University of Akron Main Campus

Public · Moderately Selective · OH

Photo: Cards84664 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationOH · Midwest

SettingUrban

Undergrads9,052

Student:faculty17:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate28.7%

6-yr grad rate51.9%

Drop-out rate27%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$13k

Out-of-state tuition$21k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity33.3%

Gender diversity46.1%

International2.3%

Identity—

Overview

The University of Akron is a public research university in downtown Akron, Ohio, whose identity is inseparable from the city's rubber-and-polymer industrial history. Polymer science and engineering remain a defining research strength, grown directly out of Akron's decades as headquarters to Goodyear, Firestone, and other rubber manufacturers, and the university still houses research facilities and industry partnerships few other schools can match in that specific niche. The College of Arts and Sciences carries the historic Buchtel name, a reminder that Akron predates its research-university identity, and the student body is largely regional and career-focused.

Academics

Beyond polymer science and engineering, housed in a college built specifically around that legacy, solid programs in business and nursing carry real regional employer connections into Northeast Ohio's manufacturers and hospital systems. Co-op and internship placements are a practical, structured feature of many majors rather than an occasional option, giving students working experience layered directly into the degree rather than only in the summers. Graduate-level polymer research routinely pulls undergraduates into lab work earlier than at larger, more research-siloed universities.

Campus & student life

The downtown Akron setting puts students close to city amenities, though the campus itself reads more commuter-influenced than a traditional enclosed college-town environment. Student life mixes a residential core with a substantial commuting population, and athletics — the Zips, with their distinctive kangaroo mascot, playing home football at InfoCision Stadium — compete at the mid-major level, drawing modest but genuine campus interest. E.J. Thomas Hall brings touring performances and concerts to campus, giving students access to professional arts programming without leaving Akron.

Getting in

Admission is considerably less competitive and more formula-driven than at Ohio's flagship campuses, with academic preparation and intended major the main considerations rather than an elaborate holistic essay process; rolling admission is typical, and additional requirements apply for programs like nursing, engineering, and the arts. Merit scholarships tied fairly directly to GPA and test preparation make cost a smaller barrier than at more selective private alternatives.

After graduation

The polymer science program feeds directly into materials-science and polymer-engineering careers with regional and national employers, an unusually direct pipeline for a program of its specific kind. Business and nursing graduates tend to stay in the Northeast Ohio region, supported by the university's long-standing employer relationships there.

Worth knowing

Students interested in materials science, polymers, or rubber and plastics engineering will find few programs anywhere in the country with Akron's depth and industry connections in that specific niche. The university also runs a notable scholarship partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation for graduates of Akron's I Promise schools, reflecting its close ties to its home city.

uakron.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate59.7%

Enrolled mid-50%SAT 900–1190 · ACT 17–25

Test policyoptional

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying