TIFFIN, Ohio — Enrollment numbers are up for the current fall semester at Tiffin University. While that alone is an accomplishment, university officials are also celebrating the fact that nearly half of its students take courses online.
For the fall 2023 semester, Tiffin University welcomed 1,043 newly enrolled students.
Along with boasting a 1:19 teacher-student ratio, school leaders said more students choose TU for its seamless transfer options.
"If a student had prior experience at another college or university, we wanted to recognize all of that learning, not just pick and choose what would transfer into the university," TU Provost Pete Holbrook said.
Focusing on offering a full college experience online for nontraditional students has helped the school and its students, TU officials said.
Anyone in the world can take courses online. Most online students live within 80 miles of the university.
"But what that allows is the opportunity to go to an institution that has the name recognition, has an actual physical campus in the backyard," Holbrook said. "So if they wanted to come to campus for career services, they can do that."
The biggest sign of the times is that 46% of all enrolled TU students were online for the fall 2023 semester, totaling just over 1,700 people.
Current online student Ruth Schalk, who works full time, says along with TU's online degrees being viewed in the same standard as a traditional student, the pandemic helped both student and teacher better understand how to hold a course remotely.
"Not only because, I think, the university moved to help the online experience, I think the student has learned how to attain more from out of the online experience," Schalk said.
Schalk said that regardless if you're in a physical classroom or attending online, the teachers at TU hold every student accountable in the same way, which goes a long way for career growth after graduation.
With so many online courses now available, more and more nontraditional students can plan their college careers around their other responsibilities.
"They want you to succeed, they want you to reach out to them," Schalk said. "And so the tools are there if you're willing to do it and this (online learning) is an excellent option, and I am encouraging people that I work with to look into this."
MORE FROM WTOL 11 NEWS: