GREENVILLE, Pa.—For the third straight year, Thiel College’s total enrollment has grown according to its recently completed census. Total enrollment has increased by 7 percent over 2021.
These statistics starkly contrast those of national reports that show a continued decrease in college enrollment across the United States. According to a recently published article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, undergraduate enrollment in the state of Pennsylvania has seen an overall decrease of 7.2 percent since 2020. Thiel’s undergraduate enrollment grew by 1.6 percent from 2021, and the College’s overall enrollment grew by 7.5 percent in 2021 and 10 percent in 2020. First-year student enrollment this fall was lower than in 2021 but strong retention numbers and graduate program increases offset that decrease. This year’s incoming class is also 35 percent larger than first-year enrollment in 2017.
Thiel College has 904 graduate and undergraduate students.
Thiel College has added graduate programs for business administration, clinical mental health counseling, communication and leadership, physician assistant studies and speech-language pathology. The College has also added new undergraduate degrees in data analytics, environmental safety management, exercise science and a new collaborative Bachelor of Science in nursing. Thiel’s nursing degree comes at a time when the importance of healthcare workers has been emphasized during the worldwide pandemic. Even before COVID-19, the need for nurses was apparent. A state audit said Pennsylvania is going to be short 4,000 to 5,000 nurses by 2026.
“Given the competitiveness of recruitment in a demographically challenged region, we are proud to have grown total enrollment and attracted such gifted and talented students. The campus community has rallied together to help the Admissions team recognize, recruit, and retain our students,” Vice President for Enrollment Management Ashley Josay Zullo said. “Each of our community partners is essential in recruiting and retaining our students. We will continue to strive to grow the number and quality of new students through robust recruitment, new programs, and campus improvements.”
More than $40 million in capital improvements in the campus’s academic, athletic, and residential facilities are either completed, ongoing or scheduled for the year ahead. Among the campus improvements are important renovation projects supporting athletics and wellness. In recent years, the College has been recognized as a Top North Region college in Western Pa. and a top college for social mobility in Western Pa. according to U.S. News and World Report; an Arbor Day Foundation Tree Campus USA; and as a Grateful Graduates institution by Forbes
magazine. The College also joins Princeton, Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh as one of just six Dietrich Foundation higher education institutions in the United States.
About Thiel College
Thiel College is an independent college founded in the Lutheran tradition. Located in Greenville, Pa., the College offers 60 majors and minors, 24 varsity sports, and an 11:1 student-faculty ratio. The College is also home to a new Master of Science in speech-language pathology and 2Master of Business Administration. Both master’s degree programs offer innovative and accelerated five-year paths which allow students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years. The speech-language pathology program also has an accelerated 15-month graduate-level program. The M.B.A. program also has a 12-month post-graduate program.A dedicated faculty paired with dynamic research and internship opportunities produce numerous graduate school and job placements. Coeducational from its beginnings, the College remains committed to combining tradition with innovation as it celebrates 150 years.