How Many Universities and Colleges Are in Columbus, Ohio?

Columbus has more than 20 colleges and universities within the metro area, making it one of the more concentrated higher-education markets in the Midwest.

The largest by a significant margin is Ohio State University, the main campus of which sits in the University District just north of downtown. OSU enrolls roughly 60,000 students on that campus alone, making it one of the largest single-campus enrollments in the United States. Columbus State Community College, located on Cleveland Avenue near downtown, serves around 20,000 students per year and functions as the most affordable entry point into higher education in the city, with in-county tuition running under $5,000 per year for full-time students.

Franklin University, based in downtown Columbus, focuses heavily on working adults and offers flexible online and evening programs across business, technology, and healthcare fields. Capital University is a smaller private institution in Bexley, a suburb immediately east of Columbus, with an enrollment of roughly 3,000 and a well-regarded law school. DeVry University and Chamberlain University both maintain Columbus-area campuses oriented toward career and nursing programs respectively.

Ohio Dominican University, also on the east side of Columbus near Capital, rounds out the private four-year options within city limits.

If you are comparing tuition, Columbus State is the lowest-cost option for the first two years, and credits are transferable to OSU under the Articulation and Transfer policy.