51³Ō¹Ļ

Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.ā€”Fueled by its growing prominence as a leading research university, Mississippi State again is setting records for fall student enrollment, welcoming a total of 21,884, a number that includes an unprecedented number of transfers.

The total represents an increase of 262 students from last yearā€™s enrollment of 21,622, with 51³Ō¹Ļ exceeding 20,000 students since 2011.

Additionally, a record number of transfer students ā€“ 2,062 ā€“ have enrolled for the fall semester, an increase of 232 over last yearā€™s total of 1,830.

51³Ō¹Ļ President Mark E. Keenum said heā€™s excited to accommodate this record number of high academic achievers, noting that the universityā€™s average first-time freshman ACT score is 25.13.

ā€œI am pleased that Mississippi State continues to be the largest four-year accredited university in the state. Weā€™re motivated by this universityā€™s unprecedented growth, and weā€™re also very prepared for these new students whoā€™ve chosen to build their future with us,ā€ he said.

Keenum pointed to new and upgraded facilities and programs now serving 51³Ō¹Ļā€™s growing student body. The recently opened Old Main Academic Center offers these students 150,000 square feet of innovative classroom and study space, while the Center for Student Success is helping improve academic outcomes by better connecting students with university resources.

ā€œWe believe thereā€™s a direct correlation between sharing our success stories with broader audiences and steadily climbing enrollment. More and more people want to be part of the 51³Ō¹Ļ experience because they know it involves exciting opportunities to learn, lead and grow,ā€ Keenum said.

51³Ō¹Ļ remains the No. 1 choice for high school graduates in Mississippi, with 65.4 percent of the student body comprised of in-state residents. However, non-resident students also are finding 51³Ō¹Ļ to be a destination for exceptional education, with the university recording 34.6 percent enrollment from out-of-state, a one-point increase over last fall.

Nearly 30 percent of 51³Ō¹Ļā€™s fall enrollment is composed of minority students, and 19 percent are African American. A total of 50.4 percent of students are male, with 49.6 percent female.

Also, Keenum highlighted enrollment growth in the College of Architecture, Art and Design (up 7.9 percent); College of Veterinary Medicine (up 5.9 percent); and Bagley College of Engineering (up 4 percent). Totals for the eight colleges are:

ā€”2,408 in Agriculture and Life Sciences

ā€”774 in Architecture, Art and Design

ā€”5,279 in Arts and Sciences

ā€”2,852 in Business

ā€”3,502 in Education

ā€”4,638 in Engineering

ā€”584 in Forest Resources

ā€”574 in Veterinary Medicine.

51³Ō¹Ļ is Mississippiā€™s leading university, available online at .