The Columbus Dispatch: Early enrollment numbers show Ohio colleges are holding steady
UC’s record enrollment stands out among Ohio universities and colleges
The Columbus Dispatch reports a national decline in college enrollment may be stabilizing. That conclusion is based in part on The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s spring enrollment report.
According to the Dispatch most of the state's 19 public universities saw marginal decreases or modest increases in enrollment. The University of Cincinnati reported a record-breaking milestone. UC enrolled 50,921 students for the fall semester across its three campuses.
The UC Uptown campus enrolled 43,634 students, a more than 5% increase over last fall. UC Blue Ash and Clermont also reported strong enrollment gains — increases of 6% and 20% respectively.
Nationally, a slight uptick in community college enrollment, up 22,000 students, might be helping to stabilize undergraduate enrollment.
At Ohio’s largest university, Ohio State, enrollment topped out at 65,405 students. That's a difference of about 500 fewer students enrolled at its main campus compared to last fall, a 0.8% decrease, reports the Dispatch.
Read the full story in The Columbus Dispatch online.
Learn more about Census Day and enrollment at UC online.
Featured image of UC student studying. Photo by Andrew Highley/UC Marketing + Brand.
Tags
Related Stories
Putting preschool into perspective
July 20, 2026
Preschool and childcare can be difficult to navigate for parents, as Spectrum News 1 Ohio recently reported. Waitlists are long, and factors like cost, location and transportation can limit options. According to a recent study published by The Annie E. Casey Foundation, only 41% of 3- to 4-year-olds in Ohio were enrolled in preschool between 2020 and 2024 — a 4% decrease from pre-pandemic numbers. For University of Cincinnati early childhood education faculty member Chad Nunamaker, that statistic has caveats.
Ticks that survive pesticides can withstand colder winters
July 17, 2026
Ticks that survive less-than-lethal doses of pesticide are able to withstand dangerous cold, which could help them expand their range farther north, according to researchers at the University of Cincinnati and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why does it feel like so many Cincinnati restaurants close?
July 17, 2026
WLWT and the Cincinnati Enquirer cited UC research in reports on recent restaurant closures in the city.