Ohio State University

Columbus, OH · founded 1870 · 60,000 students · public research university · Big Ten

Known for: One of the largest universities in the United States, Ohio State is a premier public research university famous for its academic breadth, top-ranked medical center, and an exceptionally powerful athletics program with a massive, devoted fan base.

Rankings

U.S. News national: #43
QS World: #140
Times Higher Education: #85
ARWU Shanghai: #101
Forbes: #99

Top programmes

Business
Engineering
Medicine
Education
Political Science
Psychology

Notable alumni

Neil Armstrong — Astronaut, first person to walk on the moon
Urban Meyer — Championship-winning college football coach
R. L. Stine — Author of the 'Goosebumps' series
Patricia Heaton — Actress, star of 'Everybody Loves Raymond'
Larry Sanger — Co-founder of Wikipedia
Jesse Owens — Olympic gold medalist track and field athlete
George Steinbrenner — Former principal owner of the New York Yankees
Roy Lichtenstein — Pop art painter and sculptor

Traditions

Script Ohio
Mirror Lake Jump (now paused)
Carmen Ohio
TBDBITL (The Best Damn Band In The Land)

If Ohio State University were…

As a food: Chicago deep-dish pizza — Massive, unapologetically indulgent, and polarizing to outsiders who don't get the appeal. It's not trying to be refined — it's trying to feed 65,000 people and make them feel like they're part of something huge and deli
As an athlete: LeBron James — Ohio-born, impossibly large presence, dominates its conference year after year, and has a chip on its shoulder about national respect despite the stats. Everyone knows the name, and the fanbase is rabid.
As a person alive today: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson — Huge, charismatic, appeals to the masses, incredibly hardworking behind the scenes, and has successfully branded itself as both serious (academics/research) and fun (football Saturdays). Everyone wants a piece.
As a historical figure: Jesse Owens — OSU's most iconic alum, who proved excellence on the world stage while representing the Midwest work ethic. The university literally named its athletics complex after him — he's the origin story of Buckeye pride.
As a movie or TV show: Friday Night Lights (TV series) — Football is religion, community identity is wrapped up in the team's success, and beneath the stadium lights there's genuine academic ambition and working-class grit. Clear eyes, full hearts, Go Bucks.
As a US president: William Howard Taft — Big, Midwestern, solid if unspectacular in the history books, but deeply competent and more accomplished than people give credit for. Also, Taft was from Ohio — the state that produces presidents and Big Ten dominance.
As a city: Chicago — Big Ten's biggest city-like campus, Midwestern to the core, unpretentious but proud, with world-class resources hidden behind a working-class ethos. Everyone underestimates it until they visit.
As an element: Iron — Abundant, strong, foundational to building things, and the backbone of American industry. Ohio State is the structural steel of public universities — not flashy, but holding up a massive operation with reliable strength.
As a car: 2020 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 High Country — Ohio State is the fully-loaded American mega-truck—massive campus presence, Big Ten power, Buckeye-scarlet pride that seats 100,000, alumni network stretching across every ZIP code, and the confident dominance of knowing

Campus life

OSU offers a quintessential big-ten college experience in the major city of Columbus. Campus life is dominated by school spirit, especially around football, a massive Greek system, and hundreds of student organizations, creating a vibrant, all-encompassing community.