Ohio Colleges & Universities
Top college and university libraries in Ohio
These college and university libraries stand out for their collections, special collections and archives. Public access varies, so each entry says how visitors can use the library.
Thompson LibraryThe Ohio State University
The William Oxley Thompson Memorial Library is the main library of Ohio State's Columbus campus and holds about 1.25 million volumes, including 250,000 special collections volumes. Ohio State University Libraries welcomes faculty, students, visiting scholars and the general public to study and research.
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & MuseumThe Ohio State University
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum houses the world's largest collection of materials related to cartoons and comics, including 450,000 original cartoons and 2.5 million comic strip clippings and tear sheets. It is part of Ohio State University Libraries and presents exhibitions in its galleries.
Oberlin College LibrariesOberlin College
Oberlin College Libraries comprise the Mary Church Terrell Main Library, the Conservatory Library, the Clarence Ward Art Library and the Science Library. In 2018 the main library was renamed for Mary Church Terrell, one of the first African-American women to earn a college degree. The library was a founding member of OCLC.
King LibraryMiami University
King Library is the main library of Miami University and home to the Walter Havighurst Special Collections, the Miami University Archives and the Western College for Women Archives. When it opened in 1966, sixty volunteers moved 40,000 volumes across the quad from the old Alumni Library.
University of Cincinnati LibrariesUniversity of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati has 13 libraries housed in 11 facilities, with Langsam Library as the main library. Together they hold over 4 million volumes, and the system is a member of the Association of Research Libraries and the OhioLINK consortium.
The most beautiful college library in Ohio
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Thompson LibraryThe Ohio State University
Ohio State's Thompson Library was built in 1912, and a $108.7 million renovation completed in 2009 restored its original east facade and Grand Reading Room. The project added a glass-fronted west wing with a West Atrium and the Buckeye Reading Room, and a ground-floor passageway extends the Oval's Long Walk through the building.
Last verified: November 2, 2026. Visitor rules, hours and borrowing policies change, so check the library's website before you go.
About colleges and universities in Ohio
There are many different higher education options for students in Ohio, as there are dozens of public, private and liberal arts colleges in the state. Ohio is home to a number of highly ranked institutions of higher learning, affording students the opportunity to attend some of the best schools in the country. It may be most well known for its largest and highest rank public university, The Ohio State University, which is located in Columbus.
The Ohio State University was founded in 1870, and while it is one of the largest schools in the state it is not one of the oldest. It was the ninth university to be founded in the state. Originally it was an agricultural college, and continues to be a land-grant institution to this day. The state of Ohio has a relatively new university system, known as the University System of Ohio, and Ohio State has been named the flagship research institution of this system. It is the third largest public university in the country, and is well known for its stellar academic programs such as business, political science and law. Many people who have graduated from OSU have gone far in life, and some of the more notable alumni include Olympic gold medalists, Nobel Prize winners and Pulitzer Prize winners.
The highest ranked university in Ohio is Case Western Reserve University, which is a private research university. Case Western Reserve University is located in Cleveland, and was founded in 1967 after two top universities in Cleveland merged together to form one institution of higher learning. Many of its academic programs are ranked nationally, and most students who come to Case Western Reserve University intend to study computer engineering, math or pre-professional programs such as pre-med, pre-law and pre-dental. Some of the greatest technological minds of the present day graduated from Case Western Reserve University including the founder of Craigslist, Craig Newmark and the creator of Gmail, Paul Buchheit.
Some of the other top schools in Ohio include Ohio University, located in Athens and known for its journalism school, Miami University of Ohio, located in Oxford and known for its teacher education programs and University of Dayton, a private school located in Dayton. University of Dayton is known for its business programs and it is also known for having one of the largest campus ministry programs not only in the country but also across the globe.