Three state universities saw a rise in enrollment this fall; Statewide numbers down
Published 2:06 pm Thursday, November 14, 2019
Only three of Mississippi’s public universities saw an increase in enrollment this year.
Overall enrollment at Mississippi’s public universities dropped by 1.6% this fall, according to data released by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning on Wednesday.
Statewide enrollment for fall 2019 is 77,896 compared to 79,193 in fall 2018.
Delta State University, Mississippi State University and Mississippi University for Women, also known as The W, are the only three public universities to see an increase this year.
Alcorn State University, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi all saw decreases in enrollment.
Mississippi Valley State had the largest decline in the percentage of students enrolled. It dropped from 2,285 to 2,147 – a 6% decline, but a decrease of only 138 students.
The University of Mississippi reported the most significant drop in the number of students enrolled. The university has 22,273 students enrolled this year compared to 23,090 in fall 2018 — a difference of 817 students, which is 3.5%. This is the third year in a row that enrollment at the university has declined.
That enrollment number includes 2,852 students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. While enrollment was down for the university as a whole, enrollment at the medical center rose by 1.3%.
