University enrolls largest class in six years
Bluffton University has enrolled its highest number of first-year students since 2013-14. The first-year class of 250 also has an average GPA of 3.26 and the average ACT score of 21.
“Bluffton is thrilled to enroll our largest class in six years and to have the largest number of international students on campus since 2003," said Robin Bowlus, vice president for enrollment management and marketing.
"It is an exciting time on campus and a true joy to walk alongside our students as they prepare for their life and vocation.”
Twenty-five percent of students in the first-year class are considered underrepresented, an increase from 19 percent the previous year. The first-year cohort also includes seven international students for a total of 25 international students on campus, the highest number since 2003.
Nineteen transfer students are enrolled this fall, coming from five states—including Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
“Bluffton’s alumni and friends are the top influencers for students coming to Bluffton,” said Bowlus. “Their passion and excitement for their Bluffton experience is helping Bluffton’s story reach students who are looking for a university that will help them discovery their greater purpose.”
Stories Posted This Week
Thursday, September 3, 2026
- September 3 Bluffton High School athletics lineup, streaming
- ONU mobile clinic schedule, serving Hardin, Allen, Putnam and Auglaize counties
- Bluffton front porches and back yards hum during 2026 Porch Fest
- Before Our Weakness Gets Too Strong: Science to modulate our immune system
- Meet the Pirate cross country runners, Fall 2026
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- Bluffton University offers $1,000 annual award to enrollees who visit campus
- Pirate golf 3rd in NWC quad
- Pirate volleyball sweeps Elida
- Pirate boys soccer loss vs. Van Buren
- Pirate girls soccer win vs. Spencerville
- August 2026 land transfers in the Bluffton school district
- Bluffton alumnus to share grandmother's fight for U.S. citizenship
Tuesday, September 1, 2026
- Beavers sports roundup, August 2026
- Pirate golfers split tri
- ICYMI: August 2026 Bluffton Icon Highlights
- Nisly to present colloquium on Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”
- Bluffton School district mails 2026-2027 Summer District Newsletter
- Emmanuel UCC is 2026 Bluffton Family Y coed softball champion
Monday, August 31, 2026
Sunday, August 30, 2026
- Vickie Diane Little was a registered nurse
- Nancy Ann Wheeler Andrews worked for First Federal Savings and Loan
- Donor generosity powers Bluffton U technology upgrade
- Pirates girls soccer blanked by Sylvania
- Pirate volleyball drops 2 in close tri-match
- Pirate cross country opens Fall 2026 at DSJ Invite
- Back to School Days at Bluffton Public Library