Thomas More University opened classes for the 2025-26 academic year with continued growth in overall enrollment. For the second year in a row, total enrollment exceeds 2,300, with 2,379 students enrolled.
Thomas More welcomes 380 new students – a diverse group that hails from 17 countries and 19 states. The incoming class earned an impressive 3.6 average high school GPA and includes 44 graduates of Diocese of Covington high schools and 14 from high schools of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
The top three majors for this incoming class include business administration, biology and nursing.
“The University’s success is a testament to the value of a Catholic Liberal Arts education. At Thomas More, our focus is on the individual growth of each student and instilling values and skills for a lifetime, not just a first job after graduation,” says Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, L.PD. “Our holistic approach to higher education, coupled with strong academic programs and a tight-knit campus community, offer a unique experience – and students and families are taking notice.”
Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, all traditional undergraduate students are now covered by Saints Essentials, including an all-access meal plan. Saints Essentials helps ensure that the full spectrum of students’ needs – physical, spiritual, academic and social – are met and are included in the cost of attendance with no additional fees or hidden costs. This, and other initiatives implemented in recent years to bolster student success, are reflected in a strong spring to fall persistence rate, reaching 85% for fall 2025.
Thomas More is enrolling students into new academic programs, including the Master of Science in Nursing, the Master of Education in Education Leadership and Master of Science in Information Technology. This academic year, Thomas More also launches its Office of Community & Government Relations, which occupies space in the new OneNKY Center in Covington.
Thomas More paused operations for an opening convocation to celebrate the new academic year on Friday, August 22, with faculty, staff, and students gathering in the Connor Convocation Center. Cate Sherron, Ph.D. delivered a reflection on hospitality, one of the core values of the University.
“Thomas More University’s mission asks us in part to examine our place in the world; I’m suggesting that in doing so, we should all open our hearts wide in the spirit of radical hospitality,” Dr. Sherron said. “Talk to strangers and expect the best out of them. In a world that often seems to thrive on division, you can join hands with your neighbors and classmates.”
Two students were also invited to share their advice with the first-year students. Freddie Caldwell ’28, a sports and entertainment marketing major with minors in law and theater, encouraged students to welcome the opportunities of this new chapter, saying, “Embrace the newfound sense of freedom you have. Not to sleep in or skip class, but to study what you want… This is the age in our lives where everything is up to us, it just depends on how we apply ourselves.”
Lily Martin ’28, an exercise science major and member of the women’s soccer team, encouraged students to connect with their professors and get involved on campus, saying: “This first year is about finding your people and yourself, so the best way to do so is to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.”
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