Vivek Ramaswamy’s Plans
Could Destroy Ohio

Ohio’s public colleges and universities educate our children, prepare the workers our economy needs and support hundreds of thousands of jobs. They make an affordable college education possible for students who cannot leave home or pay room and board.

Vivek Ramaswamy says Ohio has too many public universities and suggests some should be “consolidated” to help pay for his proposed tax cuts that would benefit wealthy Ohioans—including himself. His proposal could close campuses, eliminate academic programs and deprive students of access to an affordable education close to home.

Protect Ohio’s future. Sign our petition and tell your state legislators to reject Vivek’s dangerous college consolidation plan.

Why This Matters

On March 13, 2026, while discussing how to pay for his plan to eliminate the state’s income tax, Ramaswamy took aim at Ohio’s public colleges and universities.

“We have too many of them. They need to be consolidated.”— Vivek Ramaswamy, March 13, 2026

Two weeks later, Ramaswamy outlined his plan in a March 27 opinion column. He proposed giving the chancellor of the Ohio Department of Higher Education authority to review every publicly funded college and university and determine where declining enrollment had made an institution’s independence “untenable.”

Ramaswamy specifically cited Cleveland State University, the University of Akron, Kent State University and Central State University while discussing institutions facing enrollment, tuition or financial challenges.

Then, at an April 2026 event at Ohio State University, he doubled down:

“I don’t think you should be funding subpar universities.”— Vivek Ramaswamy, April 2026

Ramaswamy said the strongest academic programs should survive while other programs are eliminated or consolidated. That could force students to travel farther, pay room and board or abandon plans to earn a degree altogether.

Ramaswamy changed his explanation—but not the danger.

After his proposal generated bipartisan opposition, Ramaswamy began denying that he wanted to close universities. He said he meant that Ohio should consolidate “duplicative” academic programs among institutions.

But his original statements were clear: Ohio has too many universities, they should be consolidated and institutions he considers “subpar” should not receive state funding.

His written proposal would still give state officials broad authority to decide whether a university should remain independent, which programs it may offer and whether its administrative functions should be absorbed by another institution.

Whether Ramaswamy closes an entire university or eliminates many of the programs that allow it to serve its region, the result could be the same: fewer educational opportunities, fewer jobs and weaker communities.

Ohio’s public universities are economic engines.

Ohio’s 14 public universities do far more than award degrees. They employ thousands of Ohioans, purchase goods and services from local businesses, attract students and visitors, conduct research and prepare the nurses, teachers, engineers, public-safety professionals and skilled workers Ohio desperately needs.

A study commissioned by the Inter-University Council of Ohio estimated that the state’s public universities generated $68.9 billion in economic impact during the 2021–2022 fiscal year—equal to 8.8% of Ohio’s gross state product. The study found that university activities, students and graduates supported approximately 866,782 jobs—one out of every eight jobs in Ohio.

The study also estimated that Ohio receives approximately $4.60 in additional tax revenue and public savings for every dollar taxpayers invest in public-university education.

Closing or weakening a public university would not merely affect students and professors. It could cost communities jobs, reduce spending at local businesses, weaken the available workforce and make it harder for employers to find qualified workers.