Across the country, students of color are disproportionately excluded from ever receiving a college diploma due to several barriers impacting access, retention, and college completion. State flagship universities, in particular, have struggled to allocate sufficient resources and pass equitable policies to help. You can read more about what the reason framework is about here.
Ohio State University
For much of its history, racial equity has been stubbornly elusive for The Ohio State University. Today, less than 7% of OSU students identify as African-American despite comprising more than 12% of the state’s residents. Not only has OSU failed to enroll a student body that reflects the racial and socioeconomic demographics of the state of Ohio, but on broader measures of racial equity — attracting and retaining a diverse faculty, investing resources to support and retain students of color, social inclusion, among others — too often the university has not lived up to its promise, nor has it been held accountable. This tool helps paint a picture about the status of racial equity at OSU and will better position the Ohio REASON Coalition and our communities to advocate for change. Learn more about the REASON Project here.
In 2020, Ohio State University considered but did not require the submission of admission test scores like SAT and ACT. The 25th and 75th percentile SAT scores were 1210 and 1430, respectively, among applicants. The respective ACT scores were 26 and 32.
Students identifying as White make up the overwhelming majority of enrolled full-time freshmen at 67.9%, followed by Asian, Black, then Latinx students at 8.3%, 6.2%, and 5.5%, respectively. There are virtually no full-time freshmen identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Students identifying as White make up the majority of public HS graduates in Ohio at 74.5%, followed by Black at 14.3%. However, the respective proportions of enrolled full-time freshmen and transfers are generally lower. On the other hand, Latinx and Asian students are overrepresented in the enrolled population of students, as compared to the proportion of public HS graduates in the state.
For full-time transfers, students identifying as White also make up the majority at 67.0%, followed by Black, Asian, then Latinx students at 10.3%, 6.1%, and 5.1%, respectively. There are virtually no full-time transfers identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Average grant aid is higher for low-income students than high-income students and, thus, the average net price paid increases as family income increases. For example, households earning less than $30,000 paid about $7,100 out-of-pocket, while households earning over $110,000 paid about $24,900.
The amount of support Ohio State University provides for low-income students is comparable to that of the average public AAU school. For students from households earning less than $30,000, OSU provides an average of $20,100 in grant aid as compared to an average of $19,700 among all public AAU schools. The University also provides slightly more support for students from households earning between $30,000 and $48,000, but slightly less support for students from households earning between $48,000 and $75,000.
Footnote 1: Average grant aid is defined as the average amount of grant and scholarship aid from federal, state or local governments, or institutional sources awarded to full-time, first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduates paying the in-state or in-district tuition rate who were awarded title IV federal student aid. Title IV aid to students includes grant aid, work study aid, and loan aid. These include: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant), Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant, Federal Work-Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Subsidized Direct or FFEL Stafford Loan, and Unsubsidized Direct or FFEL Stafford Loan.
The 150% BA graduation rate is relatively consistent among race/ethnicity groups, with most being above 70%. The lowest graduation rates are among male Black and Multiracial students. Female students generally have a higher graduation rate than male students across most race/ethnicity groups. OSU also generally has higher graduation rates compared to the average public AAU school.
Generally, tenured faculty have the greatest level of influence due to their role in decision-making and senior-level administrative leadership, although non-tenure track faculty also make valuable contributions. As shown below, Black/African American faculty make up 4.1% of all faculty at OSU in 2020, with greatest representation at the level of assistant professor. While this percentage represents some growth in tenured Black faculty, a much-needed development, Black faculty continue to be underrepresented at the level of full professor, making up only 2.7% of full professors.
Call to Action
While OSU has made some strides in recent years to foster a more accessible, diverse, and inclusive campus community, it is clear there is still work to be done.
To learn more about the REASON Project and the Ohio REASON Coalition:
- Visit our webpage
- Read this Chicago Tribune article about the REASON Project
- Join the Ohio REASON Coalition email list
To learn more about racial equity efforts at OSU:
- Task Force on Racism and Racial Inequities Report: April 2022
About the REASON project
To address the enduring disconnect between the racial makeup of flagship universities and that of their home states, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law launched The REASON Project, a multi-year effort to convene key stakeholders — civil rights, education, and advocacy organizations, policy experts, civil rights allies, alumni, and student-organizers — to create comprehensive strategies for increasing racial equity at The Ohio State University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.