The Ohio State University (Ohio State, tOSU, or OSU) is a public, land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1870, it is the flagship institution of the University System of Ohio. It is regarded as a "Public Ivy" and is consistently ranked among the best public universities in the United States.
Ohio State is a member of the Association of American Universities and is classified "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity". The university is known for its political science department, one of the most influential globally and a major department within American politics; and applied science, where it specializes in artificial intelligence, computer science, biomedical research, and engineering.