Safety Score
11.84 /1K students
incidents per 1,000 enrolled
Columbus, OH · Clery Act 2023 · Public
Ohio State University-Main Campus
According to the U.S. Department of Education's Clery Act filings, this profile covers campus safety, crime statistics, fire-safety data, and peer comparison for this 60,046-student campus.
- 11.84
- Incidents / 1k students
- #2,932
- Rank of 3,050
- #110
- OH rank
- 60,046
- Enrolled students
Data updated June 2026
The verdict
Ohio State University-Main Campus reports 11.84 on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students, ranking #2,932 of 3,050 ranked U.S. campuses - with more reported incidents than 97% of ranked campuses its size.
- 11.84
- incidents / 1,000 students
- #2,932
- of 3,050 ranked nationally
- 97%
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 599
- on-campus incidents, 2023
Safety score = reported on-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is safer).
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2023
Ohio State University-Main Campus increased from 256 to 599 reported on-campus incidents between the 2022 and 2023 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesOhio State University-Main Campus is a Public institution located in Columbus, OH, enrolling approximately 60,046 students. Clery Act data spanning 2021–2023 records 1,627 total on-campus incidents across all reported crime categories. Within OH, it ranks #110 by safety score. Verify with the U.S. Department of Education Clery Act database →
With 60,046 enrolled students, this campus sits in the large research university bracket, which shapes how raw incident counts should be interpreted.
The most frequently reported category at Ohio State University-Main Campus is "Fondling" with 966 cumulative incidents across the reporting window. Compared to 5 peer institutions of similar enrollment size in OH averaging 3.49 incidents per 1,000 students, Ohio State University-Main Campus reports 239% more incidents per student.
Fire safety data covers 1 reporting year for on-campus residential facilities, logging 2 total fires. Arrests and disciplinary actions span 9 category-year records, covering liquor law violations, drug law violations, and weapons possession on-campus. No Department of Education Clery Act enforcement actions are recorded against this institution.
Ohio State University-Main Campus's safety score of 11.84 incidents per 1,000 students places it in the bottom 3.9% of the 3,050 institutions this survey ranks nationally, meaning the reported incident rate here is higher than at nearly all peer institutions in the dataset. As our methodology explains, a higher reported rate can reflect a more active reporting culture rather than a more dangerous campus, and does not by itself indicate the actual likelihood of experiencing a crime.
National Rank
#2932
See peer comparison
State Rank (OH)
#110
within state peers
Incidents (2023)
599
across 11 crime categories
Where Ohio State University-Main Campus sits among ranked U.S. campuses
On-campus Clery incidents per 1,000 students, every ranked campus with 2,000+ students
12 safer than 3% of 1,807 ranked campuses
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more ranked campuses. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act) · 2023
Safety percentile vs. peers
Ohio State University-Main Campus percentile rank 3.9%
National median
Higher percentile = safer than more peers. Rank #2932 out of 3,050 ranked institutions (enrollment >= 500) in the OPE Campus Safety Survey.
Reporting density vs peer median
Ohio State University-Main Campus reports 239% more incidents per student than the median of 5 peer institutions.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $13,244
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $40,022
- Avg Net Price
- $17,339
- Median Debt
- $19,976
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 20%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 61%
- SAT Average
- 1387
- SAT Math Range
- 670–760
- ACT Average
- 29
- ACT Range
- 28–32
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 88%
- Retention Rate
- 94%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $51,438
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $60,409
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 75%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 60,046 enrolled students, Ohio State University-Main Campus is in the largest 1% of the 5,673 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment. The safety score above already normalizes reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe. Use the annual crime table to see what was reported, then use the peer comparison to judge the rate against schools of a similar scale. A lower reported rate is not a guarantee of individual safety or a measure of reporting quality.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyOhio State University-Main Campus: on-campus incidents by year
Declining 22% (772 → 599 incidents)
| Crime Type | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 14 | 14 | 11 |
| Arson | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Burglary | 40 | 62 | 44 |
| Fondling | 366 | 53 | 547 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 114 | 26 | 29 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rape | 59 | 86 | 128 |
| Robbery | 3 | 11 | 8 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Source: US Dept US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Figures show on-campus incidents
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
9 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2023 | 13 | 168 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 130 | 587 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 1 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 22 | 139 |
| Liquor | 2022 | 57 | 638 |
| Weapons | 2022 | 5 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2021 | 12 | 174 |
| Liquor | 2021 | 34 | 849 |
| Weapons | 2021 | 3 | 1 |
Ohio State University-Main Campus vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer).
OH
Ohio State University-Main Campus
11.84 incidents / 1,000 students
MD
University of Maryland Global Campus
0.03 incidents / 1,000 students
NY
New York University
1.67 incidents / 1,000 students
Similar Institutions
University of Maryland Global Campus
Adelphi, MD · 60,084 enrolled
Safety Score 0.03
New York University
New York, NY · 57,335 enrolled
Safety Score 1.67
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · 56,563 enrolled
Safety Score 5.22
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · 55,620 enrolled
Safety Score 6.13
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN · 54,890 enrolled
Safety Score 4.41
Closest by National Rank
Institutions ranked nearest Ohio State University-Main Campus nationally (rank #2932), regardless of size or state.
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, OK
National Rank #2931
Methodist University
Fayetteville, NC
National Rank #2933
Ohio Wesleyan University
Delaware, OH
National Rank #2930
Flagler College
Saint Augustine, FL
National Rank #2934
Texas A & M University-College Station
College Station, TX
National Rank #2929
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ohio State University-Main Campus safe?
Ohio State University-Main Campus has a safety score of 11.84 (total on-campus incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #2,932 nationally out of 3,050+ ranked institutions. Compare this with peer institutions for context.
What crimes are reported at Ohio State University-Main Campus?
Aggravated Assault, Arson, Burglary, Fondling, Incest, and other categories, for calendar year 2023.
How does Ohio State University-Main Campus compare to similar schools?
See the Similar Institutions section below for peers of similar enrollment in OH.
Does Ohio State University-Main Campus have fire safety data?
Yes. Ohio State University-Main Campus reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
Understanding Ohio State University-Main Campus's Safety Profile
Ohio State University-Main Campus in Columbus, OH enrolls 60,046 students and has a safety score of 11.84 incidents per 1,000 enrolled students , ranking #2932 nationally. This higher score indicates more reported incidents relative to enrollment, though context matters, urban campuses and larger institutions may have different reporting dynamics.
Reported incidents cover 2021 to 2023. On-campus incidents increased from 256 in 2022 to 599 in 2023.
Fire safety data covers on-campus residential facilities. 2 fires were reported in the most recent year.
What this means for you
Ohio State University-Main Campus's 11.84 reported on-campus incidents per 1,000 students is a starting point for comparison, not a verdict on any student's safety.
- Weigh Ohio State University-Main Campus against similar-size campuses, scale changes what the raw count means. Compare campuses
- A higher count can mean stronger reporting, not more danger. How the data works
- Clery covers campus grounds only. Campus vs. city crime
Figures reflect the 2023 Clery Act reporting year as filed with the U.S. Department of Education.
Data sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety & Security Survey (Clery Act). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCampus Editorial
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.