Within five years, the student body expanded to approximately 221 students. TC attracted highly qualified international faculty members from various countries, including Egypt, England, and India. Due to its outstanding academic credentials and proficient faculty, in 1990, the Liberia educational authority granted TC accreditation to offer 5-year Bachelor of Science degree programs in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines.

However, in December 1989, TC's educational activities abruptly ceased due to the devastating civil conflicts in Liberia. The campus suffered severe looting and damage, rendering it inoperable.

After the conclusion of the Liberian civil war and the successful conduct of democratic elections in Liberia, which saw Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf elected as the 24th President, discussions began to reopen TC. Between 2006 and 2007, various stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Liberia, the National Commission of Higher Education (NCHE), alumni, legislators, and prominent citizens, engaged in constructive dialogues to revive the institution. An interim management team was established, and funding was secured from the Government of Liberia to conduct a comprehensive assessment for the reopening of the institution. In 2008, the MOE and NCHE funded a specialized engineering assessment, leading to the establishment of a permanent team, who responsibility was to assess the potential of turning TC into a full-fledged granting university. This team's assessments determined that transforming TC into a full-fledged public university in Liberia was a viable option. This recommendation was overwhelmingly approved on September 24, 2009, through an Act of the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, officially renaming the institution as William V. S. Tubman University.

In 2007, Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf appointed Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Russell as the President, making her the first female president of the institution. Dr. Davis-Russell initiated an assessment of the institution's potential within the post-conflict southeast region of Liberia. She envisioned an institution with five colleges: Engineering and Technology, Health Sciences, Management and Administration, Agriculture and Food Science, and Education, aimed at providing essential education and services to the region, Liberia, and the global community. Subsequently, a sixth college, Arts and Sciences, was established in a relatively short time.

Instructional activities commenced promptly, with the institution employing highly qualified doctoral and master's degree holders in the administrative echelon. This included personnel from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) stationed in Harper, local professionals from public institutions, and eight faculty volunteers from the Federal Republic of Nigeria, all holding master's degrees.

The establishment of facilities for a Rubber Science Technology Institute (RSTI) was made possible through a generous contribution from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). TU also initiated a remedial program to assist incoming students with deficiencies in mathematics and English, along with the "Grow-Our-Own Program," a staff development initiative aimed at enhancing the academic qualifications of faculty and staff for teaching and research roles.

Following the retirement of Dr. Elizabeth Davis-Russell in 2014, the university saw subsequent presidential leadership under Dr. Edward Lima Wonkeryor (2014-2017), Dr. Elliot Wreh-Wilson (2017-2021), and an interim presidency by Dr. Emmanuel Leon Sieh Wreh (2021-2023). Currently, Dr. Olu Q. Menjay has served as the President of Tubman University since 2023 to present.

Today, TU boasts a diverse faculty from over ten countries and has experienced a significant increase in enrollment, with approximately 2,500 students. The university has earned a strong reputation for providing transformative academic experiences within an engaged learning environment, contributing to its ongoing growth and success.