2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Ohio
[Art History](/majors/visual-and-performing-arts/fine-and-studio-arts/art-history/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 26 schools to find the best return on investment for art history students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Art History Schools in Ohio
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the art history degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Art History Schools
For return on investment in art history, no school beat Youngstown State University this year. Youngstown State University is a large public school located in the city of Youngstown. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,926, compared with $10,286 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $31,000. Art History graduates of Youngstown State University earn a median of $49,025 early in their careers. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 84%.
A rank of #2 makes Ohio State University Main Campus one of the best values for art history. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $13,244, compared with $40,022 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $26,849 to complete the art history program here. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from Ohio State University Main Campus generally make around $29,186. Set against $26,849 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
Wright State University Main Campus is a great value for students pursuing a degree in art history, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Dayton, Wright State University Main Campus is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,991, with out-of-state students paying around $20,691. Students borrow a median of $29,259 to complete the art history program here. Art History graduates of Wright State University Main Campus earn a median of $22,631 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $29,259 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Toledo one of the best values for art history. Set in the city of Toledo, University Of Toledo is a large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,157, with out-of-state students paying around $21,517. Students borrow a median of $26,750 to complete the art history program here. Art History graduates of University Of Toledo earn a median of $52,675 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $26,750 median debt. University Of Toledo admits about 92% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in art history will find it at Cleveland State University, which ranked #5. Cleveland State University is a large public school located in the city of Cleveland. In-state tuition and fees average $12,982, compared with $18,502 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $27,978 to complete the art history program here. Early-career art history graduates make about $23,352. That is a strong return on a $27,978 median debt. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio University Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value art history schools. Set in the town of Athens, Ohio University Main Campus is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,158 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $24,838. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the art history program here. Art History graduates of Ohio University Main Campus earn a median of $29,756 early in their careers. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Ohio University Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent came in at #7 for value in art history this year. Located in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, with out-of-state students paying around $21,575. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $28,501. Early-career art history graduates make about $19,138. That is a strong return on a $28,501 median debt. Kent State University At Kent admits about 86% of applicants.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus came in at #8 for value in art history this year. Located in the town of Bowling Green, Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,912, while out-of-state students pay about $21,900. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $27,000. Early-career art history graduates make about $31,128. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Bowling Green State University Main Campus admits about 81% of applicants.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #9 position for value in art history this year. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,363, with out-of-state students paying around $28,697. Art History graduates carry a median of $28,943 in student loans. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus generally make around $29,431. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 85%.
The College Of Wooster placed #10 among the best values for art history. The College Of Wooster is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Wooster. Students from in state pay about $61,640 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for art history graduates is $25,936. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from The College Of Wooster generally make around $32,382. That is a strong return on a $25,936 median debt. The College Of Wooster admits about 60% of applicants.
Miami University Oxford placed #11 among the best values for art history. Located in the town of Oxford, Miami University Oxford is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $17,519, while out-of-state students pay about $38,965. Art History graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career art history graduates make about $24,912. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.
Kenyon College landed the #12 spot for art history value this year. Kenyon College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of Gambier. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $71,520. Art History graduates carry a median of $15,500 in student loans. Art History graduates of Kenyon College earn a median of $23,082 early in their careers. Set against $15,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Kenyon College admits about 31% of applicants.
Columbus College Of Art And Design landed the #13 spot for art history value this year. Located in the city of Columbus, Columbus College Of Art And Design is a small private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $40,825. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the art history program here. Soon after graduation, art history degree recipients from Columbus College Of Art And Design generally make around $26,074. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 68% of applicants are accepted.
Oberlin College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best value art history schools. Located in the town of Oberlin, Oberlin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $67,366 in tuition and fees. Art History graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Art History graduates of Oberlin College earn a median of $25,146 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Oberlin College admits about 34% of applicants.
More Art History Rankings
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 26 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 11 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
