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Miami University

Students who want small-class undergraduate teaching and a traditional residential campus at public-university prices, especially those aiming at business — and who are comfortable with a strong Greek presence.

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Oxford, Ohio16,656 undergraduatesMean consensus percentile 44Undergraduate teachingPublic flagshipGreek life

The short answer

Miami University is one of only eight 'Public Ivies' named in the original 1985 designation, and U.S. News has repeatedly cited it for an unusually strong commitment to undergraduate teaching. The Farmer School of Business is its standout, in-state tuition runs $18,161, and a 75.4% acceptance rate makes it broadly accessible.

The six numbers that matter most

Acceptance rate
75.4%

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Average net price
$28,384

51% below the $57,971 published price

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardAverage for full-time first-time aid recipients, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median earnings, 10 yrs
$55,076

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian earnings 10 years after entry, working and not enrolled, College Scorecard June 2026 release

6-year graduation rate
79.8%

Above the dataset median of 56%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent six-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Median debt at graduation
$23,000

About the dataset median

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMedian federal loan debt of completers, College Scorecard June 2026 release

SAT middle 50%
1220–1390

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardSum of reported reading and math section percentiles for the most recent entering class, College Scorecard June 2026 release. Section percentiles added together approximate, but do not exactly equal, the composite score range.

Where Miami (Ohio) ranks, and why the answers differ

Each publisher's position, the list it belongs to, and how many institutions it was drawn from.

SourceListRank
US News2026National Universities#143of 436National universities
Forbes2026America's Top Colleges#239of 500Top colleges (Forbes)
Washington Monthly2026National Universities#168of 442National universities
WSJ2026Best Colleges in the U.S.#426of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)
Niche2026Best Colleges (Overall)B#485of 2,605Overall (Niche)
Money2026Best Value CollegesNot ranked by this source
Princeton Review2026Best Colleges (Overall)Not ranked by this source
QS2026World University RankingsNot ranked by this source

Methodology sensitivity: Miami (Ohio)'s position moves 67 percentile points depending on which published list you read. That is a wide spread, so which list you consult substantially changes the impression you get. How we compute this

Ranking positions are the editorial property of their publishers and are reproduced here with attribution for comparison and commentary. Follow each source link for its full list and methodology.

About Miami (Ohio)

Miami's identity is undergraduate teaching at a public institution, and the recognition for it is long-standing. It was one of the eight original 'Public Ivies' in Richard Moll's 1985 book, and U.S. News has cited it repeatedly among national universities with an outstanding commitment to undergraduate teaching — a list where it appears alongside far more selective private universities.

The Farmer School of Business is the strongest program and drives much of the school's placement, particularly in finance, accountancy and marketing across Midwest corporate recruiting. Architecture and education are also solid. The Oxford, Ohio campus is genuinely beautiful — uniform red-brick Georgian architecture — and the residential culture is strong, with a large and active Greek system that shapes social life substantially.

Two honest notes. Greek life's prominence means students uninterested in it should visit and talk to unaffiliated students before committing, because the social centre of gravity is real. And while in-state value at $18,161 is solid, median earnings of $55,076 and median debt of $23,000 put Miami in the middle of the pack on financial return; the case for it rests on teaching quality and the business school rather than on outcome data.

Strengths and honest considerations

Strengths

  • Named one of the original eight 'Public Ivies' and repeatedly cited for undergraduate teaching.
  • Farmer School of Business with strong Midwest corporate recruiting.
  • A 75.4% acceptance rate with in-state tuition of $18,161.
  • Strong residential campus culture and one of the most attractive campuses in the Midwest.

Considerations

  • Greek life dominates social life; visit and talk to unaffiliated students first.
  • Median earnings of $55,076 place it mid-pack on financial return.
  • Oxford is rural and small; the nearest city, Cincinnati, is about 40 miles away.

Who this school genuinely fits

Students who want small-class undergraduate teaching and a traditional residential campus at public-university prices, especially those aiming at business — and who are comfortable with a strong Greek presence.

What it costs

Published price, then what families actually pay after grants and scholarships.

In-state tuition & fees
$18,161

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Out-of-state tuition & fees
$41,221

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Room & board
$16,750

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Published cost of attendance comes to roughly $57,971 a year, but the average family pays $28,384 — a 51% difference. 12.6% of undergraduates receive Pell grants, the federal marker of low family income.

Net price varies enormously by income band, so run Miami (Ohio)'s net price calculator for your own household before drawing conclusions. Why net price is the only cost number that matters.

Programs and academics

Most popular majors

  1. 1Finance
  2. 2Marketing
  3. 3Psychology
  4. 4Biology
  5. 5Accountancy

Standout programs

  • Farmer School of Business
  • Architecture
  • Education
  • Interactive Media Studies
  • Undergraduate teaching emphasis
Student-faculty ratio
15:1

IPEDS / National Center for Education StatisticsIPEDS 2023 fall enrollment

First-year retention
90.1%

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent first-year cohort, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Undergraduate enrollment
16,656

U.S. Dept. of Education College ScorecardMost recent reported year, College Scorecard June 2026 release

Miami (Ohio): questions families ask

Yes, in the original sense of the term. Miami was one of eight institutions named in Richard Moll's 1985 book 'The Public Ivys,' alongside schools including the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan. The label reflects a reputation for undergraduate teaching quality at public prices; it is a historical designation rather than a current ranking.

Undergraduate teaching and the Farmer School of Business. U.S. News has repeatedly listed Miami among national universities with an outstanding commitment to undergraduate teaching, and the business school is the strongest academic unit, placing well into Midwest finance, accounting and marketing roles.

Similar colleges

Matched on institutional character, overlapping majors and comparable cross-source standing.

Elon University

Elon, NCPrivate nonprofit

Elon is recognised nationally for experiential learning: it appears on more U.S. News lists for study abroad, internships, undergraduate research, learning communities and first-year experience than almost any other institution. Roughly 80% of students study abroad, and a 66.3% acceptance rate makes it accessible — but median earnings of $74,545 are modest against a $41,555 net price.

Acceptance rate
66.3%
Average net price
$41,555
Median earnings (10 yr)
$74,545
6-yr graduation rate
84.0%
US News · National universities#117 of 436Forbes · Top colleges (Forbes)#147 of 500WSJ · U.S. colleges (WSJ)#155 of 500+2 more on profile

6,452 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 26 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

Purdue University Northwest

Hammond, INPublic

Verified publisher rankings · federal data

Purdue University Northwest: U.S. News ranks it #103 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #867 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #329 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 5,671 undergraduates, admits 72.4% of applicants, and posts a 42.9% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $16,094; aid recipients pay $6,079 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $48,318.

Acceptance rate
72.4%
Average net price
$6,079
Median earnings (10 yr)
$48,318
6-yr graduation rate
42.9%
US News · Regional univ. (Midwest)#103 of 165Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#867 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#329 of 2,605

5,671 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 44 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

Indiana University-Southeast

New Albany, INPublic

Verified publisher rankings · federal data

Indiana University-Southeast: U.S. News ranks it #138 on Regional Universities (Midwest) (2026); Washington Monthly ranks it #466 on Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars (2026); Niche ranks it #515 on Best Colleges (Overall) (2026). It enrolls 3,170 undergraduates, admits 84.5% of applicants, and posts a 39.2% six-year graduation rate. Out-of-state tuition is $22,811; aid recipients pay $7,888 on average. Median earnings ten years after entry: $47,596.

Acceptance rate
84.5%
Average net price
$7,888
Median earnings (10 yr)
$47,596
6-yr graduation rate
39.2%
US News · Regional univ. (Midwest)#138 of 165Washington Monthly · Tuition & tax value (WM)#466 of 1,504Niche · Overall (Niche)#515 of 2,605

3,170 undergraduates · mean consensus percentile 45 (across ranked lists; lower is better)

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