Ohio Wesleyan University

Students at Ohio Wesleyan hunger to solve problems, save lives, make peace, even change the course of history. OWU learning spans well beyond the classroom, and students feast on a bounty of interconnected experiences—across disciplines, across cultures, even across continents. After they graduate we expect them to be insatiable problem-solvers and agents of positive change. 

OWU is one of the top liberal arts schools in the country, and students come here because they want a full experience that will help them find their passion and build a pathway to a fulfilling career and life. Maybe that’s why we are one of only 44 schools listed as Colleges That Change Lives, and we are included among the “best and most interesting” four-year colleges in the 2017 Fiske Guide to Colleges. At OWU (pronounced Oh-Woo by students), you will combine the deep learning of traditional liberal arts with real-world practice and global experience in a personalized program to feed your passion.

A feast for your mind
With nearly 90 majors, Ohio Wesleyan is one of the most comprehensive liberal arts universities in the nation. OWU has long been regarded as a leading university in the traditional liberal arts, providing small classes and rich learning and research opportunities, and helping students develop skills in critical thinking, communication, and leadership. At the same time, Ohio Wesleyan offers a breadth of majors that is difficult to find in a school of its size, with programs in areas such as Business and Management, Fine Arts, Journalism, and Education; scientific fields such as Neuroscience and Zoology; and a wide range of pre-professional areas, including Medicine, Dentistry, Physical Therapy, Law, Public Administration, and Engineering.

Liberal arts for the 21^st century
What makes OWU distinctive is its focus on the concept of connection—it’s the foundation of the OWU learning community and academic program, The OWU Connection.
• You will partner with faculty and students as part of a rich and supportive learning community that sparks intellectual enthusiasm and curiosity, where students frequently work one-on-one with professors.
• You will span academic disciplines to explore the world’s important challenges. More than 25% of OWU students graduate with two or more majors.
• You will build global perspective as you participate in off-campus programs and courses and interact with a diverse student body on the OWU campus. More than 400 students a year have travel-learning experiences, from New York to Japan, Alaska to the Galapagos Islands.
• You will connect theory to practice, with hands-on learning in real-world situations through internships, independent research, and special programs. OWU’s innovative Theory-to-Practice Grant program provides full funding to students to take their classroom learning into practical and research experiences in laboratories, field studies, arts and community organizations, and other settings around the world.

OWU is alive
OWU students are hungry to do it all. With more than 100 student clubs and organizations and with 75% of students participating in varsity or intramural athletics, campus life at Ohio Wesleyan is seemingly non-stop activity. Clubs range from Active Minds and OWtsiders to Sisters United and Ultimate Frisbee. About one-third of OWU students are on one of 23 varsity sports teams, and about one-third are in a fraternity or sorority.

The spirit of service is big at OWU, with students contributing more than 40,000 hours a year in volunteer service. Many spend their spring breaks on interfaith service trips to sites in the United States and abroad.

Nearly all students live on campus, and the heart of student life beats around the fountain on the JAYwalk, the pathway that connects the residential and academic ends of campus. Beeghly Library and Hamilton-Williams Campus Center stand on either side of the fountain, and students are always meeting there. That’s also the site for Day on the JAY—a twice-a-year campus celebration widely known as “the best day at OWU.”

The beautiful Ohio Wesleyan campus stretches across 200 acres. Students learn in historic buildings from the 19^th century as well as modern labs with state-of-the-art technology. They enjoy wide-open green spaces with hundreds of trees, a variety of dining options, and great athletic and performing arts facilities. A new fitness center opened in fall semester 2015.

Vibrant community
Ohio Wesleyan students love Delaware, a quaint and historic city of nearly 38,000. The community is filled with more than 25 dining options within walking distance. You can attend a movie at historic Strand Theatre, visit a locally owned coffee shop, or take a stroll on First Fridays, Delaware’s monthly street fair. Columbus, the 15^th-largest city in America, is just a 30-minute drive, with great internship opportunities and vibrant entertainment and shopping options.

Infinite opportunities
Employers covet OWU’s well-prepared graduates. Last year 94% of reporting graduates were employed or in grad school within six months. Of those working, 81% were in the field of their choice. OWU’s five-year acceptance rate to dental and medical schools is more than twice the national average. OWU is rated among the top liberal arts colleges for salary potential for mid-career graduates by PayScale, Inc. and is #17 in Forbes’s list of America’s “Most Entrepreneurial” colleges.