Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--For the first time in its 129-year-history, Mississippi State is surpassing the 17,000-mark in enrollment.
The university announced Wednesday [Sept. 12] a record enrollment of 17,039, including the largest-ever freshman class of 2,281 entering students, as fall 2007 classes get under way. The total includes an all-time high at the MSU-Meridian campus and a record number of graduate students, said President Robert H. "Doc" Foglesong.
Mississippi State traditionally reports unduplicated enrollment on the 10th class day.
"We've really gone out and told the Mississippi State story, and it's clear that students see the value of 'stepping into the Maroon,'" Foglesong said. "We're also very proud of the academic qualifications of our students, with the average ACT score for entering freshmen a very impressive 23.6 this year."
Fall 2007 enrollment exceeds the previous year by more than 800 students, with more than 16,200 on the Starkville campus.
Current enrollment includes:
--A record number of African-Americans at 3,351;
--76.8 percent of the student body from Mississippi;
--MSU-Meridian enrolling a record 821 students; and
--Graduate and professional enrollment at an all-time high, increasing by 255 last year to 3,831 this fall.
"Mississippi State's strong academic and leadership programs are resonating with students and with their parents," Foglesong said. "They're responding to the fact that Mississippi State has decided to address character and leadership as foundational connections for education."
He cited a "constellation of campus programs" that focus on leadership, including the Appalachian Leadership Honors program for sophomores and juniors, a new Day One program for incoming freshmen and the Young Guns program for high school seniors.
"All have had tremendous success, and, in fact, Day One is oversubscribed," Foglesong said. "We'll probably expand that program next year."
The university's increased attention to global education also has contributed to the increase. International students number 661 this fall--an increase of 77 from last year. More than 70 countries are represented in this group.
Foglesong said Mississippi State also is increasing the number of students it retains from the freshman to sophomore years. Through the innovative Pathfinders program--a mentoring and intervention effort--the retention rate for freshmen is 83.4 percent, another record.
"That's a very strong indicator that students are finding their Mississippi State experience valuable," Foglesong said.
Foglesong said enhancing student growth and development is a key element of the university's strategic plan, called FutureSTATE 2015.
"I think we've made an excellent start," he said.