Ohio University (OHIO) is a public research university based in Athens, Ohio. Ohio University is a historic public research university in Athens and the first university established in the Northwest Territory, combining a residential liberal-arts tradition with professional programs in business, engineering, health, communication, education, arts, sciences, and public service. The institution traces its development to 1804, and its present academic identity reflects a long pattern of growth rather than a single modern expansion. The university was chartered by the Ohio General Assembly in 1804 after earlier territorial plans for a university in Athens. It opened in 1808 with three students and awarded its first bachelor’s degrees in 1815. Over two centuries, OHIO expanded into a comprehensive university with regional campuses, graduate programs, professional education, and a major residential campus. Academically, OHIO supports a broad mix of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, certificate, and interdisciplinary study. Representative undergraduate choices include Journalism BSJ, Business Administration BBA, Nursing BSN, Computer Science BS, Mechanical Engineering BS, Electrical Engineering BS. Graduate study includes options such as Business Administration MBA, Accountancy MAcc, Computer Science MS, Civil Engineering MS, Journalism MS, while doctoral education extends into fields including History PhD, Chemical Engineering PhD, Communication Studies PhD, Counselor Education PhD. Research spans engineering, communication, energy, health, physics, chemistry, biology, neuroscience, history, education, environmental science, business, and the arts. The university’s Appalachian location supports rural-health, community, environmental, and economic-development research. The Athens campus is a highly residential college-town environment with historic buildings, research laboratories, arts facilities, student media, athletics, organizations, and access to Appalachian Ohio communities and field settings. For current cost planning, For 2026–27, Ohio University estimates Athens Campus undergraduate tuition and fees at $15,018 per year for Ohio residents and $26,792 for out-of-state residents. Housing, meals, books, insurance, transportation, and personal expenses are additional. These published amounts are planning figures and can change with residency, program, credit load, housing, insurance, or board action at Ohio University, where representative academic pathways at the university include Journalism BSJ and Business Administration BBA. First-year applicants use OHIO’s undergraduate admissions process, with general university admission and selected program-specific requirements. The OHIO Guarantee provides cohort-based tuition and fee predictability for eligible undergraduates, while graduate programs set their own admissions standards. Career development connects students with employers and graduate pathways in healthcare, engineering, communication, media, business, education, public service, research, technology, and nonprofit organizations. Taken together, Ohio University is best understood as an institution whose academic portfolio, research mission, student support, and regional setting are closely connected. OHIO also uses certificates, accelerated pathways, online options, and other nontraditional formats to extend selected academic areas beyond the standard four-year or graduate sequence. The university’s location in Athens gives students access to the civic, research, cultural, health, business, and public-sector networks that shape its surrounding region. Students comparing programs should review the live catalog because degree titles, concentrations, delivery formats, prerequisites, and admission cycles can differ by college at Ohio University, where representative academic pathways at the university include Journalism BSJ and Business Administration BBA.