University of Cincinnati named one of the inaugural 'Power 25'

The Courier shines a light specfically on UC's enrollment growth and developments on campus. UC President Neville Pinto, PhD, explained how this growth is a reflection of the university's role in the community. 

“We’ve really doubled down on the fact that we as an institution have been associated with this region for over 200 years,” he said in an intervew.  

This fall, UC enrolled 53,682 students, a 1% increase over last year’s enrollment, or an additional 447 students. Since Dr. Pinto launched his Next Lives Here strategic direction in 2018, the university has grown by nearly 9,000 students.

However, Dr. Pinto said that enrollment growth is more than a number and is really about young people pursuing higher education in this community and learning new skills, with the potential of joining the workforce, starting a family and contributing to the region’s overall wellbeing.

UC's co-op program, which is ranked No. 4 in the country by U.S. News & World Report, gives many students a jumpstart into the workforce by helping them earn while they learn in companies across the region.

Students like Brooke Boeding graduate with a job already waiting for them. Boeding will be working at Kinetic Vision, where she's co-opped, once completing her degree in the spring.

“Co-op is a paid opportunity. That’s really helped me,” Boeding said. “I’ve been able to save up so I’ll be in a really good place financially and experience-wise. UC has helped me come out of higher education well-rounded.”

UC students earned over $94 million on co-ops and internships in the 2024-25 academic year, according to student-reported data. UC offers students paid career experiences which significantly offset the cost of tuition.

“As the pioneer of cooperative education, the University of Cincinnati changed the way the world learns,” said UC President Neville G. Pinto. “Today, that same spirit of innovation drives the growth of UC’s co-op model and deepens our promise to connect learning with opportunity, preparing thousands of Bearcats to fuel the talent needs of our economy and graduate with the real-world experience employers need.”

Dr. Pinto also spoke about the importance of supporting Cincinnati Public School through the CPS Strong initiative, to ensure college readiness, access and success for this group of students. 

“Success for us would be every prospective student who would like to study at the University of Cincinnati, and is qualified to do so, we should be able to admit to study,” Pinto said. “If we’re doing that, we are meeting our public mission.”

The Courier article also touched on new student housing as a result of the growth, including a refreshed Siddall Hall dormitory and constrution around Blocks 1 and 2 which is expected to add 1,300 beds to student housing when it’s completed.

In September, UC formally reopened Old Chem, one of the oldest academic research buildings on campus which now houses state-of-the-art laboratories and classroom space for the study of chemistry, biology and engineering.

“Our ability to fuel this economy with a growing base of talent is what’s going to largely influence the economic prospects for our region,” Pinto said.

Read the full article.

Read more about Power 25.