Quad

Head-to-head

U. Pittsburgh
Ohio State

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Ohio State has 2.2× as many undergrads as U. Pittsburgh

    Undergrads
  2. 2

    Ohio State costs about $7.1K less per year on average than U. Pittsburgh ($30,715 vs. $37,774, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  3. 3

    Ohio State's yield is 9 pts higher than U. Pittsburgh's

    Yield rate
  4. 4

    Ohio State has 6 pts more Pell recipients than U. Pittsburgh (20% vs. 14%)

    Pell Grant recipients
  5. 5

    U. Pittsburgh grads earn $5.7K more ten years out than Ohio State's ($66,125 vs. $60,409)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs
  6. 6

    Ohio State has 5 pts more first-gen students than U. Pittsburgh (26% vs. 21%)

    First-generation students

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Who's hardest to get into

U. Pittsburgh admits 58%, Ohio State 61%; Ohio State's yield is higher, at 22%.

Acceptance rate
U. Pittsburgh58%
Ohio State61%
Quad's selectivity
  • U. PittsburghVery selective
  • Ohio StateVery selective
SAT middle 50%Axis 1200–1600
U. Pittsburgh
1280–1450
Ohio State
1310–1480
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • U. PittsburghRigor and GPA very importantweighted GPAs
  • Ohio StateGPA, school record, rank, and prep program required

Who's on each campus

Ohio State has 2.2× as many undergrads as U. Pittsburgh and has the larger Pell share.

Undergrads
U. Pittsburgh20.4K
Ohio State45.6K
Pell Grant share
U. Pittsburgh14%
Ohio State20%

Majors and faculty

Research and Experimental Psychology leads at U. Pittsburgh, and Finance at Ohio State; U. Pittsburgh has 13 students per faculty member to Ohio State's 16.

Students per faculty member
U. Pittsburgh13 to 1
Ohio State16 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • U. PittsburghResearch and Experimental Psychology, Other10%
  • Ohio StateFinance, General8%

What each costs

Ohio State costs about $7.1K less a year than U. Pittsburgh on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
U. Pittsburgh$37.8K
Ohio State$30.7K
Aid generosity
U. Pittsburgh19%
Ohio State23%

What each pays off

U. Pittsburgh's former students earn more, a median $66.1K ten years after enrolling; both graduate more than 80% within six years.

Median earnings, 10 years
U. Pittsburgh$66.1K
Ohio State$60.4K
Graduation rate
U. Pittsburgh82%
Ohio State82%

How each has changed

Applications grew at both; both got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • U. PittsburghGrowing+99%
  • Ohio StateGrowing+98%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Common Data Set 2025–26, Fall 2025;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2019;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why