Classes are back in session for colleges and universities across the state with a handful of schools reporting record freshman classes.
According to Mississippi State vice president of strategic communications Sid Salter, the incoming freshman class in Starkville is shaping up to be over 3,700 students. Mississippi State kicked off the fall semester last Wednesday.
“We’re excited. The largest freshman class in the history of the institution is getting acclimated to being a Bulldog and learning the campus,” Salter said. “We’re right around 3,700. Maybe a few more. The last number I saw was around 3,750.”
Ole Miss, on the other hand, welcomed more than 5,300 students at Tuesday’s convocation. In 2022, the university had a freshman class of 4,482.
“We’ve got the largest enrollment in our Oxford and regional campuses in our history,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce said. “We’re about as busy and our classrooms are filled up and there’s a bunch of activity up here as one can stand. We’re incredibly excited about the momentum.”
Southern Miss also reported a monumental increase in first-year students. While the record for freshman enrollment was not broken, USM President Dr. Joe Paul explained that every residence hall on campus is at maximum capacity.
“We’ve got a five percent increase in freshman and a five percent in transfer students, mostly community college students,” Paul said. “So, every residence hall bed on our campus is full.”
Enrollment numbers for all Mississippi colleges and universities are expected to be finalized later this fall.
