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Stautzenberger College, founded in 1926 and now the fourth oldest for-profit vocational college in Ohio still operating, will celebrate its 100th anniversary today by graduating more than 200 students.
The commencement ceremony will be held at 7pm at the Franciscan Center of Lourdes University in Sylvania, marking a century of workforce-focused education in Ohio.
A century of expanding access
Over the past 100 years, Stautzenberger College has graduated more than 10,000 students statewide, including 7,276 from its Maumee campus alone since 1996. Many graduates have been working adults, first-generation college students and individuals who might not otherwise have had access to higher education.
Affordability and efficiency remain hallmarks of the institution. Tuition typically costs one-fourth to one-half that of traditional four-year universities, and programs can be completed in as little as seven months to two years. The average student comes from a household earning between $30,000 and $40,000 annually and 94% of students received financial aid last year.
Training for in-demand careers
Today, the college prepares students for careers in nursing, medical assisting, paralegal studies, and veterinary technology, as well as in construction, early childhood education and skilled trades. Graduates work throughout Ohio and beyond in hospitals, clinics, law firms, schools, dental offices, veterinary facilities and industrial settings.
Enrollment has grown from 589 to 695 students over the past year, with enrollment in trades programs more than doubling. The average student age is 31.7, reflecting the college’s focus on working adults and career changers. The student body is 40% white, 40% Black, and 10% Hispanic.
“We’ve adapted our curricula to meet the ever-evolving demands of Ohio’s fast-changing job market,” said Todd Wildey, president of Stautzenberger College.
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Innovation and growth
In 2023, the college launched the Cannavision Institute to support workforce development in the emerging cannabis industry. It has also expanded online education, with nearly half of its students now enrolled in virtual programs.
“We’re still here, we’re still going strong, and the best is yet to come,” said Stephen Tave, president and CEO of the American Higher Educational Development Corporation (AHED), which acquired the college in 1999.
Celebrating 100 years
Reaching its 100th anniversary marks a significant milestone for Stautzenberger College and the thousands of students whose lives it has impacted since 1926. What began as a small commercial school training secretaries and bookkeepers has grown into a multi-campus institution preparing students for careers in healthcare, legal services, skilled trades, education, and emerging industries. Through economic shifts, workforce changes and decades of transformation, the college has remained focused on practical, affordable education that leads directly to employment. Over the past century, its graduates have strengthened Ohio’s hospitals, businesses, schools, and communities. As the college celebrates its centennial, leaders say the milestone is both a reflection of its enduring mission and a renewed commitment to expanding opportunity for the next generation of career-focused students.
For more information visit Stautzenberger online.
