Wilberforce University

Wilberforce University is a four-year, fully accredited liberal arts institution offering 20 academic concentrations in business, communications, computing and engineering sciences, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

Wilberforce University also offers dual degree programs in architecture, aerospace, and nuclear engineering. Through the University’s Adult and Continuing Education Program, we offer Credentials for Leadership in Management and Business (CLIMB), for individuals interested in completing their bachelor of science degrees in organizational management, health care administration and information technology.

Wilberforce University has an impressive history that sets it apart from other higher education institutions in the nation. Wilberforce University, founded in 1856, has stayed true to its founding principles of self-determination and access to academic excellence.

We welcome you to Wilberforce University. The Wilberforce Renaissance is underway. We encourage individuals who are interested in obtaining a degree from Wilberforce to submit an admissions application and to inquire about the various scholarships and grants available. Prospective students are encouraged to come and visit our campus and learn more about our stellar academic programs, student engagement opportunities, athletics, and much more.

Wilberforce University’s mission guides us in identifying and preparing students for their respective purposes in life as global citizens – by imparting knowledge, instilling discipline, and inspiring lifelong learning through critical inquiry, personal and spiritual development, and practical application.

We believe that students who choose Wilberforce are seeking an exceptional education. Many factors, such as academic preparation, interest, co-curricular activities, test scores, and potential, assist us in selecting the incoming class. We are seeking students who want to thrive in an educational environment based upon our core values.

At Wilberforce University, we are a community of scholars dedicated to the idea that educational opportunities should not be limited by a student’s ability to pay. With more than three-fourths of the Wilberforce undergraduate student body receiving some form of financial aid, we are committed to enabling every admitted student the option to attend.

Whether you’re interested in learning about study abroad, personal finance, summer opportunities, or you just want to find out how to renew your aid, we’ve got the information you need.

The Academic Program at Wilberforce University is designed to support students in their journey to become wholly educated individuals. As a result of the Wilberforce University academic experience, the wholly educated individual is distinguishable in attitude, thought and behavior. The wholly educated individual exhibits disciplined habits of mind that include intellectual curiosity and rigor, critical thinking and problem solving, civility and kindness and a full appreciation and advocacy for social justice. The wholly educated individual models racial pride and solidarity and understands and values the rich culture and history of African-Americans and their contribution to the Americas, notably the United States. The wholly educated individual appreciates the importance of entrepreneurship and is appropriately well trained to pursue entrepreneurship as a personal vocation, if desired.

The Academic Program at Wilberforce University is grounded in the time-honored tradition of the liberal arts with an intentional focus on entrepreneurship which discusses the aptitudes, interests, and aspirations of the millennial student.

The Division of Student Engagement and Success offers students many opportunities to engage in activities, programs, services, and learning at Wilberforce. Our strategy is to facilitate student success through intentional support, development, leadership opportunities, and life long learning. Through our programs, services and resources we commit to encouraging intellectual enthusiasm through practice and experiences. The staff’s goal within the division, based upon our institutional mission, is to prepare students to Learn, Live, and Lead Globally.

Our division is dynamic offers programs, supports, and learning opportunities. Our efforts enhance our student’s discovery of their purpose, strengthen their skills, and inspire success at Wilberforce University and beyond…

Early in 1856, the Methodist Episcopal Church purchased property for the new institution at Tawawa Springs, near Xenia, Ohio. For many years the institution operated with great success. The Civil War in 1862, shifted enrollment and financial support, unfortunately facilitating the closing of the original Wilberforce in 1862, for a year. In March of the 1863, Bishop Daniel A. Payne of the African Methodist Episcopal Church negotiated to purchase the University’s facilities. Payne, a member of the original 1856 corporation, secured the cooperation of John G. Mitchell, principal of the Eastern District Public School of Cincinnati, Ohio and James A. Shorter, pastor of the A.M.E. Church of Zanesville, Ohio. The property was soon turned over to them as agents of the church. The University was newly incorporated on July 10, 1863. In 1887 the State of Ohio began to fund the University by establishing a combined normal and industrial department. This department later became Central State University. Wilberforce also spawned another institution, Payne Theological Seminary. It was founded in 1891 as an outgrowth of the Theological Department at Wilberforce University. Today, Wilberforce University continues to build on its sacred traditions in the 21st Century.

Our campus is a visual delight of modern buildings which includes the Wolfe Administration Building, the Alumni Multiplex, Student Health Center, Communications Complex, the John L. Henderson Hall, and the Louis Stokes Health and Wellness Center.