When Ohio University opened its doors in 1808, it consisted of just one building, one professor and three students. Today it has 11 colleges, nearly 40,000 students and a total of 5,177 employees across its campuses.

At the heart of Ohio University is its main Athens campus spanning roughly 1,850 acres, with the picturesque College Green at its centre. Defined by brick walkways and towering shade trees, the Green is home to three of the university’s oldest buildings: the Cutler, McGuffey and Wilson halls. All are of Georgian design and the 1816 Cutler building has been designated a national historic landmark.

As well as Athens, there are five regional campuses plus three satellite centres.  These function as cultural and educational centres for the wider community as well as the university. Here, students can complete an Ohio University baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or begin their study here before transferring to the Athens campus to complete their coursework. The regional campuses work well for local students wishing to live at home.

With a global alumni network of roughly 200,000, Ohio University has graduated a number of famous people from a variety of fields. These include Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman, CEO of Fox News, Roger Ailes, and Nancy Cartwright, otherwise known as the voice of Bart Simpson.

Students and alumni are referred to as bobcats after the university’s mascot.

Partnering with high schools, the university offers teachers in the southeast of Ohio first-hand training in the research of science, technology, engineering and maths education. Similarly, its Virtual Immersive Technologies and Arts for Learning (VITAL) lab, working with the Smithsonian Institution, has produced an online gallery of Latino art and culture.

Established in 1983, the Business Innovation Centre was the first university-based business incubator in the state. Through it, local businesses are given an opportunity to launch their ideas. It is estimated that, since its inception, the initiative has helped more than 100 businesses create over 1000 jobs. 

Ohio University has been classified as a high activity research university by the Carnegie Foundation.