The Ohio State University vs. University of Michigan

Michigan is markedly harder, admitting about 15.6% of applicants against 60.6% at Ohio State, roughly four times the share. The admitted profiles track that gap: Michigan's enrolled middle-50% SAT runs 1360–1530 (ACT 31–34), while Ohio State's sits at 1280–1430 (ACT 26–32). Out-of-state odds tighten at both schools beyond what the headline rate suggests, since each fills most of its class from home, with only about 30% of Ohio State undergraduates and 45% of Michigan's coming from out of state.

On out-of-state sticker, Ohio State runs cheaper, about $42,423 in tuition and fees against $63,962 at Michigan, a gap near $21,000 a year before aid. Michigan claws some of that back by meeting far more demonstrated need, about 91% on average to Ohio State's 76%, and its average aid package runs larger ($35,086 versus $20,872). A similar share of first-years gets need-based aid at each school, roughly 39% at Michigan and 37% at Ohio State, so a high-need applicant sees the gap narrow, while full-pay families still pay far less at Ohio State.

Both run top engineering programs, though Michigan loads more weight onto the technical side. Engineering accounts for about 23% of Michigan's degrees and sits next to computer science, its single largest field at about 25%, so the campus tilts hard toward technical work. Ohio State grants engineering at roughly 15% of degrees, behind business at 20% and ahead of the health professions at 10%, inside a broader land-grant university. A CS-and-engineering-forward environment points you to Michigan, while Ohio State pairs a strong engineering track with business and the health sciences.

For business, Ohio State weights it more heavily in its degree mix, where it ranks as the single most-conferred field at about 20% of bachelor's degrees, ahead of engineering and the health professions. At Michigan business also ranks among the top fields but lands third, around 20% of degrees, behind computer science (25%) and engineering (23%). Both grant business at scale, so the difference shows up in the surrounding culture: Ohio State builds a large public flagship around business, while Michigan sets it inside a more engineering- and computing-led class.

They split here. Ohio State stays test-optional, so the SAT or ACT helps without being required, and among Ohio State students who submit, the middle 50% score 1280–1430 on the SAT and 26–32 on the ACT. Michigan requires standardized scores, drawing an enrolled middle-50% SAT of 1360–1530 and ACT of 31–34. Scores below Ohio State's band can stay off your application there, but Michigan expects them either way.

Enrolling about 46,815 undergraduates to Michigan's 34,454, Ohio State runs larger, ranking among the biggest universities in the country. Teaching scale lands close, with a 14:1 student-faculty ratio at Ohio State and 15:1 at Michigan, and nearly all first-years live on campus at both. Each retains and graduates students strongly, Ohio State posting a 94% first-year retention rate and 88% six-year graduation rate, Michigan reaching 97% and 93%.