BS Consumer and Family Financial Services at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

A bachelor’s degree in consumer and family financial services prepares you for a career helping people, businesses and organizations make sense of complex financial concepts, data and policies. You’ll learn the analytical and people skills necessary to help clients or employers make better decisions in the real world. This program offers two specializations: the Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) track and the consumer behavior track. The opportunity also exists to sit for the Accredited Financial Counselor certification exam. Offered at: Columbus.

Faculty: Education and Human Ecology | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Students are required to take course work that focuses on the consumer, their problems and solutions to them, their decision-making processes in relation to their finances, and their interaction with the marketplace. In addition, students can broaden their understandings with course choices from the business college, communications and economic departments, and from other programs within this college. Emphasis is placed on understanding consumer behaviors and decision making, marketplace complexities, and resolution of consumer problems. In addition, students can focus on helping families and individuals reach financial goals through effective management of financial resources.

Career pathways

Consumer and family financial services graduates are employed in a wide range of careers. Graduates find employment in business and industry, financial establishments, nonprofit organizations, state agencies, social service agencies, trade associations, public utilities, and the state legislature.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the Education and Human Ecology college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. Upon admission to the university, students enroll directly into the consumer and family financial services program as a pre-major. After completion of the following major admission requirements, students are placed in the major.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

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