If you’ve ever stood on the corner of High Street and Lane Avenue on a Saturday morning, you know it feels like the entire population of a mid-sized city is trying to squeeze into one zip code. It’s loud. It’s crowded. And it’s undeniably massive. But when people ask how many students attend Ohio State, they usually settle for a ballpark figure like "60,000-ish" and move on.
Honestly? That’s not quite right.
The real numbers for the 2025-2026 academic year tell a much more nuanced story about where higher education is heading. As of the latest autumn census, the total enrollment across all Ohio State University campuses has climbed to 67,255 students. That is a lot of Buckeyes. While many universities are bracing for the "enrollment cliff"—that dreaded demographic dip experts have been warning about for years—Ohio State actually saw a 0.5% bump in its total headcount compared to last year.
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Breaking Down the 67,255: More Than Just the Columbus Campus
Most people focus strictly on the Columbus campus. It’s the mothership. It’s where the 100,000-seat stadium lives. For the current term, the Columbus campus alone hosts 61,326 students.
But if you only look at Columbus, you’re missing nearly 6,000 people.
The university’s regional campuses are actually the ones doing the heavy lifting when it comes to growth right now. While Columbus saw a tiny 0.2% dip in its specific population, the regional campuses exploded with an 8.6% increase. We are talking about a major shift in how students are choosing to start their college careers.
- Newark: 2,877 students
- Marion: 926 students
- Mansfield: 911 students
- Lima: 730 students
- Wooster (ATI): 485 students
Why the sudden surge in the smaller branches? It’s basically about the money. Ohio State recently rolled out some pretty aggressive tuition-free programs for in-state students attending regional campuses if their family income is under $100,000. It's a smart play. A student can start at Mansfield or Newark, pay significantly less, and then transition to the main campus later to finish that degree. It's becoming the "secret" path to a Columbus diploma without the Columbus price tag.
The Graduate School Record
While undergraduates make up the lion's share of the population—about 52,553 students—the real news this year is in the graduate and professional tiers. Graduate student enrollment hit an all-time record high of 11,463.
This isn't just people hanging around because they don't want to get a job. It reflects a massive investment in research and high-level certifications. If you add the 3,239 professional students (those in law, medicine, dentistry, etc.), you realize that nearly a quarter of the people walking around campus already have at least one degree under their belt.
The International Shift and the Visa Reality
You can't talk about how many students attend Ohio State without looking at the global footprint. This is where things get a bit complicated.
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For years, international enrollment was the engine of growth. Not this year. The number of first-year international students plummeted by about 37% this autumn. We went from a record high of over 6,300 international students in 2024 down to 5,996.
What happened? A mix of policy and planning. University spokesperson Chris Booker noted that last year was "unusually high" and this year is a return to a more "balanced" size. But there’s no ignoring the elephant in the room: visa issues. Between temporary pauses in student visa interviews and more aggressive vetting for students from certain countries, the pipeline from places like China and India has hit some friction. Specifically, Chinese student enrollment dropped by 9%, though they still represent the largest international group with over 3,200 students.
Who is the Average Buckeye in 2026?
If you were to pick a random student out of a crowd on the Oval, who would they be?
Statistically, they are likely from Ohio. Roughly 71.6% of the student body (48,148 people) are in-state residents. The rest come from all 50 states and over 100 countries. If they aren't from Ohio, there's a good chance they're from New York, Illinois, or New Jersey—the three biggest "feeder" states for the university.
The gender split is almost a perfect 50/50, though women have a slight edge at about 52%. This is a trend mirrored across most large public universities in the U.S. right now.
Diversity by the Numbers
The university is hovering at about 30% students of color.
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- Asian students: ~6,214
- Black students: ~4,715
- Hispanic students: ~3,565
These aren't just faceless stats. They represent a massive shift from 20 years ago when the campus was significantly less diverse. However, the university is currently navigating a tricky legal landscape. Like many other institutions, Ohio State has been under federal scrutiny regarding "race-exclusionary practices" following recent Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action. You can see the university treading carefully in their admissions reports, focusing more on "intellectual diversity" and regional access than the old-school demographic quotas.
The Freshman Squeeze
Getting in is getting harder. That's the bottom line.
For the 2025-2026 cycle, the freshman class in Columbus actually shrank by about 14%, coming in at 8,210 new students. Compare that to the previous year when they admitted over 9,500.
Why the cutback? Because the campus was literally bursting at the seams. Last year’s "mega-class" caused a housing nightmare. Students were being tucked into converted common rooms and study lounges. This year's smaller intake is what the administration calls a "course correction." They want fewer students, but they want them to be higher achieving. The average ACT score for incoming freshmen is now hovering around 30, with a mean SAT of 1400+.
Basically, if you aren't in the top 10% of your high school class, your chances of getting into the Columbus campus as a freshman are becoming slim. This is exactly why those regional campus numbers are spiking—it’s the new "side door" for thousands of hopeful Buckeyes.
Actionable Insights for Prospective Students
If you are looking at these numbers and trying to figure out your own path to becoming one of those 67,255 students, here is the reality of the 2026 landscape:
- Consider the Regional Start: If your GPA is solid but your test scores aren't in that top 5% bracket, apply to a regional campus first. You’ll save thousands in tuition and the "campus change" process to Columbus is virtually guaranteed once you hit 30 credit hours with a 2.0 GPA.
- The Transfer Advantage: Roughly 7% of the undergraduate body are transfer students. OSU is becoming much friendlier to community college transfers, especially from Columbus State.
- Watch the Graduate Trends: With graduate enrollment at record highs, competition for funded fellowships is fierce. If you're applying for a Master's or PhD, your research fit with specific faculty matters more than your raw GRE scores.
- Housing Reality: Even with a smaller freshman class, off-campus housing in the University District is at a premium. If you're planning to attend, start your housing search in October of the year before you move.
The scale of Ohio State is its greatest strength and its biggest headache. Navigating a system with 67,000 other people requires a bit of strategy, but the sheer volume of resources available—from the 15+ colleges to the massive alumni network—is why those enrollment numbers stay high year after year.
Stay updated on the official university census dates, usually released in late September, for the most accurate headcounts. If you're planning a visit, avoid the mid-semester peaks unless you really enjoy fighting for a spot at the Mirror Lake Eatery.
Next Steps for You: - Check your eligibility for the Land Grant Opportunity Scholarship if you are an Ohio resident.
- Map out the transfer requirements if you’re considering starting at a regional campus to save on the $13,244 in-state tuition.
- Review the specific enrollment caps for high-demand majors like Nursing and Engineering, which often have separate, more competitive entry requirements than the general university.