Vol. 38, No. 18

3-17-2004
By: David Bhaerman

Quality improving despite fewer resources per student

Ohio State continues to provide a quality educational experience with fewer resources compared with top public institutions in other states and other universities in Ohio, Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Bill Shkurti told the university’s Board of Trustees on March 5.
Shkurti presented trustees with an annual financial benchmark report, which measures the university’s revenues and spending compared with benchmark institutions, a group of universities that are similar to Ohio State in mission, size and scope, but which are ranked higher academically. The benchmark institutions are the universities of Arizona, California at Los Angeles, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas at Austin, Washington and Wisconsin.
The positive report came with a warning, however: The university’s progress could stall if state support continues to lag, and a statewide sales tax repeal proposal goes through. “The chance of more state budget cuts if the state sales tax repeal is effective is a major concern,” Shkurti said.
“When compared with our benchmark institutions, Ohio State has 16.9 percent less resources per student, yet the quality of our academics continues to improve,” Shkurti said. “This university continues to be a good value for students and Ohio taxpayers.”
With resources of $31,176 per student, Ohio State receives 16.9 percent fewer resources per student than the $37,520 benchmark average, and is well below the benchmark high of $48,332 per student at the University of Michigan.
The university still significantly trails the benchmark institutions in major categories of current funds revenue per student, except for tuition and fees. The university receives 13.7 percent less in state appropriations than its benchmarks, and 21.7 percent less in gifts, grants and contracts.
“Because of reductions in state support and an increased reliance on tuition and fees, resident undergraduate tuition and fees at Ohio State are 10.8 percent above the benchmark average,” Shkurti said. “Yet Ohio State’s resident undergraduate tuition and fees remain the lowest among Ohio’s public four-year universities with selective admissions.”
Resident undergraduate tuition and fees at Ohio State range from $5,991 for a continuing student to $6,624 for an incoming freshman, just above the benchmark average of $5,751, but well below Michigan’s high tuition of $8,481. Among Ohio institutions, Ohio State’s tuition trails Ohio University, Kent State, Bowling Green, Cincinnati and Miami, which has the state’s highest tuition at $8,353.
Shkurti also pointed out that the university has moved up two spots to be tied with Minnesota at 22nd in the nation’s rankings of top public universities and is the state’s best public university. Graduate programs at Ohio State also are ranked among the nation’s best, as well as Ohio’s best in every category.
Compared with its benchmark institutions, Shkurti said that Ohio State spends above the average in public services, institutional support, student services and instructional expenditures, but less than the benchmark average on physical plant expenses, research, scholarships and fellowships and academic support services.
“The university has made slow but steady progress since the early 1990s in closing this gap, especially in resources per student and in some key programmatic areas like student services” Shkurti said. “But in order to continue to move forward, we will need to manage our resources effectively and expand and diversify our resource base.”

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