Public university enrollment in Mississippi again reaches record high

The Mississippi Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) issued its official enrollment report on Monday, with five public universities and the state’s lone public academic hospital seeing a year-over-year increase to make for the most students ever enrolled at Mississippi schools.

Alcorn State University, Mississippi State University, Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Mississippi, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the University of Southern Mississippi each saw enrollment go up from fall 2023 to fall 2024. Delta State University, Jackson State University, and Mississippi University for Women suffered slight enrollment dips during that same period.

In total, Mississippi’s eight public universities and one medical center combined for a 3.6 percent enrollment bump, or 2,743 additional students. The mark comes after the fall 2023 count broke the state’s previous enrollment record.

“A college degree is a critical component for so many professional fields, and students at Mississippi’s universities understand the value it will hold for them as they graduate and enter the workforce, hopefully in Mississippi,” IHL commissioner Al Rankins, Jr., said. “Our universities offer a strong foundation for students from across the state and beyond, and these numbers reinforce the confidence of students and parents alike in the quality education available throughout our system.”

The following figures, provided by IHL, are unduplicated and count students one time regardless of on-campus or off-campus enrollment.