Student Financial Aid

​​

Ohio State determines the amount of financial aid you're eligible for by estimating the Cost of Attendance for the average student, then subtracting your Student Aid Index, taken from yourF​​AFSA​.

Cost of Attendance - Student Aid Index = Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The Cost of Attendance (COA) consists of the sum of educational costs payable to the school (also referred to as direct or billable costs) and costs paid to others (or indirect, non-billable or discretionary) costs. The Cost of Attendance represents the highest dollar amount of financial aid a student can receive during an academic year.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

The SAI is the eligibility index used to determine your eligibility for federal, and in some instances, state and institutional need-based student financial aid. Generally, students with a higher SAI are eligible for less need-based financial aid. It is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the FAFSA. 

Financial Need

The SAI is subtracted from the COA to establish your financial need, which determines how much need-based aid you are eligible for each academic year.

​Cost of Attendance 2025-2026 Academic Year

Ohio State University full-time, two semester academic year costs* reflected below may vary by program, credit hours enrolled, and living expenses (housing, food/dining) options.

Note: To view other cost of attendance figures, click on the appropriate tab above and select About Aid, Cost of Attendance.

Columbus campus​

Transfer Student, Ohio r​esident​​: Living on cam​pus
Category​Started college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025​Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$13,640​$13,244$12,858$12,484​$11,936​$11,518​
Living expenses: housing and food​$15,178​$14,738$14,312​$13,898​$13,288​$12,964​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,686​$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686
​Transportation​$732​$732$732$732$732$732
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$33,296 $32,460 $31,648 $30,860 $29,702 $28,960

Transfer Student, ​Ohio r​esident​​: Living off cam​pus
Category​Started college 2025-2026 Started college 2024-2025 Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$13,640​$13,244$12,858​$12,484​$11,936​$11,518​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$14,578​$14,578$14,578$14,578$14,578$14,578
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020$1,020$1,020​$1,020​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918
​Transportation​$732​$732$732$732​$732$732
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$32,928​$32,532 $32,146 $31,772 $31,224 ​$30,806

CategoryStarted college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$13,640​$13,244$12,858​$12,484​$11,936​$11,518​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$5,818​$5,818$5,818​$5,818$5,818$5,818​
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918
​Transportation​$2,664​$2,664$2,664$2,664​$2,664​$2,664​
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$26,100​$25,704 $25,318 $24,944 $24,396 $23,978

Transfer Student, Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
CategoryStarted college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$13,640​​$13,244$12,858$12,484​$11,936​$11,518​
Non-resident fees​$28,782​$28,782$28,782​$28,782​$28,782​​$28,782​
Living expenses: housing and food​$15,178​$15,178$15,178$15,178$15,178$15,178​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,686​$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686
​Transportation​$1,360​$1,360$1,360$1,360​$1,360​$1,360​
​Federal student loan fees​$40​​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
​Total Estimated Cost​$62,706​$62,310 $61,924 $61,550 $61,002 $60,584

​Transfer Student, Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living off campus
CategoryStarted college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​​$13,640​$13,244$12,858$12,484​$11,936​$11,518​
​​​Non-resident fees​​$28,782​$28,782$28,782$28,782$28,782$28,782​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$14,578​$14,578$14,578$14,578$14,578$14,578
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​$1,020​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918<$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918
​Transportation​​$1,360​​$1,360​$1,360​​​$1,360​$1,360​$1,360
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$62,338​$61,942 $61,556 $61,182 $60,634 $60,216

Regional campus and ATI

​​Transfer Student, Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
Category​Started college 2025-2026​Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$9,772​$9,488$9,212$8,944​$8,550​$8,236​​
Living expenses: housing and food​$12,652​$12,394$12,142$11,980​$11,980​​$11,980​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​​$1,020​$1,020​​
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,686​$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686
​Transportation​$756​$756$756$756$756$756​
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost $​26,926
​$26,384 $25,856 $25,426 $25,032 $24,718

Transfer Student, ​Ohio r​esident​​: Living off cam​pus
Category​Started college 2025-2026​Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$9772​$9,488$9,212$8,944$8,550​$8,236​​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$10,888​$10,888$10,888$10,888$10,888$10,888
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918
​Transportation​$1,386​$1,386$1,386$1,386$1,386$1,386
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$26,024 ​$25,740 $25,464 $25,196 $24,802 $24,488

Category​Started college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​$9,772​​$9,488$9,212$8,944$8,550$8,236​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$4,964​$4,964$4,964$4,964$4,964$4,964
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020​$1,020$1,020$1,020
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918​
​Transportation​$4,176​$4,176$4,176$4,176$4,176$4,176
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$22,890 ​$22,606 $22,330 $22,062  $21,668 $21,354

Transfer Student, Non-​Ohio resident​​: Living on campus
Category​Started college 2025-2026Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​​$9,772​​​$9,488$9,212$8,944​$8,550​$8,236
Non-resident fees​$28,782​$28,782$28,782$28,782​$28,782​​$28,782
Living expenses: housing and food​$12,652​$12,652$12,652$12,652$12,652$12,652
Estimated Indirect Costs
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​​$1,020​$1,020​​$1,020​$1,020​$1,020
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,686​$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686$2,686
​Transportation​$1,360​$1,360$1,360​$1,360​​$1,360$1,360​
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
​Total Estimated Cost​$56,312​$56,028 $55,752 $55,484 $55,090 $54,776

Transfer Student, Non-Ohio resident: Living off campus
Category​Started college 2025-2026​Started college 2024-2025Started college 2023-2024Started college 2022-2023​Started college 2021-2022Started college 2020-2021
Estimated Direct Costs
​​​Tuition and fees​​​$9,772​​​​$9,488$9.212$8,944​$8,550​$8,236​
​​​Non-resident fees​​​$28,782​$28,782$28,782$28,782$28,782$28,782​
Estimated Indirect Costs
Living expenses: housing and food​$10,888​$10,888$10,888$10,888$10,888$10,888
Books, supplies and equipment​$1,020​$1,020$1,020$1,020​$1,020​$1,020
​Miscellaneous personal expenses​$2,918​$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918$2,918
​Transportation​$1,360​$1,360$1,360$1,360$1,360$1,360
​Federal student loan fees​$40​$40$40​$40​$40​$40​
Total Estimated Cost ​$54,780 ​$54,496 $54,220 $53,952 $53,558 $53,244


*Final tuition and fees are approved annually during the May Board of Trustees meeting and may be subject to change.