
New Concord, OHprivate nonprofitwww.muskingum.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 80%–86% over the last 5 years. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Muskingum University is a small, moderately selective liberal arts college in rural Ohio with a tight-knit residential community where over 80% of students live on campus. Known for its hands-on approach to education and strong programs in business, health professions, and education, Muskingum delivers solid outcomes at a relatively affordable price, with nearly all students receiving financial aid.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Muskingum University maintains a moderately selective admissions process with an 82% acceptance rate, placing it firmly in the 'less selective' category by national standards. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 920–1080 on the SAT or 18–23 on the ACT, with an average high school GPA that aligns with regional public university benchmarks. Notably, 100% of admitted students receive some form of financial aid, making it accessible despite its private status. The student body is small (1,214 traditional undergraduates) and predominantly residential, with admissions favoring applicants who demonstrate academic readiness rather than elite credentials.
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
Muskingum offers a career-focused liberal arts curriculum with popular majors in Business (44 graduates annually), Health Service Preparatory Studies (44), Nursing (32), and Marketing (31). The university emphasizes experiential learning, requiring hands-on projects or internships across disciplines. Small class sizes and a 4-year graduation rate of 54% (rising to 59% at 6 years) reflect its supportive but structured academic environment. Programs in Education and Health Professions are particularly strong, with curricula designed to align with regional employment needs in Ohio.
Life at Muskingum revolves around its residential campus culture, with 80% of students living on-site in New Concord, a village so small that the university dominates local life. The vibe is collaborative rather than competitive, with safety ratings at 100% (per Niche) and a slate of low-key traditions. Weekends feature campus-wide events, as off-campus options are limited. Key aspects:
Muskingum graduates typically earn $36,427 one year post-graduation, slightly below the national average for liberal arts colleges. The 6-year graduation rate is 55% (47% for Pell Grant recipients), with most debt burdens around $25,369—manageable given the low cost of living in rural Ohio. Notably, education and nursing majors often secure local jobs quickly, while business graduates cluster in nearby Columbus. The career services office emphasizes regional employer connections over national recruiting pipelines.
With 100% of students receiving aid and an average package of $32,675, Muskingum's Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. drops to $20,269—comparable to Ohio's public universities. Key details:
For a private institution, Muskingum delivers rare affordability, especially for mid-income Ohio families.
Muskingum carves a niche by combining liberal arts rigor with vocational practicality—its nursing students train in regional hospitals while philosophy majors debate in intimate seminars. The campus’s insularity fosters camaraderie (think: professors hosting dinners for classes) but requires students to create their own fun. It’s ideal for those seeking:**
For Ohioans priced out of Oberlin or Denison, Muskingum offers a sensible balance of cost, support, and outcomes.