TIFFIN, OH (WTOL) - Despite a decline in college enrollment all across the country for the last six years, one local college is celebrating their largest incoming class in the school's history.
For the 2018 Fall semester, Tiffin University welcomed a record breaking 450 first time, first year domestic students.
They are part of an incoming group of 520 first time students from 26 states and multiple international countries.
Along with the safety and security of a smaller campus, TU president Dr. Lillian Shumacher says the real selling point of TU is the 1 to 18 faculty to student ratio.
"We know our students. We know them by name, we know when they're not showing up for class, when they're not showing up for their performance, or when they're not showing up for a particular sport. And so they can't really be missing without us knowing, so they get that student attention," said Schumacher.
In addition, TU has become very forward thinking in recent years, starting up programs ahead of national trends, like scholarship E-sports and female wrestling.
"To allow us to venture into a little bit of the unknown, but to open up avenues. Because as the president said, recruiting students is not getting easier; there's more competition, less high school graduates. So, I think that those innovative approaches really allow Tiffin a competitive edge," said Jeremy Marinis, V.P. of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.
Now with that historic incoming class under their belt, Tiffin University now begins no only focusing on the next incoming class, but to also work on retaining those students who are already here.
