DegreeMappercommunity colleges, mapped

Largest community colleges in Ohio

Community colleges in Ohio ranked by total student enrollment, largest first. Bigger institutions generally offer broader program catalogs, more sections per term, more transfer agreements, and deeper student-services staffing — but smaller colleges often win on advisor attention, classroom intimacy, and faculty access.

  1. Lorain County Community CollegeElyria, OH5,373
  2. Owens Community CollegePerrysburg, OH4,361
  3. University of Cincinnati-Blue Ash CollegeBlue Ash, OH4,354
  4. University of Cincinnati-Clermont CollegeBatavia, OH3,019
  5. Lakeland Community CollegeKirtland, OH2,773
  6. Kent State University at StarkNorth Canton, OH2,692
  7. University of Northwestern OhioLima, OH2,494
  8. Ohio State University-Newark CampusNewark, OH2,396
  9. Central Ohio Technical CollegeNewark, OH1,941
  10. Kent State University at TuscarawasNew Philadelphia, OH1,654
  11. Kent State University at TrumbullWarren, OH1,629
  12. Kent State University at GeaugaBurton, OH1,601
  13. Washington State College of OhioMarietta, OH1,484
  14. Marion Technical CollegeMarion, OH1,475
  15. University of Rio GrandeRio Grande, OH1,400
  16. Hocking CollegeNelsonville, OH1,311
  17. Kent State University at AshtabulaAshtabula, OH1,290
  18. North Central State CollegeMansfield, OH1,273
  19. Bowling Green State University-FirelandsHuron, OH1,251
  20. Kent State University at SalemSalem, OH1,164
  21. Northwest State Community CollegeArchbold, OH1,115
  22. Kent State University at East LiverpoolEast Liverpool, OH797
  23. Ohio State University-Marion CampusMarion, OH794
  24. Southern State Community CollegeHillsboro, OH761
  25. Ohio State University-Mansfield CampusMansfield, OH736
  26. Zane State CollegeZanesville, OH715
  27. Ohio University-Lancaster CampusLancaster, OH691
  28. Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health ScienceCincinnati, OH690
  29. Galen College of Nursing-CincinnatiCincinnati, OH645
  30. Bryant & Stratton College-ParmaParma, OH624
  31. Belmont CollegeSt Clairsville, OH600
  32. Ohio State University Agricultural Technical InstituteWooster, OH464
  33. Ohio University-Southern CampusIronton, OH415
  34. Valor Christian CollegeCanal Winchester, OH414
  35. Professional Skills InstituteMaumee, OH395
  36. Herzing University-AkronAkron, OH391
  37. Gods Bible School and CollegeCincinnati, OH281
  38. Davis CollegeToledo, OH273
  39. ATA College-CincinnatiCincinnati, OH266
  40. The Modern College of DesignKettering, OH211
  41. Felbry CollegeColumbus, OH192
  42. East Ohio CollegeEast Liverpool, OH118
  43. Global Tech CollegeToledo, OH102
  44. Rosedale Bible CollegeIrwin, OH96
  45. Stautzenberger College-BrecksvilleBrecksville, OH62
  46. Tri-State Bible CollegeSouth Point, OH17

Why size matters

Enrollment scale shapes nearly every aspect of the student experience at a community college. The largest Ohio community colleges typically offer multiple sections of every general-education course, robust evening and weekend schedules for working students, full-service career centers and transfer advising offices, and deep portfolios of articulation agreements with four-year institutions across Ohio and beyond. They also tend to operate multiple campuses or learning centers, which can put a community college within commuting distance of more residents.

Smaller community colleges in Ohio compete on attention. Smaller cohorts mean a single academic advisor sees you across multiple semesters and can write a substantive recommendation when you transfer or apply for a job. Faculty teach more sections of fewer courses, which means the same instructor often guides you through a sequence rather than handing you off term to term. For students who thrive on relationship and continuity, the smaller institutions on this list can be the better choice even when the larger one offers more programs.

Use this list alongside the state's transfer-outcomes guide and the state's cost-and-aid guide. Together they let you triangulate fit on the three dimensions that matter most for community-college choice: program availability, total cost after aid, and how reliably the institution moves students on to the next step.