News Releases

Most Students Since Pre-Pandemic Push Owens Enrollment to 8th Consecutive Semester Increase

Owens Community College’s enrollment reached its highest 14th-day headcount since before the COVID-19 pandemic, with 7,652 students enrolled for Fall 2026.

Owens nursing student Caiden Nauth studies at the Findlay-area Campus.

Compared to 7,423 students in Fall 2025, the 3.1 percent increase for Fall 2026 marks the eighth consecutive semester of headcount enrollment growth and the fifth consecutive fall semester with a headcount increase.

Fall 2026 enrollment also represents the largest student enrollment at the 14th-day headcount since Spring 2020, when 8,486 students enrolled. With continued momentum, new and continuing student increases are driving the college’s enrollment growth.

Owens welcomed 2,049 new students this semester, a 5.0 percent increase from 1,951 new students in Fall 2025 and a significant increase from Fall 2022, when 1,381 new students enrolled. Fall 2022 marked the first fall semester of headcount growth for Owens since before the pandemic.

The college also saw an increase in continuing students, with 3,120 students returning for Fall 2026 compared with 2,987 in Fall 2025. The 4.5 percentage increase in continuing students demonstrates that more students are making progress toward their education goals.

“It’s clear that we are not only drawing new students, but students are choosing to stay and persist toward their academic goals,” said Dr. Blake Renner, vice president of enrollment management and student affairs at Owens.

Renner said the continued enrollment growth can be attributed to Owens’ combination of in-demand academic programs, including short-term certificates, and university transfer options.

“Owens is not your typical community college when you look at all the services and experiences offered to our students,” Renner said. “A highlight is our wraparound services, including the dedicated advisors who meet with students throughout their academic careers to help ensure they achieve their goals. And there’s so much happening in Student Life with engaging events on campus, plus our students can cheer on our Owens Express athletic teams.

“Campus life is thriving and it is good to see students enjoying their experience at Owens,” he said.

Owens students choose from career-focused and transfer-ready programs.

Registered Nursing was the top enrolled program with 518. Offering classes in the $27.8 million Healthcare Education Center on the Toledo-area Campus as well as the Findlay-area Campus, Owens has been northwest Ohio’s nursing education leader, with more graduates meeting or exceeding state and national NCLEX pass rates over the past 20 years than any other nursing program in the region.

The college’s first bachelor’s degree, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), continues to grow with a new cohort of 20 students for Fall 2026. The first BSN cohort of nine students began taking classes in Spring 2026 and is on track to graduate in 2027.

In the career-focused programs category, after Registered Nursing, the top 10 included Business Management Technology (146), Electrical Major (93), Accounting Technology (74), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (69), Radiologic Technology (68), Early Childhood Technology (63), Physical Therapy Assistant Program (62), Welding Major (58) and Cyber Security (57).

For students seeking a university bachelor’s degree, Owens provides a strong academic foundation and clear pathways through regional partnerships with four-year schools. Business Transfer Pathway was the top enrolled transfer program with 170 students. The remainder of the top 10 included Social Work Transfer Pathway (117), Education Transfer (90), Psychology Transfer Pathway (87), General Science Concentration (80), Biology Concentration (61), General Arts Concentration (59), Criminal Justice Transfer Pathway (56), Engineering Concentration (43) and Environmental Sciences (35).

The 14th-day census is a standard enrollment measure taken 14 days after classes begin. For Fall 2026, the census date was Monday, September 7. Owens will continue enrolling students through the semester in classes with later start dates, so the 14th-day headcount does not represent final enrollment for the semester.