Ohio Northern University

Ohio Northern University is an independent, comprehensive University located in the scenic village of Ada, Ohio. The University comprises five colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering, Pharmacy and Law. Since our inception in 1871, we’ve been devoted to developing students who are ready to immerse themselves and progress to the next level
 in everything they do.

Influenced by a unique history and an enduring affiliation with the United Methodist Church, Ohio Northern University’s mission is to provide a high quality learning environment that prepares students for success in their careers, service to their communities, the nation, and the world, and a lifetime of personal growth inspired by the higher values of truth, beauty, and goodness. The University’s distinctive academic program includes mutually supporting liberal and professional education components that integrate practice with theory, complemented by excellent co-curricular offerings that enrich the Northern experience. To fulfill this mission, faculty and staff engage with students so they can learn to think critically, creatively, and entrepreneurially, communicate effectively, gain practical experience, solve problems collaboratively, and act as ethical and responsible members of a global community.

Ohio Northern University’s vision is to be among the best private, comprehensive universities in the nation, known for programs of excellence and distinction and recognized for effectively integrating arts and sciences disciplines, professional studies, high impact learning, and civic engagement.

ONU has a rich history of academic excellence, and we’re always evolving to meet society’s ever-changing needs. We’ve most recently been recognized for teaching quality, high graduation rates, commitment to volunteer service and, most impressively, providing a high return on investment for our graduates.

Our values at ONU have been influenced by a unique history and an enduring affiliation with the United Methodist Church. We’re inspired by the higher values of truth, beauty and goodness. Above all, our mission is to prepare students for success in their careers and service to their communities, the nation and the world.

Students at ONU work closely with faculty so they can learn to think critically, creatively and entrepreneurially. The practical experience they gain at ONU, along with creative exploration outside of the classroom, prepares students for a lifetime of personal growth.

At Ohio Northern University, we’re constantly striving for excellence in academics, even if that means redefining it. Our 95 percent placement rate for graduates has beaten the national average for the last seven years, and that’s no coincidence.

Across all of our nationally ranked programs, we’re observing needs in society and striving to fill them. And because we’re a small university, we can easily adapt our programs to prepare students for specific roles in an ever-changing world. No matter our field of study, at ONU we’re exploring what excites us, solving puzzles and discovering new possibilities.

Ohio Northern University Study Abroad is dedicated to furthering the educational goals of the institution by providing students with challenging opportunities in uniquely different learning environments and cultural settings. The international dimension of the university seeks to develop in students an interest, understanding, and appreciation of other peoples and a cultivation of a spirit of world citizenship within the university community.

With a focus on broadening our student’s international perspective and supporting their individual growth and intellectual development, ONU Study Abroad is committed to promoting intercultural understanding, acquisition of language and communication skills, providing appropriate academic learning opportunities, and encouraging leadership, service to the community, maturity and tolerance.

At ONU, you don’t have to wait a year to begin your program of choice. When you apply to Ohio Northern University, you apply to one of our five colleges. And when you’re accepted, you’re immediately part of the college and can begin taking classes toward your degree.

Our beautiful campus is an open frontier for exploration and fun during your years at ONU. You’ll find plenty to see and do in and around Ada, Ohio, and there’s always something happening on campus. Excitement, creativity and tradition are the cornerstones of campus life at Ohio Northern.

Life after college can be uncertain for many graduates, but at ONU, you have an advantage. You’ll be prepared for a wide range of jobs with a strong liberal arts foundation. The relationships you build with your professors will open doors to the professional world. And no matter what career awaits you, the staff at Polar Careers will assist you with developing a variety of search strategies to find internships and co-ops, seek professional employment, or enter graduate or professional school and more.

We welcome diversity in all its forms at ONU. When you surround yourself with people from different backgrounds and cultures, you begin to look at the world through a new lens. Nineteen percent of our students are from other states and foreign countries, and the Office of Multicultural Development works to create an inclusive campus environment for everyone. We encourage you to develop new, diverse relationships at ONU.

Ohio Northern’s ambitious, pioneering attitude has been alive since the very beginning. The school started with a single person and a single idea. With the help of the community, Henry Solomon Lehr founded the Northwestern Ohio Normal School in 1871. When the college’s curriculum grew to include pharmacy, engineering, law and business programs, its name was changed to Ohio Normal University and, eventually, in 1903, Ohio Northern University.

In 1899, the University affiliated with the United Methodist Church and more intentionally embraced church-related values. From these beginnings, Ohio Northern University has developed a focus on teaching, learning, scholarship, professional practice and a campus environment that’s centered on students, service and values.