The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public

Public university

A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...

 research university located in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio

Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...

. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university

Land-grant university

Land-grant universities are institutions of higher education in the United States designated by each state to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890....

 and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Ohio State has been officially designated as the flagship institution of Ohio's public universities by the newly centralized University System of Ohio

University System of Ohio

The University System of Ohio is the public university system of the state of Ohio. Legally unified under Governor Ted Strickland in 2007, the University System of Ohio is governed by the Ohio Board of Regents....

. It also includes regional campuses in Lima

Ohio State University, Lima Campus

The Ohio State University, Lima, also referred to as Ohio State Lima is a regional campus of the The Ohio State University located in Lima, Ohio. Its campus is located in Lima, south of Toledo, Ohio. It offers over 140 courses and 10 bachelor degree programs in science and liberal Arts. Eight of...

, Mansfield

Ohio State University, Mansfield Campus

The Ohio State University at Mansfield is a regional campus of The Ohio State University located in Mansfield, Ohio. It was founded in 1958 as a land-grant college. Its campus is situated in the western foothills of the Allegheny Plateau, the North Central Ohio region, with easy access to Columbus...

, Marion

Ohio State University, Marion Campus

The Ohio State University at Marion, often referred to as OSU Marion, is a regional campus of The Ohio State University located in Marion, Ohio. The campus was founded in 1957. Its campus is located north of Columbus. There are six buildings on the campus.OSU Marion has baccalaureate program...

, Newark

Ohio State University, Newark Campus

The Ohio State University at Newark campus in Licking County, Ohio is a coeducational public university founded in 1957 as the first OSU regional campus. During its early years, classes were held at an old Newark High School...

, and Wooster

Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute

The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute , located in Wooster, Ohio, is an associate degree-granting program within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences of Ohio State University. The curriculum includes general and basic studies, applied and technical...

.

Ohio State athletic teams compete in Division I of the NCAA

National Collegiate Athletic Association

The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

 and are collectively known as the Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of The Ohio State University, named after the state tree, the Buckeye. The Buckeyes participate in the NCAA's Division I in all sports and the Big Ten Conference in most sports...

.