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������ opened the 2026 Fall Semester with its largest incoming architecture class in 25 years and its largest nursing class in a decade, continued national recognition for affordability and financial strength, and a new initiative built to help every incoming student thrive from day one — all while remaining the largest public university in northern Ohio.

Fall 2026 Highlights:

• The College of Architecture and Environmental Design welcomed its largest first-year class in 25 years.
• The College of Nursing enrolled its largest incoming class in a decade, amid rising national demand for nurses.
• ������ remains one of the most affordable of Ohio’s selective public universities.
• First-year enrollment across the university’s eight-campus system reached 5,004, among the strongest incoming classes in university history.
• A growing share of first-year students arrived with sophomore standing through Ohio’s College Credit Plus program.

“Every fall, I’m reminded why ������ is such a special place,” said ������ President Todd Diacon. “Our students choose ������ because of the value, the support and the opportunities we offer, including a top-ranked education, real affordability and a community that helps them thrive from the moment they arrive. I am so proud of what this university offers students and families across northern Ohio and beyond.”

Record Momentum in High-Demand Programs

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design welcomed its largest first-year class in 25 years, reflecting sustained momentum for a program recognized nationally for its studio-based, career-connected approach to design education. 

At the same time, enrollment in the College of Nursing reached a decade high as demand for ������’s nursing programs continues to climb alongside a well-documented national need for more nurses entering the healthcare workforce.

More First-Year Students Arrive With a Head Start

This year’s incoming class also reflects a trend ������ has watched build for several years: a rising number of first-year students arriving on campus already holding sophomore standing, having earned college credit in high school through Ohio’s College Credit Plus program. This fall, 59% of the incoming class, or more than 2,900 students, arrived with credits already earned, continuing an upward trajectory that has continued every year since the program’s expansion and underscoring ������’s deep partnerships with high schools across the region.

For many of these students, arriving with a semester or more of credit already in hand means an earlier start on their majors, more room to add a minor or participate in education abroad, and a faster, more affordable path to a degree — another way ������ is helping students and families get more value from their college investment.

Combined across the Kent Campus and ������’s Regional Campuses, this fall’s incoming class reached 5,004 students — one of the largest first-year cohorts in university history. 

Welcoming Students Through the New Golden Experience

These gains arrive as ������ launches its new Golden Experience initiative, a campuswide effort that connects students to campus life, hands-on skill-building, vibrant living and dining spaces, and wellness support from their very first days on campus — an effort the university says is especially important as it welcomes some of its largest and most academically prepared first-year cohorts in years. 

One of Ohio’s Most Affordable Universities

������ enters the fall as one of Ohio’s most affordable selective public universities.

“������ has made an intentional effort to create a high-quality experience while being the most affordable among selective universities in Ohio,” said Sean Broghammer, Ph.D., ������’s vice president for enrollment management.

The university awards more than $417 million in financial aid each year, and 95% of undergraduate students receive some form of aid. Programs such as the four-year Golden Guarantee tuition plan, which locks in tuition rates for incoming students, and the Flashes Go Further Scholarship Program, which covers tuition for eligible Ohio students, have helped keep a ������ degree within reach for more families even as college costs climb nationally.

Sound Financial Footing

������’s affordability is paired with disciplined financial management, including:

• Balanced Budgets: successfully navigating external pressures, including demographic shifts, inflation, changing attitudes toward higher education and international student access restrictions.
• Strong Credit Standing: ������ continues to earn positive marks from major national credit rating agencies, reflecting sustained financial discipline.
• Student-First Reinvestment: directing financial strength into scholarships and critical support programs to keep a ������ education affordable.

Overall, ������ welcomed 31,581 students across its eight campuses — Kent, Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas — this fall, keeping it largest public university in northern Ohio.