History
In 1786, 11 men gathered at the Bunch of Grapes Tavern in Boston to propose the development of the area north of the Ohio River and west of the Allegheny Mountains known then as the Ohio Country. Led by Manasseh Cutler and Rufus Putnam, the Ohio Company petitioned Congress to take action on the proposed settlement. The eventual outcome was the enactment of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, which provided for settlement and government of the territory and stated that “…schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.”
In 1803, Ohio became a state and on February 18, 1804, the Ohio General Assembly passed an act establishing “The Ohio University.” The University opened in 1808 with one building, three students, and one professor, Jacob Lindley. One of the first two graduates of the University, Thomas Ewing, later became a United States senator and distinguished himself as cabinet member or advisor to four presidents.
Leading Innovators
OHIO is recognized as a leader in research and innovation and received a Designated Doctoral University - High Research Activity classification from the Carnegie Foundation, signaling its place among the top 5% of USA universities. Annual research expenditures at OHIO topped $87 million in the past fiscal year.
More than 300 students participated in the 2021 virtual Research and Creativity Expo, where students exhibit inspired designs and innovative solutions, such as environmental restoration, improved medical treatments, educational video game software, and imaginative theatrical costumes and set designs.
EAB Global named Ohio University one of six innovative colleges to watch in 2019. EAB's list was based on a Chronicle of Higher Education Series that drew attention to OHIO's Academic Innovation Accelerator, which provides resources and financial support for piloting ideas to pursue innovation in teaching.
Outstanding Facilities and Resources
OHIO provides faculty and facilities at the forefront of science and technology, including the Edison Biotechnology Institute, Edwards Accelerator Lab, the Diabetes Institute, and the only avionics engineering center in the U.S.
Creative expression is showcased at OHIO through the world-class Kennedy Museum of Art as well as the Ohio University Art Gallery, Trisolini Gallery, Cube 4 Gallery for students, CREATE_Space, and Athens Center for Film and Video. The Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab gives students the ability to research and learn new skills in interactive digital media, such as educational games, simulations, computer animation, and virtual reality.
For students who aspire to create their own business, OHIO’s Center for Entrepreneurship was named the Best Emerging Entrepreneurship Program in the USA by the U.S. Association for Small Business, and for students considering careers in science, researchers at OHIO’s Edison Biotechnology Institute discovered a drug that has gone on to generate global sales of $230 million.
Ohio University has been cited for academic quality and value by such publications as U.S. News and World Report, America's 100 Best College Buys, Princeton Review's Best Colleges, and Peterson's Guide to Competitive Colleges. Here are a few of our highly ranked programs:
- Best Honors College to Study in the U.S.
- One of the "Best Undergraduate Business Schools 2021" by Poets & Quants
- No. 3 – Best Music Therapy Colleges in Ohio for 2020
- Top 10 journalism school
- The top school for animation and game design
- Top 25 – best bachelor's in information technology degree program
OHIO’s Honors Tutorial College (HTC) is one of a kind: the only degree-granting tutorial college in the United States. HTC patterns its teaching approach after the centuries-old tutorial system used at Oxford and Cambridge universities in Great Britain. In the past four years alone, more than 18 published works have resulted from collaborations between HTC students and faculty.
- #179 in National Universities
- #112 in Best Colleges for Veterans
- #116 in Best Value Schools
- #265 in Top Performers on Social Mobility
- #88 in Top Public Schools
- #147 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs
