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Open access. 50+ degrees. Free tuition for qualified Pell-eligible students.
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Master's and Doctorate programs built for working professionals rooted in our region.
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Shawnee State University is Ohio’s only open-access public university recognized as a Carnegie Opportunity College. Free tuition for qualifying students. Career-focused, hands-on learning from day one.
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Small classes mean professors know your name — and care about your future. You’ll learn from experts in your field both in and out of the classroom. Your professors aren't people you watch from row thirty. They know what you're working on and what you want next.
Faculty who still work in the field
Degrees and Areas of Study
From healthcare to game design to business — explore every degree and find the path that fits your life.
Take the Bear Quiz to help you get started on choosing the right program for you.
Shawnee News
Imagine it. Design it. Build it.
Parker Lauders and Kade Dancy built a working refreshable braille display for their senior capstone. It has been shown at the Ohio Statehouse, and they are pursuing a patent.
Experiential Learning Requirement
Starting with students who entered in fall 2026, every Shawnee State undergraduate completes at least one approved hands-on experience before they graduate. It is a requirement, not a recommendation.
Shawnee State University continues to climb the ranks of schools whose students make the most of their opportunity to access higher education. U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings named SSU 36th in the Midwest for Social Mobility, up three spots from a year ago.
Ava Intelisano came to Shawnee State for the science. Two years in, she has a seat at medical school — and a student club she built from nothing.
Higher Access, Higher Earnings
In the 2025 Carnegie classifications, Shawnee State is the only open-access public university in Ohio named an Opportunity College and University — a designation based on who gets in and what they earn afterward.
Shawnee State’s class of 2030 is the largest first-year class in nearly ten years — and the first that will graduate under the university’s new Experiential Learning Requirement.
The Regional Public University for South-Central Ohio
We exist for those who were told a university wasn’t for them. We are here, in Southern Ohio, in Appalachia, for this community. Our values — self-reliance, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to family and community — define who we are and shape our mission every day.
Our StoryLife at Shawnee
Small classes and a close-knit campus community help students build meaningful connections from day one.
Explore clubs, organizations, leadership opportunities, athletics, and events that make college memorable.
Hands-on experiences, career preparation, and faculty mentorship help students turn their education into opportunity.
