Ole Miss breaks fall enrollment record as statewide numbers drop

Ole Miss welcomed a record fall enrollment in the 2026 semester, while fewer students signed up for classes across the board at public universities in Mississippi.

The Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced Monday that total enrollment was slightly down from the fall of 2025. Last year, a total of 81,961 students enrolled in fall courses at a public university in the Magnolia State. That number was 81,771 this year, signaling that just under 200 fewer students were in college classrooms across the state.

Ole Miss held the banner for enrollment growth. The university’s fall enrollment was 28,960. That is a 555-student boost from the fall of 2025. The figures for Ole Miss also included the University of Mississippi Medical Center’s 3,270 students. Alcorn State, Delta State, Mississippi State, and Mississippi University for Women also had positive enrollment numbers this fall.

“Serving nearly 82,000 students this fall, our universities continue to provide higher education opportunities and prepare students for the workforce and life,” said Dr. Al Rankins Jr., Mississippi’s commissioner of higher education. “In this very competitive higher education environment, all of our universities must be laser-focused on recruitment, retention, and positive student outcomes.”

Schools with fewer students than they welcomed in the fall of 2025 are Jackson State, Mississippi Valley State, and Southern Miss. Jackson State had the largest plummet in enrollment, with 691 fewer students signing up for classes.

Officials noted that figures are unduplicated and count students one time regardless of on-campus and off-campus enrollment. Figures are based on enrollment as of October 30th of the fall term.