Stautzenberger College Celebrates 100th Anniversary

Stautzenberger College, founded in 1926 and the fourth oldest for-profit vocational college in Ohio still operating, will commemorate its 100th anniversary.

TOLEDO, OH, UNITED STATES, February 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today Stautzenberger College – founded in 1926 and the fourth oldest for-profit vocational college in Ohio still operating – will commemorate its 100th anniversary.

The school will graduate 200-plus students today at 7 p.m. at a ceremony in the Franciscan Center of Lourdes University (6832 Convent Boulevard, Sylvania, OH).

Stautzenberger College has graduated more than 10,000 Ohio students -- 7,276 from its Maumee campus alone since 1996 – many of whom might otherwise never have had the opportunity to attend college.

The school has provided access to higher education thanks to tuition about one-fourth to one-half the cost of traditional four-year universities and programs that run from seven months to two years.

The average student at Stautzenberger College comes from a household with an estimated annual income of $30,000 to $40,000, with 94% last year receiving financial aid.

Stautzenberger College primarily trains nurses, medical assistants, paralegals and veterinary technicians, while also preparing its students for careers in construction, early childhood education and with skilled trade companies.

Its alumni are employed throughout Ohio and beyond in hospitals and clinics, law firms, schools, dental offices, veterinary facilities and other settings substantially to its economy statewide.

“We’re still here, we’re still going strong, and the best is yet to come,” says Stephen Tave, president and CEO of the American Higher Educational Development Corporation (AHED), the owner of Stautzenberger College.

Over the last year its student population grew from 589 to 695, with students in its trades programs more than doubling. The average student is 31.7 years old, with 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 and commercial and industrial economies,” says Todd Wildey, president of Stautzenberger College.

For example, the school established Cannavision Institute in 2023 to educate tomorrow’s cannabis workforce. It also expanded its online programs, now encompassing nearly half of its student population, to accommodate working adults and career changers.

In 1926 educator William Henry Stautzenberger, born in Ohio, founded Stautzenberger’s Private Commercial School, a vocational college in Toledo. Originally the school trained secretaries and bookkeepers in stenography and clerical procedures.

Since renamed Stautzenberger College, the school has evolved significantly and today educates across dozens of disciplines. It has also expanded its overall real estate footprint to almost 87,000 square feet across three campuses: Maumee, 51,000 square feet; Brecksville, 24,700 sq. ft.; and Toledo, 12,000 sq. ft. (a satellite facility).

Stautzenberger College has overcome obstacles to survive, changing hands five times. It was acquired in 1999 by the AHED, still its owner and operator.

The centennial celebration honoring the school’s heritage arrives amid a wave of surging interest in the estimated 8,000 vocational colleges across the country.

Recent research shows that:

- Trade school enrollment rose 5% between 2020 and 2023, about double the rate for four-year universities.
- 33% of high school graduates advocated for enrolling in trade schools, more than the 28% who advocated for a four-year college.
- Registration in community colleges focused on vocational training increased by 16% last year, reaching its highest level since 2018.
- The unemployment rate for twentysomething graduates of vocational schools and community colleges was only 2.1%, compared to 15.3% for four-year college alumni.
- Ohio had 244 career colleges and schools in 2022, with 53,663 students, that generated an estimated $340 million in local economic activity during fiscal year 2022 and contributed more than $35 million in taxes to local, state, and federal governments.
- Many trades face worsening labor shortages. Supply is falling short of demand for welders, electricians, mechanics, machinists, and plumbers. Opportunities for nurses, sonographers, veterinary technicians, and surgical technicians, along with jobs in construction and manufacturing, are also increasing.

“Vocational colleges are having a moment,” said AHED’s Stephen Tave. “They’re no longer overlooked, misunderstood, and underappreciated. And it’s unlikely they ever will be again.”

Note: Media are invited to interview alumni, employers, faculty, staff and leaders.

Bob Brody
American Higher Education Development Corp.
bobbrody@hotmail.com
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