As the 2021-22 academic year begins, Thomas More University has announced record-breaking traditional student enrollment numbers.
This fall semester’s enrollment of 1,273 consists of 448 new students and 825 returning students. The entering freshman class is the fourth largest in the University’s history. The returning students marked a new milestone too, by establishing an 84.7% persistence rate, one of the University’s highest rates on record. These statistics continue the three-year trend of consistently increasing enrollment at Thomas More University.
Thomas More University’s enrollment numbers outshined the overall national secondary education enrollment statistics, which saw a 3.5% decline according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center (NSCRC).
The NSCRC also documented that similar private, non-profit institutions saw a 0.8% drop in student admissions year over year. Moreover, these national declines help to demonstrate the success level Thomas More University has achieved.
The University also saw an increase in student housing this semester. The University will house 424 on-campus residents, the second largest number of students living on campus in the University’s history.
“It is exciting to see the enrollment increase for our University. Over the next week, as we initiate our Centennial Celebration, these growth numbers can only substantiate how far we have already come and how blessed the future looks to be,” said President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D., “I would like to personally welcome each and every student to Thomas More University, both new and returning, and encourage all of us to make this another great year.”
The first-year students split fairly evenly, with 51% male and 49% female. The incoming students achieved an average 3.4 GPA. The diversity of the student body continues to develop with international students making up 3% of new incoming students. Regional enrollment programs are also paying dividends as 54% of the student body is from Kentucky, while 30% of enrollees are from Ohio, and 5% from Indiana. Staying true to its commitment to be the region’s premier Catholic university, Thomas More University registered 40 students from the Diocese of Covington and 31 students from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Combined they account for 17.7% of incoming students.
Recent upgrades to campus, additional course availability and the University’s initial efforts to move into Great Midwest Athletic Conference, a Division II conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), have all been attractions for potential students considering Thomas More University. In coordination with the launch of the Centennial Celebration, Chillo continues to enhance the University’s appeal to new students with the release of the 2021-26 strategic initiative – Light the Way and the Second Century Campaign with a philanthropic target of raising $30 million for the University.
U.S. News and World Report ranks Thomas More University one of the best regional educational institutions in the southern United States. Thomas More University is also number one among Kentucky’s private and public colleges and universities for long-term gain and overall return on investment according to a 2019 study by Georgetown University. Thomas More University once again received full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) for the quality and integrity of the educational institution.
Thomas More University
