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North Canton, OHprivate nonprofitwalsh.edu
Admit rate has ranged 73%–80% 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.
Walsh University is a small Catholic liberal arts school in North Canton, Ohio, where nursing students rub shoulders with future business leaders and Division II athletes. With a 70-78% acceptance rate and test-optional admissions, Walsh attracts a mix of local Ohioans and out-of-state students drawn to its tight-knit community, hands-on health sciences programs, and a graduation rate that punches above its weight for regional private colleges.
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.
Walsh University's admissions process leans accessible but not automatic, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. fluctuating between 70.7% (Data USA) and 78.18% (College Board) for fall 2024. The middle 50% of admitted students post SAT scores between 970-1170 (Walsh's official Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. page) or 1040-1280 (Niche), while ACT composites typically land between 19-26 (AcceptanceRate.com). Notably, 25% of enrolled freshmen had GPAs below 3.1, suggesting some flexibility for students with weaker transcripts but demonstrated potential. The university actively promotes its test-optional policy, emphasizing that 'grades and curriculum rigor matter most' in evaluations.
With a 14:1 student-faculty ratio and 59.4% of classes under 20 students (U.S. News), Walsh delivers the small-college experience through its five academic divisions. Nursing dominates as the most popular major, followed by business and education programs that leverage partnerships with Northeast Ohio hospitals and school districts. The university offers over 60 undergraduate and graduate programs, including niche offerings like Museum Studies and a Theology program rooted in its Catholic identity. A YouTube campus tour highlights state-of-the-art nursing simulation labs and a cadaver lab rare for small colleges, while the catalog emphasizes 'critical thinking and spiritual growth' across all disciplines.
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.
Campus life orbits around Walsh's 55% residential population (U.S. News) and its NCAA Division II athletic teams. The university fosters what it calls 'group living as a learning experience,' with housing options ranging from traditional dorms to apartment-style suites. A Niche survey found 97% of students feel 'extremely safe' on the 136-acre campus, which hosts over 50 clubs including a strong contingent of service organizations. Facebook testimonials highlight personal growth opportunities, like one student who arrived 'a really shy freshman' and blossomed through campus ministries. The Cavaliers athletics program—particularly basketball and baseball—draws spirited crowds, while nearby Cleveland (60 miles north) offers internships and weekend escapes.
Walsh's six-year graduation rate hovers around 60% (2024 CDS), with notable gaps between Pell Grant recipients (42%) and non-recipients (62%). The Career Center reports that recent cohorts see 58-61% graduation within six years, with nursing and business graduates achieving the strongest job placement. A 2025 university study touts a $178,000 10-year ROI for bachelor's graduates—a figure that likely reflects both Walsh's mid-range tuition and Northeast Ohio's cost of living. While the College Scorecard shows typical early-career salaries lagging national liberal arts colleges, the university emphasizes its 'career-ready' focus through required internships in programs like Occupational Therapy.
At $53,137 sticker price (CollegeData), Walsh positions itself as a 'value' among Ohio private colleges, with 98% of freshmen receiving aid. The average financial aid package totals $22,238 (College Board), bringing Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. down to $21,009 for typical students. The university heavily promotes its merit scholarships—awarded based on GPA without separate application—which can cover up to half of tuition. The Net Price Calculator suggests even families earning $100K+ often qualify for $15-20K in grants, though nursing and other high-demand programs may carry additional lab fees.
Walsh carves its niche by merging Catholic identity with pragmatic career preparation—a blend seen in nursing students practicing IV insertions beside theology majors studying Aquinas. Its suburban Ohio location offers proximity to Cleveland's healthcare hubs while maintaining a self-contained campus where DII sports and service clubs dominate social life. The university punches above its weight in health sciences facilities (like that cadaver lab), and its Test-optionalA policy where you choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores. If you don't, the rest of your application carries more weight. admissions reflect a focus on grit over scores. For Midwest families seeking a faith-based alternative to giant state schools, Walsh delivers small classes and job-focused programs without the sticker shock of elite Catholic colleges.