Shawnee State University

Public · OH

Photo: Tstrickland (CC BY-SA 4.0)

School data & stats

TypePublic

LocationOH · Midwest

SettingRural

Undergrads2,247

Student:faculty12:1

Outcomes

4-yr grad rate37.5%

6-yr grad rate48.1%

Drop-out rate28%

Study abroad—

Cost

In-state tuition$11k

Out-of-state tuition$17k

Application fee—

Community

Racial diversity29.3%

Gender diversity58.1%

International2.6%

Identity—

Overview

Shawnee State University is a public university in Portsmouth, Ohio, on the Ohio River at the edge of Appalachia, and the youngest of Ohio's public universities. It has built a reputation around accessible admissions and affordable tuition, serving primarily students from southern Ohio and neighboring Kentucky who might not otherwise pursue a four-year degree.

Academics

Health sciences and education are steady, practical strengths, but Shawnee State has carved out an unusual niche in gaming and simulation arts, a program with a real national reputation for a school its size and an outlier next to its otherwise regional, workforce-oriented catalog.

Campus & student life

The Portsmouth setting is small and Appalachian rather than a conventional college town, and much of the student body commutes or stays closely tied to the surrounding region rather than relocating from far away.

Getting in

Admission is open and accessible by design, with the university positioning itself as a low-barrier entry point to a four-year degree for regional students rather than a selective institution.

After graduation

Graduates tend to stay regional, moving into southern Ohio and northern Kentucky health, education, and manufacturing-adjacent employers, with gaming and simulation arts graduates a notable exception who place more nationally.

shawnee.edu ↗

Admissions

Acceptance rate—

Enrolled mid-50%—

Test policynot reported

Rec letters0

Deadlines (2026–27 cycle)

AdmissionRolling

Applying