Contact: Harriet Laird
STARKVILLE, Miss.--For the sixth consecutive year, Mississippi State University has increased fall semester enrollment and continues as the state's largest university.
With a total headcount of 19,644, MSU shows a percentage increase of 5.6 percent over the 2009 total of 18,601. Since the continuous climb began in the fall of 2004, the university's enrollment has increased by 3,710.
"We're encouraged that our enrollment numbers continue to affirm that Mississippi State offers a top-quality education and a caring environment to help students succeed," said university President Mark Keenum. "One of our most important goals is to continue to provide quality instruction despite challenging economic conditions."
The land-grant institution, which celebrated its 132nd birthday during this calendar year, continues to be ranked in the Top 100 of "best buys" by Forbes magazine and "best values" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.
Keenum said, "We think students find not only a good education at Mississippi State, but a very special place where they can pursue virtually any interest. Students repeatedly tell us they feel welcome here."
The College of Arts and Sciences remains the largest academic unit with 4,915 enrolled, followed by the College of Education with 3,676, the College of Engineering with 2,983, and the College of Business with 2,728.
With an enrollment goal of 22,000 by 2015, Keenum said that while working to reach this number, "We also are increasing each year the number of outstanding students with outstanding accomplishments in every discipline on our campus."
Other current MSU enrollment information includes:
--A 24.2 percent minority enrollment, up from 22.8 percent last year.
--79 percent of undergraduate students from Mississippi.
--52 percent of students are male, and 48 percent female.
--An average ACT score of 23.
"There is no question we are attracting a diverse population with varied academic interests that are among the brightest and best," Keenum said.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.