Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.—Ranked among the nation’s leading research universities, Mississippi State is touting another historic enrollment along with the largest freshman class in university history.
A total of 21,622 students are enrolled for the fall semester, an increase of 749 students from last year.
MSU again is the “college of choice” for Mississippi freshmen, with a record 3,624 first-time freshmen – up 153 from last year’s record. Additionally, the average first-time freshman ACT score of 24.4 matches the previous high from 2014.
The university also is welcoming 1,830 new transfer students, as well as 665 new graduate students.
“This is an exciting time in MSU history,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “We are growing in many positive ways, including broader degree partnerships, international collaboration, and life-changing research and development initiatives.
“The students who are coming to Mississippi State recognize the tremendous value of higher education and especially the value of a degree from MSU,” said Keenum. “The return on investment for their time and experience here will be the highest of any university in the state.”
Noting that MSU is the No. 1 choice of high school students in Mississippi, Keenum pointed out that 66 percent of the university’s current students are state residents. This year’s record enrollment also includes 25 percent minorities and 778 international students.
Mississippi State also is experiencing significant growth in its College of Architecture, Art and Design (9.97 percent), College of Business (8.86 percent), Bagley College of Engineering (8.57 percent), College of Forest Resources (8.47 percent) and College of Veterinary Medicine (9.27 percent).
--717 in the College of Architecture, Art and Design;
--2,272 in the College of Business;
--4,457 in the Bagley College of Engineering;
--576 in the College of Forest Resources; and
--542 in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Other enrollment information includes these numbers posted by the remaining colleges:
--2,440 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences;
--5,176 in the College of Arts and Sciences; and
--3,502 in the College of Education.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.