READ | TEACHING @ | WHO STUDENTS ARE
student profile | differences | learning environments
Instructors at Ohio State encounter a diverse and exciting student body. The more an instructor understands that student population, the better he or she is able to respond in an appropriate manner in teaching a diverse student population. The more time spent getting to know students, the better the instructor's understanding of how students approach their studies and what motivates them to learn. In the following section, a demographic profile of students is provided. This information is useful for instructors to better understand issues of learning styles, motivation, and diversity.
OHIO STATE STUDENT PROFILE
The total enrollment of students at Ohio State and its area campuses is approximately 59,000. Of this total, approximately 45,500 are undergraduates, 3,300 are professional students (medicine, law, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, and veterinary medicine), and 10,500 are graduate students (see table below for exact figures). This total reflects all of Ohio State’s campuses (Columbus, Lima, Mansfield, Marion, Newark, and Wooster). The Columbus campus has the largest single campus population of undergraduate and graduate students in the nation. Approximately 85% of the undergraduate students who attend Ohio State are from the State of Ohio and come from a variety of social, economic, and cultural backgrounds. Excluding Ohio and in descending order, the next four largest student enrollments at Ohio State are from Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois, and Michigan.
Enrollment (Autumn 2006)
| Total, all campuses | 59,091 |
| Columbus campus | 51,818 |
| Men | 29,622 |
| Women | 29,469 |
| Undergraduates | 45,417 |
| Graduate students | 10,418 |
| Professional students | 3,256 |
| Ohioans | 50,020 |
| Non-Ohioans | 5,421 |
| International students | 3,650 |
Ohio State students come from every state in the nation and from over 100 countries of the world. They range in age from younger than 14 to over 70. Some live independently and may have their own families; others have never lived on their own.
The undergraduate student population, however, is more homogeneous and regional than the graduate student population. The great majority of undergraduates are white, under 24 years old, and from Ohio. Some have never been outside Ohio or encountered many different kinds of settings or students in their past experience.
Approximately 14% of the Ohio State student population identify themselves as minority students (see table below). The university reaches out to racial and ethnic minority groups, and enrolls African American, Native American, Asian American, and Hispanic American students.
Enrollment, Minority (Autumn 2006)
Number % of Total| Total minorities | 8,322 |
14.1% |
| African Americans | 3,889 |
6.6% |
| Asian Americans | 2,887 |
4.9% |
| Hispanics | 1,305 |
2.2% |
| American Indians | 241 |
0.4% |
International Students
The university enrolls international students from other countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The four countries in descending order that show the largest enrollment at Ohio State are the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of Korea, India, and Taiwan. The total number of international students currently enrolled at Ohio State is approximately 3,500, representing approximately 120 different countries. Of this total, approximately 30% are undergraduates and approximately 70% are graduate students. Approximately 24% of the total graduate student population at Ohio State is international.
 back |
