Match #1
Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH
Profile closeness86/100
Admit rate91%
- 8,969 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 53%
- Enrollment 8,969 students, close to 7,961
The colleges most similar to Youngstown State University are Cleveland State University, University of Akron Main Campus, and University of Toledo. Youngstown State University admits 84% of applicants and has an average net price of $9,161 a year; 0 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 7 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Youngstown State University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Youngstown State University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH
Profile closeness82/100
Admit rate60%
- 9,052 students
- Public
- City: Midsize
- Graduation rate 53%, close to 53%
- Enrollment 9,052 students, close to 7,961
Match #3
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate92%
- 9,770 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Graduation rate 58%, close to 53%
- Enrollment 9,770 students, close to 7,961
Match #4
Wright State University-Main Campus
Dayton, OH
Profile closeness77/100
Admit rate96%
- 6,762 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 6,762 students, close to 7,961
- Same control type (public)
Match #5
Kent State University at Kent Main Campus
Kent, OH
Profile closeness69/100
Admit rate86%
- 19,320 students
- Public
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 51%, close to 53%
- Acceptance rate 86%, close to 84%
Match #6
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH
Profile closeness66/100
Admit rate81%
- 12,812 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Acceptance rate 81%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #7
Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH
Profile closeness61/100
Admit rate85%
- 19,633 students
- Public
- Town: Distant
- Acceptance rate 85%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #8
Miami University-Oxford
Oxford, OH
Profile closeness47/100
Admit rate75%
- 16,656 students
- Public
- Town: Fringe
- Acceptance rate 75%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #9
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH
Profile closeness45/100
Admit rate85%
- 29,882 students
- Public
- City: Large
- Acceptance rate 85%, close to 84%
- Same control type (public)
Match #10
Central State University
Wilberforce, OH
Profile closeness44/100
Admit rate99%
- 2,620 students
- Public
- Rural: Fringe
- Same control type (public)
Questions about Youngstown State University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Youngstown State University?
The closest matches to Youngstown State University are Cleveland State University, University of Akron Main Campus, University of Toledo, Wright State University-Main Campus, and Kent State University at Kent Main Campus. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Youngstown State University hard to get into?
Youngstown State University admitted 84% of its 6,718 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 7 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
