Kentucky vs. ONU

Should I go to University of Kentucky or Ohio Northern University? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Kentucky or ONU is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of Kentucky vs. Ohio Northern University comparison
University of Kentucky Ohio Northern University College 3 College 4
University of Kentucky Ohio Northern University
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Overview

 Kentucky ONU
Location Lexington, KY Ada, OH
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 32,703 3,042
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #421 #231
Religious Affiliation - United Methodist - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uky.edu onu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Kentucky ONU
Tuition (In State) $11,849 $36,500
Tuition (Out of State) $32,043 $36,500
Room & Board $15,242 $13,200
Avg Net Price $19,838 $26,396
Avg Grant Aid $13,024 $26,120
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 96%

Admission

 Kentucky ONU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 28,233 4,537
Admitted 26,083 3,328
Acceptance Rate 92.4% 73.4%
Enrolled % 24.7% 17.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.59 3.78
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 21/28 25/29
SAT Range 1080/1290 1173/1376
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2026 Aug 15, 2026

Academics

 Kentucky ONU
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (19%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Education (7%)

Outcomes

 Kentucky ONU
Graduation Rate 59% 65%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $71,200
Making Student Loan Payments 62% 82%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,750 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $235 $279

Diversity

 Kentucky ONU
% Men 9% 6%
% Women 17% 9%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 76% 84%
% Black 8% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 1%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 3% 3%

Students

 Kentucky ONU
% In-State 58% 83%
% Out-of-State 40% 16%

Campus

 Kentucky ONU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Kentucky is larger than than ONU based on total student enrollment (32,703 students vs. 3,042 students)

Kentucky vs. ONU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Kentucky or ONU?

  • Ohio Northern University is 208% more expensive to attend than Kentucky for in-state tuition ($36,500.00 vs. $11,849.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 13.9% higher at ONU than University of Kentucky ($36,500.00 vs. $32,043.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Kentucky than ONU ($19,838 vs. $26,396)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Ohio Northern University are 15.5% lower than costs at University of Kentucky ($13,200 vs. $15,242)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at University of Kentucky as Ohio Northern University (96% vs. 96%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Ohio Northern University students is 100.6% larger than aid received University of Kentucky ($26,120 vs. $13,024)

Kentucky vs. ONU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Kentucky or ONU? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between ONU or Kentucky .

  • The average SAT score at Ohio Northern University (1158) is 15 points higher than at Kentucky (1143)
  • Incoming ONU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at Kentucky (25)
  • Accepted freshman ONU students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.78) than students at Kentucky (3.59)
  • Kentucky has a higher acceptance rate (92.4%) than ONU (73.4%)

Kentucky vs. ONU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Kentucky or ONU? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between ONU and Kentucky.

  • The graduation rate at ONU is higher than University of Kentucky (65% vs. 59%)
  • Graduates from Ohio Northern University earn on average $20,200 more per year than Kentucky graduates after ten years. ($71,200 vs. $51,000)
  • University of Kentucky students graduate with a $4,250 lower median federal student loan debt than ONU graduates. ($22,750 vs. $27,000)
  • Kentucky graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than ONU graduates. ($235 vs. $279)
  • More ONU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Kentucky students, three years after graduation. (82% vs. 62%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/