts.

Return is well above average. Affordability is modestly below average, and the net price for the lowest income band sits well below the published cost, while the highest band pays closer to it.

Pell students complete at a rate well below the cohort as a whole. The admission rate is above the median for comparable schools.

A student drawn to the largest programs should know that the best-paid ones are in engineering and computing, not in the largest departments.

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus at a glance

Admissions and outcomes

Admission rate[1]
85.3%
Six-year completion[2]
75.0%
Four-year earnings[3]
$72,188

Cost and family borrowing

Average annual net price · $48–75K family income[6]
$22,492
Median student debt[4]
$21,250
Median Parent PLUS debt[7]
$23,602

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus rankings: how Azimuth assesses value[5]

29,882 undergraduates enroll at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, a public university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Among nonprofit four-year institutions, it sits near the top of the overall ranking (83rd percentile).

Most applicants are admitted — the rate is 85.3%, above the 78.1% median for comparable institutions of the same type and size. For the first-time, full-time cohort, 85.4% return after the first year, against a peer median of 83.1%.

The six-year graduation rate, which tracks only first-time, full-time students, is 75.0%, against a peer median of 65.0%. An estimated 15.0% of undergraduates at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus arrive as transfers or part-time students.

Mobility is the strongest pillar (88th percentile), while affordability is the weakest (38th percentile). Return and access fall between them, at the 83rd and 63rd percentiles.

The four pillars sit far apart, with the strongest and weakest separated by a wide margin.

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus draws its strongest marks from the mobility pillar, where Azimuth places it in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. That shows the degree to which graduates reach earnings that outpace their pre-college economic circumstances.

The return pillar sits in the 83rd percentile, the access pillar in the 63rd percentile, and affordability in the 38th percentile. Affordability is the weakest pillar, the only one that lands below the median for nonprofit four-year institutions.

18.8% of undergraduates at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus receive Pell Grants, the core measure of financial access in the admitted-student profile. Azimuth ranks the university #544 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions.

Pell recipients complete within six years at 41.7%, a figure that sits 33.3 percentage points below the rate for the first-time full-time cohort as a whole. Azimuth ranks the university #177 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students.

How value-added outcomes are assessed · How to interpret program rankings

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus rankings in context
GeographyRank
National#250

Azimuth overall value rankings within each geographic comparison group.

National pillar percentiles

Economic mobility
National percentile: 88
Access & reach
National percentile: 63
Affordability
National percentile: 38
Return on investment
National percentile: 83

Top-ranked majors

  1. Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft#4
  2. Architectural Engineering#6
  3. Construction Engineering#6

This school’s three highest-ranked programs nationally. Each rank compares bachelor’s programs in the same field; field sizes differ.

Explore major rankings

01 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus cost & financial aid[6][7]

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus publishes a cost of attendance of $32,171, with in-state tuition at $13,976 and room and board at $13,564. Out-of-state students face a higher tuition of $29,310.

After financial aid, the average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $25,648, a savings of $6,523 against the sticker price. That sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $10,014.

Azimuth ranks the university #883 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. The net price is the university's weakest pillar, and the gap to peers is the central cost fact for families weighing this school.

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus publishes a cost of attendance of $32,171, with in-state tuition and fees of $13,976 and room and board at $13,564. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price—what aid recipients pay after grants and scholarships—is $17,974, rising to $22,492 for the $48,001–$75,000 band and $29,616 for families earning over $110,000.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,642, and Azimuth ranks the university #883 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions. Aid covers about 20% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, an offset of $6,523 against the sticker price.

The average net price across all aid recipients is $25,648, which sits above the peer median of $15,634 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $10,014. Out-of-state students face a higher tuition of $29,310, and individual aid packages will shift the final cost from these averages.

Among federal-loan borrowers who completed, the median federal student debt is $21,250. That median sits above the peer median of $20,076 by $1,174, and 87.3% of federal aid recipients borrow federal loans.

For a graduate at the median four-year earnings of $72,188, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow through Parent PLUS carry a separate median of $23,602.

Your family income

Choose a household income range to see estimated net price.

Reported average annual net price · $48–75K$22,492

After grants and scholarships. Your aid offer may differ.

Averages within each income band; individual aid packages vary.

Borrowing and repayment at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Among undergraduates at the university, 87.3% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,250 in federal student debt.

That median is $1,174 above the peer median of $20,076 for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $23,602 in Parent PLUS loans.

In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported that 53% of its bachelor's graduates borrowed from any source, with an average cumulative debt of $27,571 per borrower. Of those graduates, 52% held federal loans, averaging $20,385. 13% of the same graduates held private loans, averaging $31,817.

Four years after completion, federally aided completers from University of Cincinnati-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled report median earnings of $72,188. That is $6,578 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That earnings level is in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students.

That outcome is in the 79th percentile. Earnings scenarios estimated from the program mix range from $50,097 on the downside to $92,775 on the upside, with $72,188 as the typical outcome.

Borrowers who finish hold a median of $21,250 in federal student loans, $1,174 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). If repaid over ten years, that debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month. Earnings are above the peer median and debt is above it.

Median Parent PLUS borrowing, a separate parent-borrower population, is $23,602. The estimated monthly student payment if repaid over ten years is $242.

How Financial GPS measures payment burden · The four risk-and-reward zones

Financial GPS

What does repayment look like?

Institution median student debt
$21,250
Institution Parent PLUS debt
$23,602

Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.

Estimated student payment · monthly
$242/mo
Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
$300/mo

Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.

Payment assumptions

Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.

Explore your own numbers in Financial GPS
Read the full cost & aid brief

02 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus career outcomes & earnings[3][8][9]

Graduates of University of Cincinnati-Main Campus earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students, a result in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The median earnings four years after completion are $72,188, which is above the peer median of $65,610 for comparable institutions (same type and size) by $6,578.

That figure lands in the 79th percentile nationally. Azimuth places the return pillar in the 83rd percentile.

Of the earnings beyond expectations, the model attributes $9,055 to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market), a share that adds to expected earnings. It attributes $956 to a remainder it does not explain, which subtracts.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,464. The combination of above-peer median earnings and higher-than-expected earnings points to a solid return, though the institution's own contribution beyond its program mix is modest.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of University of Cincinnati-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,188. That figure is $6,578 above the $65,610 median for comparable institutions (same type and size), drawn from an earnings cohort of 6,926 completers.

Azimuth places the university's median in the 79th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students, a gap that falls at the 79th percentile.

Estimated from the program mix, the earnings scenarios run from a downside of $50,097 to an upside of $92,775, with $72,188 as the typical case. An estimated 28.0% continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Four years after completing a degree, federally aided graduates of University of Cincinnati-Main Campus who are working and not enrolled earn a median of $72,188. That places the university in the 79th percentile nationally.

The peer median for comparable institutions (same type and size) is $65,610, which puts the university $6,578 above that benchmark. Graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students.

The gap sits at the 79th percentile. Azimuth ranks the university #243 for return among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The part the model attributes to the factors it measures (field of study, enrollment and the local labor market) adds $9,055. The part it attributes to a remainder it does not explain subtracts $956.

Within the measured factors, the STEM component adds $2,464. Estimated from the program mix, the downside earnings scenario is $50,097 and the upside is $92,775.

An estimated 28.0% of graduates continue to graduate study, based on the program mix.

Earnings four years after completion vary widely by field at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, a spread captured by the earnings scenarios. The downside earnings scenario sits at $50,097, the typical scenario at $72,188, and the upside scenario reaches $92,775.

That range reflects the variation in outcomes across the university's 54 programs with published data. The highest-earning programs illustrate the upper end of that spread.

Computer Engineering completers earn a median of $102,273, Computer and Information Sciences graduates reach $100,975, and Electrical Engineering graduates earn $98,364.

At University of Cincinnati-Main Campus, the published cost of attendance is $32,171. After grants and scholarships, aid recipients in the lowest income band pay an average net price of $17,974, while those in the highest band pay $29,616.

The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $11,642. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $21,250 in federal student loans, $1,174 above the $20,076 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).

That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $242 a month if repaid over ten years. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $23,602 in Parent PLUS loans.

Graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students, and the median sits above the comparable-institution benchmark. The debt figure is above the peer median. Affordability is the weakest of the university's four pillars.

What explains value-added earnings?
Program & institutional factors The part attributed to observed institutional characteristics.
+$9,055
Unexplained remainder What remains after the model’s observed factors.
-$956
Total modeled value added The modeled difference from expected earnings.
+$8,099

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

Read the full outcomes brief

03 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus acceptance rate & admissions[1][10][11]

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus admits 85.3% of applicants, a rate that sits above the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). Most applicants receive an offer, which makes the application a step of preparation rather than a narrow filter.

SAT: reported composite scores
Admission rate
85.3%
25th percentile
1160
Median
1250
75th percentile
1340

CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff.

Read the full admissions brief

04 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

What are the largest majors at University of Cincinnati-Main Campus?[12]

The university's largest programs span a wide earnings range four years after completion. Nursing combines scale with strong returns: 379 degrees awarded, a median of $85,551, and an Azimuth national rank of #162.

Marketing, the largest program with 436 degrees awarded, reports a median of $72,881 and ranks #50 nationally. Psychology, with 302 degrees awarded, sits at $48,406 and an Azimuth national rank of #215.

Finance rounds out the picture with 292 degrees awarded, a median of $83,501, and a national rank of #68. The contrast between Nursing and Psychology illustrates the earnings range across fields at the university.

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus fields 47 nationally ranked bachelor's programs, with earnings data published for 54 fields. The largest, Marketing, awarded 436 degrees and shows a median of $72,881 four years after completion, ranking #50 nationally and #3 in Ohio.

Nursing is the highest-earning large program: it awarded 379 degrees and its completers earn a median of $85,551, ranking #162 nationally. Among the best-ranked programs, Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft holds a national rank of #4 with 62 degrees awarded and a median of $54,000.

Construction Engineering ranks #6 nationally, awarded 40 degrees, and reports a median of $92,984.

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus awards degrees across a wide range of fields, with 47 programs carrying an Azimuth national rank and 54 with published four-year earnings data. Business is the largest program family, accounting for 20.4% of bachelor's degrees awarded, followed by Health Professions at 13.7% and Engineering at 11.9%.

The largest single programs are Marketing with 436 degrees awarded, Nursing with 379, and Psychology with 302. The university's strongest programs by national rank sit outside the largest departments.

Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft is the highest-ranked program, with 62 degrees awarded and median earnings of $54,000 four years after completion, and it ranks #1 in Ohio within its field. Construction Engineering ranks #6 nationally and #1 in Ohio within its field, with 40 degrees awarded and median earnings of $92,984.

Architectural Engineering ranks #1 in Ohio within its field, with 36 degrees awarded and a benchmark ratio of 1.04x against the national median for its field. The highest-earning program is Computer Engineering, where graduates earn $102,273 four years after completion, from 59 degrees awarded a year.

The pattern is one of strength spread across fields rather than concentrated in a single area. The highest-ranked programs span the arts, engineering, design, and health professions, and the engineering programs in particular combine strong national ranks with high earnings.

24.9% of degrees awarded are in STEM fields, and Architectural Engineering graduates earn $92,687 four years after completion.

Four-year earnings · six largest reported fields
Marketing 436 degrees awarded
$72,881
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing 379 degrees awarded
$85,551
Psychology, General 302 degrees awarded
$48,406
Finance and Financial Management Services 292 degrees awarded
$83,501
Biology, General 263 degrees awarded
$57,443
Criminal Justice and Corrections 227 degrees awarded
$54,231

Fields selected by reported completions. Counts describe credentials awarded, not unique students or the earnings sample. Bars show median four-year earnings.

Read the full majors brief

05 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

How does University of Cincinnati-Main Campus serve students from different backgrounds?

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus combines a high six-year graduation rate with earnings that exceed the model's expectations, landing its mobility pillar in the 88th percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. The six-year graduation rate for the first-time full-time cohort is 75.0%.

Pell recipients complete at 41.7%, which sits below the overall rate by 33.3 percentage points. Four years after completion, graduates earn about $8,099 more than the model expects for similar students, a result that places the earnings-beyond-expectations measure in the 79th percentile.

A graduation rate above the peer median of 65.0% and higher-than-expected earnings point the same way for this public university.

The University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a large public university in Cincinnati, Ohio, enrolling 29,882 undergraduates. Its admission rate of 85.3% sits above the peer median of 78.1%, reflecting an open-access mission.

Pell Grant recipients make up 18.8% of the undergraduate body, and an estimated 15.0% of undergraduates arrive as transfers or part-time students. Azimuth places the access pillar in the 63rd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions.

The combination of a high admission rate and a sizable transfer-in population shapes the university's broad entry profile.

06 / University of Cincinnati-Main Campus briefing

What colleges are similar to University of Cincinnati-Main Campus?[15]

Azimuth groups alternatives by admissions, location, cost and earnings, then orders candidates within each group. Peer earnings use the matched four-year cohort. How matching works.

A shortlist for different decisions

Choose a row to compare the figures with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus.

Admissions peerMiami University-Oxford75.4% admitted
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusMiami University-Oxford
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$70,785-$1,403 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$28,384+$2,736 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · higher cost
Admission rate85.3%75.4%
Explore Miami University-Oxford →
Higher-admission alternativeWright State University-Main Campus96.3% admitted
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusWright State University-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$62,601-$9,587 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$15,415-$10,233 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate85.3%96.3%
Explore Wright State University-Main Campus →
Nearby alternativeMiami University-OxfordNearby option · OH
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusMiami University-Oxford
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$70,785-$1,403 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$28,384+$2,736 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · higher cost
Admission rate85.3%75.4%
Explore Miami University-Oxford →
Higher-earnings alternativeMolloy University$96,058 earnings
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusMolloy University
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$96,058+$23,870 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$24,347-$1,301 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate85.3%81.7%
Explore Molloy University →
Lower-cost alternativeWright State University-Main Campus$15,415 average net price
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusWright State University-Main Campus
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$62,601-$9,587 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$15,415-$10,233 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate85.3%96.3%
Explore Wright State University-Main Campus →
Similar profileUniversity of Minnesota-Twin CitiesMatched across several measures
Comparison with University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
MeasureUniversity of Cincinnati-Main CampusUniversity of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Peer earnings · 4 years$72,188$71,941-$247 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Average annual net price$25,648$16,778-$8,870 vs University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · lower cost
Admission rate85.3%79.8%
Explore University of Minnesota-Twin Cities →

Each school is the first-ranked match in its category, not a recommendation across every measure. The same college may lead more than one category. Figures use the matching snapshot; earnings reflect the matched four-year cohort. — means unavailable.

Read the full similar schools brief

Data scope & methodology

Structured payloads generated Governed hub narrative Governed spoke corpus

Four-year earnings describe cohorts of completers. Figures for other horizons describe different cohorts and are not joined into a career-growth projection.

Azimuth's overall rank and pillar percentiles come from the school profile. Absolute pillar ranks, city, enrollment and official-site links are shown only when structured data supplies them.

Detailed earnings, cost, admissions and program values come from the endpoint responsible for each measure. Missing values are not replaced with zero. Value-added estimates are model associations, not causal effects.

Figures are refreshed with each data release, at most a quarter apart. The underlying source dates can be earlier than the release.

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

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

Read the ranking methodology, data definitions and limitations · About College Azimuth

Read the analysis behind value-added earnings and the change to four-year graduate earnings. These articles are published on collegeazimuth.com.

Data notes & source fields

Scorecard field codes identify the underlying measure; Azimuth-derived values are labeled separately. Snapshot dates are not measurement years. Source populations and reporting periods differ across measures. Field definitions are in the U.S. Department of Education · College Scorecard documentation; notes with a different source link it below.

  1. Admission rate. Reported applicants admitted; not a transfer-specific or individual admission probability.

    Source fields: ADM_RATE

  2. Six-year completion. First-time, full-time students completing at the institution within 150% of normal time, typically six years for a bachelor’s degree.

    Source fields: C150_4

  3. Four-year institutional earnings. Median earnings of graduates in the reported cohort who are working and not enrolled, four years after completion.

    Source fields: MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

  4. Median federal student debt. Federal student-loan debt among completers in the reported borrowing cohort. Excludes Parent PLUS and is not total debt across all students.

    Source fields: GRAD_DEBT_MDN

  5. National, regional and state ranks; pillar percentiles; major ranks. Derived scores within the stated eligible comparison set, not raw Scorecard fields. Major ranks compare institutions within a field; their denominators differ.

    Source fields: Azimuth rankings

    College Azimuth · Ranking methodology

  6. Annual net price by family income. Average annual cost after grants and scholarships for the eligible first-time, full-time aid-recipient cohort. Public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. Includes living costs; these are averages, not medians or individual offers.

    Source fields: NPT4_PUB/PRIV; NPT41_PUB/PRIV through NPT45_PUB/PRIV

  7. Parent PLUS debt, payments and GPS illustration. Stored payments use Financial GPS loan and repayment assumptions. The adjustable spectrum applies the published framework to annual student payments divided by earnings minus an expense allowance; its initial allowance uses the frozen 2024 framework baseline. It is an illustration rather than a school rating. Parent PLUS uses the completer median where available, otherwise the all-borrower median; these describe different borrowing populations.

    Source fields: PLUS_DEBT_ALL_COMP_MD; fallback PLUS_DEBT_ALL_MD; Azimuth Financial GPS calculations

    College Azimuth · Financial GPS methodology

  8. Downside and upside earnings; yellow band. The band spans the modeled lower and higher scenarios. It is not the P25–P75 interval for individual graduates. The median marker is the separately reported institutional median.

    Source fields: Azimuth modeled program-mix scenarios

    College Azimuth · Earnings scenario methodology

  9. Value added and its components. Observed-factor attribution plus the unexplained remainder equals total modeled value added. These are associations, not proven causal effects; the remainder is not a direct measure of teaching quality.

    Source fields: Azimuth statistical model

    College Azimuth · Value-added methodology

  10. SAT score range and reported midpoint. Reported scores of enrolled score-submitters, not admission cutoffs. The midpoint field is not necessarily the middle of the displayed range.

    Source fields: SATVR25 + SATMT25; SATVR75 + SATMT75; SAT_AVG

  11. First-year retention. Retention of the reported full-time cohort at four-year institutions.

    Source fields: RET_FT4

  12. Program earnings, completion counts and major-mix dots. Included bachelor’s programs have at least five reported completions. Counts are aggregated credentials, not unique people or an earnings sample. Major-mix dots group those counts by field of study; excluded programs are not zero activity.

    Source fields: EARN_MDN_4YR; IPEDSCOUNT1; CIPCODE

    College Scorecard · Field-of-study technical documentation

  13. Pell recipients. Share of undergraduates receiving a Pell Grant in the reported academic year.

    Source fields: PCTPELL

  14. Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group. This is not an observed transfer-in rate. It includes part-time entrants and other entering-student attendance patterns.

    Source fields: 1 − PFTFTUG1_EF

  15. Peer earnings and signed differences. Differences are peer minus this school, from the same matching snapshot. A positive earnings difference does not mean the peer is better on every measure.

    Source fields: Azimuth peer model using MD_EARN_WNE_4YR

    College Azimuth · Comparison methodology

How to interpret program rankings