Financial Aid

Ohio State Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

Ohio State gave merit aid averaging $7,336 to 2,508 first-year students who had no financial need, about 50% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships Ohio State gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$7,336

Freshmen who got one

2,508

of 8,224 in the class

Share of those without need

50%

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$17,907

Average percent of need met

73%

Freshmen with need

39%

3,202 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $20,792.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me Ohio State's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Ohio State give merit scholarships?

Ohio State gave merit aid averaging $7,336 to 2,508 first-year students who had no financial need, about 50% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at Ohio State?

$7,336 for first-year students without financial need, according to Ohio State's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does Ohio State meet full financial need?

Ohio State reports meeting 73% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.

What share of Ohio State freshmen have financial need?

3,202 of 8,224 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 39%, were found to have financial need.

Source: Ohio State’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.