Enrollment up at Ohio public universities and colleges: See complete chart

Community colleges in the state are seeing the largest increase in enrollment with some as high as 15 percent in this region, led by Clark State Community College.

Cassie Barlow, president of the Strategic Ohio Council for Higher Education (SOCHE), said there’s a growing need for workers with some sort of post-secondary education. Career tech expansion, along with the higher education enrollment, will help with that, she said.

“Our employers, I believe, are being very clear about what they need in terms of trained workforce,” she said. “Our higher education institutions, both at the two-year and four-year level, are really stepping up to the plate when it comes to getting the employers the trained workforce that they need.”

Whether that’s in upskilling existing workers, training new workers or providing a variety of classes and degrees, all of those contribute to helping employers get the skilled workers they need, Barlow said.

“I personally believe our state is at a tipping point,” Barlow said. “We are tipping towards being the place of choice to come to get an education and then to follow with a job with livable wages and an economy where you can do that fairly easily because of our cost of living here in Ohio.”

Aaron S. Horn, associate vice president of research at the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, said according to the National Student Clearinghouse, Ohio’s undergraduate enrollment in spring 2024 increased by 1.2% compared to the previous year, which mirrors the overall growth across the Midwest.

Community colleges

Enrollment in Ohio’s community colleges rose 5.13%, a key demographic change. Community colleges are more affordable and offer more trade programs for their students.

“While the increase in Ohio’s community college enrollment is notable, it’s not entirely surprising given national trends,” Horn said.

He said across the U.S. public, two-year colleges have seen a resurgence in enrollment, and Ohio’s increase is consistent with the national rebound.

“Nationally, enrollment increases were particularly pronounced at vocational community colleges,” he said.

Sinclair Community College enrollment rose by about 10.4% in fall 2024 semester compared to fall 2023. Clark State Community College rose 15% in the same period, while enrollment at Edison State Community College in Piqua grew by about 1.5%.

“As industries evolve and require more specialized skills, many individuals are returning to education to enhance their qualifications or pivot to new career paths,” said Cathy Petersen, spokeswoman for Sinclair.

Community colleges can be a better value, said Clark State president Jo Alice Blondin.

“I’m glad the word is getting out that community colleges are colleges of choice,” Blondin said.

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

Edison State’s spokesman, Bruce McKenzie, noted the college enrollment for many public universities and colleges have been negative or flat. The surge this fall was impacted by new enrollment focuses for some, like in College Credit Plus or adding programs in prisons, and by college closures across the country, he said.

Four-year universities

Four-year universities saw smaller gains in enrollment, but the four-year satellite campuses saw basically flat enrollment at 0.9% increased.

“The 0.90% increase aligns with national trends showing moderate enrollment growth at many public four-year institutions,” Horn said. “While growth at institutions in towns and suburbs ranged from 1.5% to 2.0%, institutions located in rural areas, which many regional campuses serve, experienced a decline in enrollment of 2.5% in spring 2024.”

Wright State University had one of the largest increases in enrollment in the state at its main campus among the public universities, with a 7.46% increase, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education. University officials have been celebrating that success since enrollment declined at the university from the mid-2010s to about 2022, and last year’s enrollment increase was about 2%.

Susan Schaurer, vice president for enrollment management at WSU, said the university is celebrating that success while also looking ahead for the next several years to make sure the university stays competitive in an increasingly competitive environment. The university is seeing more enrollment from places outside of the Miami Valley, she said, notably from southeastern Ohio, Columbus and Cincinnati.

“We know that we had a lot of work to do, and we are just going to continue to work hard, because we believe that we have even more success to realize,” she said.

Central State University had a 54% increase for students, both undergraduate and graduate, according to the Ohio Department of Higher Education data, but the university saw a decline in overall enrollment due to an online-only program ending this year, said Amy Hobbs, interim provost at Central State University. Enrollment at the campus in Wilberforce near Xenia was flat.

Jeff Robinson, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Higher Education, said the students in the online-only program that caused a huge spike in enrollment at Central State and Eastern Gateway Community College were counted separately, which is why there is a disparity between what Central State and Ohio are reporting.

“It is exciting that enrollment is up across the state at our public universities and colleges,” Hobbs said. “As college costs rise, the affordability of public universities in Ohio is attractive.”

She noted those with college degrees are also likely to find well-paying jobs in the state.

Miami University had about 1.2% increased enrollment, essentially keeping the enrollment at the four-year institution’s main campus flat. The university focused on helping students figure out the FAFSA, said Rachel Beech, vice president of enrollment management and student success at Miami.

Families this year were unable to submit FAFSA applications, which determine student financial aid, until January, and struggled to make corrections and submit the FAFSA even when it was available. Many students didn’t get their financial aid packets until late April, when colleges usually want students to commit by early May.

Beech credited the work many colleges and universities have done to recruit and attract students to help increase enrollment. She said Miami University hopes it’s a trend that continues.

“Having more students pursuing a degree after high school helps to enhance opportunities across the state and allows for many individuals to increase their earning potential,” Beech said.