At Ohio Wesleyan, it really is all about connection.
Over and over, Ohio Wesleyan graduates link their jobs or graduate school placements directly to their liberal arts educations and their OWU Connection experiences.
Ohio Wesleyan’s signature program, The OWU Connection gives you the support, resources, and guidance you need to become the person you want to be. The OWU Connection will help you:
- Think Big as you work closely with professors and classmates to understand and address complex issues from multiple academic disciplines.
- Go Global as you gain an international perspective aided by a wide array of travel-learning opportunities and a campus that traditionally welcomes students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 30 countries.
- Get Real as you put classroom learning to work through internships, mentored research, and other hands-on learning opportunities that expand academic theory into real-world practice.
The OWU Connection includes unique Travel-Learning Courses letting you complete a semester of classwork followed by a short trip with your professor to see how your theoretical learning applies in real-word situations. Recent examples include traveling to Italy to study Renaissance and Baroque Italian master composers and traveling to England, Denmark, and the Netherlands to analyze health care systems from those and other countries.
Through The OWU Connection, you also are able to write your own grant proposals, seeking university funding to support original research anywhere in the world. Since the program began, students have used these grants for academic experiences in more than 60 countries. Recent examples include traveling to Tahiti to study the long-term impact of nuclear testing in French Polynesia and visiting Spain to study female empowerment in Spanish Classical Theater.
REAL RESULTS
To better understand the impact of The OWU Connection, we’d like you to meet 2019 graduate Allisa Schuller.
As a student, Allisa earned two university-funded OWU Connection grants to support internships at Goodman Media International in New York City and Spark Foundry in Seattle, where she began working as a full-time strategy associate right after graduation.
“OWU has supported me, funded me, and cheered me on when I really needed them most,” says Allisa, a business administration-marketing major. “I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without those (OWU Connection) grants and the support I have received from this school.”
Indeed, employers covet Ohio Wesleyan’s well-prepared graduates. In 2018, 96% of reporting graduates were employed, enrolled in grad school, or taking a voluntary gap year within six months of earning their degrees. And when it comes to grad school admission, our alumni also have a strong record of success.
For 2019, Ohio Wesleyan is ranked at No. 68 among all U.S. colleges (public and private) for the percentage of STEM graduates who later earn doctoral degrees in STEM fields. The same survey – based on 2007-2016 data from the National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and Survey of Earned Doctorates – ranked OWU at No. 46 for women who earn doctorates and No. 21 for women who earn doctorates in either the life sciences or biological sciences.
In addition, Ohio Wesleyan included on the latest “best of” lists published by U.S. News & World Report, The Princeton Review, Fiske, and Forbes – and we’re featured in the newest edition of the guidebook Colleges That Change Lives, which calls Ohio Wesleyan “a shining beacon of what happens when a campus embraces collaboration in the context of liberal learning. … This is the stuff of higher education.”
IS OWU FOR YOU?
Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan is a private, coed, independent, undergraduate liberal arts university located in Delaware, Ohio, a growing suburban city of nearly 43,000 people. OWU (pronounced “oh-wooo”) is located about 30 minutes north of Columbus, the state capital and nation’s 14th-largest city. Combined, they offer small-town amenities and friendliness coupled with a rich cultural life, professional sports, fine dining and shopping, and myriad opportunities for internships and service learning.
Ohio Wesleyan offers over 90 majors – more than many similar colleges nationwide – including Business, Data Analytics, Fine Arts, Communication, and Education; scientific fields such as Neuroscience and Zoology; and a wide range of pre-professional areas, such as Medicine, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Law, Public Administration, and Engineering.
The university confers Bachelor of Arts, Fine Arts, Music, and Science degrees. There are no graduate programs – or graduate teaching assistants – at Ohio Wesleyan. 100% of our tenure-track professors hold a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree in their field. And all faculty members are classroom teachers strongly committed to mentoring students and helping them earn their OWU diplomas. You’ll get plenty of personalized attention. Our current student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1, and our average class size is 15 students.
The university has historic ties to the Methodist Church, but welcomes and supports students of all faith traditions. Ohio Wesleyan students also have a long history of participating in community service, typically completing a combined 40,000 hours of service each academic year. Examples of student service include mentoring young people through Big Brothers Big Sisters, removing debris from local rivers, and providing translation assistance for local agencies and residents.
If you asked President Rock Jones to share the mission of Ohio Wesleyan, he would tell you OWU is committed to educating moral leaders for the global society.
DIFFERENTIATING PROGRAMS
OWU offers many academic opportunities of note to ensure a rich learning experience, including:
- The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University – a business accelerator that gives would-be entrepreneurs access to OWU student-interns able to conduct market research, create marketing plans, create brand materials, and more. Currently, three student-owned businesses also operate out of the center. (On a related note: Forbes magazine ranked Ohio Wesleyan as No. 1 in Ohio and No. 17 in the United States on its latest list of America’s Most Entrepreneurial Colleges.)
- The New York Arts Program – a semester-away program that lets you live and work in the Big Apple. Recent OWU students interned at “Saturday Night Live,” Atlantic Pictures and Break Thru Films, and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
- The Summer Science Research Program – a 10-week program that allows you to conduct original research under the mentorship of their professors. (It’s not uncommon for participating students to collaborate on research papers submitted for publication in professional journals or to present findings at national conferences.)
- The Wesleyan in Washington Program – a semester-away program that lets you live, study, and work in D.C. interning at think tanks, politicians’ offices, or other influential organizations in the nation’s capital. Possible internships include with the Brookings Institution, Nature Conservancy, World Bank, and even the White House.
A RESIDENTIAL CAMPUS
Ohio Wesleyan is a residential campus, with up to 95% of students living in our residence halls, fraternities, and specialty housing, which includes an Honors House, House of Black Culture, and theme houses called Small Living Units that enable 12 students to live and learn together as they work on projects of common interest. Current SLUs include the Tree House (for students interested in environmental issues) and the Citizens of the World (CoW) House (for those interested in international issues.)
An ongoing $60-million Residential Renewal program is converting one residence hall into a first-year village for incoming students, funding the first phase of construction of new senior student apartments, revitalizing fraternity and adjacent theme houses, and improving two other residences halls. When the first-year residence hall is complete in fall 2021, it will feature double bedrooms, community bathrooms with private showers, lots of shared common space, and amenities designed to draw students out of their rooms to engage with one another and develop a strong sense of community.
All university meal plans include 24/7 access to freshly made, small-batch, locally sourced food with options to support all dietary needs – eliminating food security issues. The OWU Student Health Center also provides many basic services and medications at no cost, and you’ll have free round-the-clock access to primary care via your cell phone and the app-based healthcare provider 98point6.
GETTING INVOLVED
OWU offers nearly 90 student clubs and organizations, including three a cappella groups, a Women in Science (WinS) group, a marching band, an Investment Club that manages a $100,000+ stock portfolio, a Babbling Bishops improve comedy group – and everything in between.
The university has five fraternities and five sororities, with about a third of our students participating in Greek life. At OWU, fraternity and sorority members focus on fellowship, scholarship, philanthropy, and service. In 2019, one of our fraternities, Phi Gamma Delta, earned recognition for having highest comparative scholarship among all 147 FIJI chapters nationwide.
Ohio Wesleyan also offers intramural, club, and Battling Bishop varsity sports, with a majority of students taking part in at least one of these athletic offerings.
OWU is a competitive member of the NCAA Division III, North Coast Athletic Conference, and Mid-Atlantic Rowing Conference. We have 25 women’s and men’s varsity sports – 13 for women and 12 for men.
In 2018-2019, the Battling Bishops saw 81 scholar-athletes named to the NCAC Academic Honor Roll and had seven All-America selections. We hold nine NCAC All-Sports titles. During that same year, student Cirrus Robinson ’20 continued to raise the bar on athletic excellence – earning her fourth national title in the high jump (two indoor and two outdoor championships).
FINANCIAL AID
Ohio Wesleyan is committed to making an OWU education accessible. Over 97% of our students receive merit and/or need-based aid.
For the current academic year, the average aid package for first-year students topped $42,000 per person. We award approximately $14 million awarded in grants and scholarships annually to our incoming students.
If you have a cumulative high school GPA of 3.4 or higher and have either an 1150 SAT or 23 ACT score, you’ll automatically qualify for our Branch Rickey Scholarship, valued at $30,000 per year, renewable for up to four years. If you don’t qualify for this scholarship, we have others starting at $20,000.
According to Colleges That Change Lives: “On many counts, Ohio Wesleyan is one of the best academic bargains in the country. A chemistry professor voiced a prevailing faculty attitude when he said, ‘Regardless of where a kid comes from, we can take him somewhere.’ ”
Visit our Net Price Calculator to learn more.
WHAT STUDENTS SAY
We could share lots more information, but what do current and recent students say about their OWU experiences? Here’s a sample:
“OWU won me over when I saw the extent of its Ancient, Medieval, and Renaissance Studies program, and when I saw the jaw-dropping, drool-making, eye-bulging expanse of opportunities to study abroad. The small size was necessary as well.” – Michael ’17
I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because, as a person coming in undecided, the range of majors was very appealing. I loved their emphasis on travel, the resources they provide, and the financial aid they offer!” – Bridget ’20
“When making my college decision, I chose to attend Ohio Wesleyan because it combined both the academic and athletic needs that I wanted. The strong zoology and environmental science programs with close proximity to the Columbus Zoo was important to me. It gave me a close-knit, small-town that is easily accessible as well.” – Jenn ’21
“I chose OWU for many different reasons, which include the education department, field hockey program and coaches, size of the school, and the location from my house. As soon as I visited, I knew OWU was the place for me!” – Emily ’21
“Any student interested in research should definitely apply for the program as it prepares you for a life in your preferred field and provides opportunities which were previously inaccessible. … Being a part of the SSRP (Summer Science Research Program) emboldened me to continue with my plans of getting into grad school after OWU for astrophysics.” – Akul ’21
“I chose to go to OWU because it was the best option financially. But more importantly, I chose [Ohio Wesleyan] because of the liberal arts ideal of a diverse education and because of the dedication of the professors.” – Colin ’21
“It’s important to me to connect with my professors and peers, and I know that at OWU I’m more than just a number.” – Katy ’20
“This university has tons of traveling and connection opportunities. I am able to lead and learn about myself and many other cultures and communities. I am able to grow as a person here at this liberal arts college.” – Jenelle ’20
“It’s amazing. It’s a home, it’s a family, it’s a culture, it’s a community, it’s a place I love.” – Jeremy ’17
SPECIAL NOTICE FROM OWU
For everyone’s well-being, Ohio Wesleyan is not hosting on-campus visits at this time, but we invite you to take a virtual tour, create a custom viewbook, chat one-on-one with students, faculty, and staff, and connect in other ways as you search for the right school for you. Click here for a full list of ways to reach us. We’re here to help!
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