100%
of students receive
some type of aid
6,419
students
84% undergraduate
16% graduate
14:1
student-to-faculty ratio
COLLEGE OF DISTINCTION
AU was named a College of Distinction for the first time in 2025-26, recognizing its engaged students, great teaching, vibrant community and successful outcomes. Additionally, it was awarded program distinctions in five categories: business, education, nursing, career development and military support.
2026 BEST COLLEGE
AU was named a “2026 Best College” and ranked among the top 30% of Midwest regional universities (42nd of 161) in the U.S. News & World Report college rankings. Within the region, AU ranked No. 19 in “Best Colleges for Veterans,” No. 50 in “Best Value Schools” and No. 61 in “Top Performers on Social Mobility,” while nationally, AU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and undergraduate business programs received “Best College” distinctions.
MONEY'S BEST COLLEGES
AU was selected as one of Money’s Best Colleges for 2025, a practical college ranking that focuses “on affordability and student outcomes to help families make informed decisions.” Only 30% of the four-year public and private colleges in the U.S. earned a Best Colleges distinction following Money’s deep analytical dive.
TOP NCAA DIVISION II ATHLETIC PROGRAM
Ashland is home to one of the top NCAA Division II athletic programs in the nation, having finished in the top-20 of the Directors’ Cup all-sports standings 20 times (just missing in 2025-26 with a 26th-place finish), and its student-athletes are truly students first. Every Eagle team has finished with a GPA of at least 3.0 the last six semesters and three individuals earned Academic All-American® awards in 2025-26 (through the winter season).
Katie Moon ’13 has put together one of the best pole vault careers in Team USA history, and it may never have happened if not for her finding a home in Ashland. In September 2025, she padded her résumé with a third straight win at the World Athletics Championships—the first women’s pole vaulter to achieve the trifecta—complementing her gold medal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Former Eagle Hunter Allen ’25, a right-handed pitcher, is a member of the Baltimore Orioles organization, having been selected in the seventh round of the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft. Allen is working hard to become the third AU player to reach the majors this century, hoping to join fellow pitchers Brandyn Sittinger ’16 and Art Warren ’15.
Ashland added a couple of individual national champions to its historic track and field program this March. At the NCAA Div. II Championships, junior Leslie Pollock edged out teammate Molly Winner for first-place in the indoor weight throw (21.05 meters) and freshman Jon Lutz sprinted to a win in the 60-meter hurdles (7.67 seconds).
STUDENT SATISFACTION
THE ASHBROOK CENTER
Offers a rigorous, top-rated program for students pursuing a major or minor in political science, history, and political economy. Students study primary source documents to develop a deep understanding of America’s founding principles and constitutional self-government.
TOP MAJORS
- Exercise Science
- Early Childhood Intervention Specialist
- Business Management
- Nursing
- Finance
- Sport Management
- Marketing
- Accounting
- Biology
- Criminal Justice
2026 Alumni Survey Results
(1,300 alumni responded)
96% of alumni still feel connected to the university
87% of alumni would be very likely or somewhat likely to recommend AU to a prospective high school or transfer student
79% of alumni felt AU prepared them extremely well or quite well for their career and life after graduation
FACULTY & STAFF
Cara Rogers Stevens, Ph.D., an associate professor of history, was named one of five finalists for the 2025 George Washington Prize, one of the nation’s most notable literary awards. Her work, “Thomas Jefferson and the Fight Against Slavery,” analyzes a book by Jefferson and helps to clarify one of America’s Founding Fathers true views on slavery. Stevens sought to research Jefferson’s composition to address the perplexing topic of “how the guy who wrote the Declaration of Independence could also have slaves.”
Janel Molnar ’04, director of recreation and wellness, achieved national distinction for her work as a leader and mentor, having been selected for the Outstanding Peer Education Advisor award at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators’ (NASPA) Peer Education Conference earlier this year. Molnar was cited for bringing “exceptional insight, empathy and innovation to peer education, empowering students to grow into confident leaders and effective advocates.”
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
AU is undertaking the largest dormitory renovation project in its history, as Amstutz Hall, Jacobs Hall and the first floor of Andrews Hall will be completely renovated and ready for Fall 2026 occupancy. The three residence halls will include air conditioning, pod-style private bathrooms and extensive lobby and room updates featuring new flooring, LED lighting and furniture, all thanks to a $15 million gift from Dwight ’64 and Martha Schar. It marks the single largest gift in AU history.
This project comes on the heels of a $20 million campus beautification project that included a renovation of Clayton Hall, the addition of a café in Archer Library, a new outdoor plaza, redeveloped landscaping, parking lots and sidewalks and fresh signage across campus.
Other significant projects completed within the last 12 months include:
- A Crime Scene Lab, which mimics a one bedroom apartment and enables criminal justice students to process simulated crime scenes with all new evidence supplies.
- Delta Zeta suite, a complete renovation consisting of a kitchen remodel and new flooring, lighting, furniture and décor in the lounge area for one of the largest sororities.
- The Department of Music’s Sprunger Piano Lab, featuring 17 top-of-the-line Yamaha digital pianos.