Best Colleges in Columbus, Ohio

Why Franklin University Makes the Grade

Mar 14, 2009 Crystal Lewis

Students over the age of thirty want affordable, flexible degree programs. Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio has mastered the art of delivering that and more.

Businesses become successful by determining the unmet needs of large groups and finding ways to satisfy them. This is precisely what Franklin University did in the year 1920 when they infiltrated and cornered central Ohio's growing market of adult learners.

Franklin is now the premier institution of higher learning among non-traditional students in Columbus, Ohio – and the college's reach is broadening every day. Their online courses are offered all over the world, with the most notable and unique program being offered to soldiers deployed overseas. The average age of an undergraduate student on the campus is 32, according to the website. The average age of a Franklin University graduate student is 36.

The History of Franklin University

This small college of roughly 11,000 students started more than a century ago as the YMCA School of Commerce, a college for aspiring bookkeepers. Its original course offerings expanded to such areas as accounting and insurance, with the first official commencement occurring in 1923. Franklin University dissolved its tie to the YMCA several years later and forged ahead to become a household name in central Ohio.

The current downtown Columbus campus opened in 1969, and began to rapidly expand in size over the two decades that followed. Its curriculum now includes 21 undergraduate degree programs and 3 graduate programs which are all offered in the evening, on weekends, and online; with the primary list of course offerings including business-related degrees.

Majors at Franklin University

Franklin's leaders are masterful at determining the needs and interests of career changers and potential students. Additional majors seem to spring up all the time, with the latest additions including highly sought-after programs such as Public Relations, and the seventeen-month graduate level program in Marketing. They even offer an assortment of dual degree programs for students without four-year diplomas who may be in search of fast-track options to advanced degrees.

The Cost of an Education at Franklin

Non-traditional students in need of funding for classes at Franklin are typically impressed with the tuition deferment, payment plans, and federal funding options available there. According to the website, "more than 75% of Franklin students receive some type of financial assistance including grants, loans, scholarships, or our deferred payment option," with the cost of tuition falling into the lowest 10% in the nation.

Central Ohioans who may be considering the prospect of pursuing degrees in their adult years should research the options available at Franklin. Their price, professional approach to teaching, stable history, broad array of degree options, and flexible course schedules make it one of the best options available. Visit Franklin University's website for more information.

The copyright of the article Best Colleges in Columbus, Ohio in Colleges is owned by Crystal Lewis. Permission to republish Best Colleges in Columbus, Ohio in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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