Only one Missississippi public university saw an increase in enrollment when compared to last year’s Fall enrollment numbers.

Overall, Mississippi’s public universities saw a slight decrease in students for Fall 2022, compared to Fall 2021.

Fall enrollment for 2022 is 75,755 for the Mississippi university system, compared to 76,510 students enrolled in Fall 2021, representing a 1 percent decrease.

The decrease in Mississippi’s public four-year institutions is slightly less than the decrease in fall enrollment at public four-year universities nationally. According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, undergraduate enrollment fell by 1.6 percent at public four-year institutions, when comparing Fall 2022 enrollment and Fall 2021 enrollment.

Ole Miss was the only Mississippi university to see a rise in enrollment with a 5.1% increase between its two campuses, the main campus in Oxford and the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson.

All other universities saw decreases:

• Alcorn State University was down 4.6%
• Delta State University was down 6.3%
• Jackson State University was down 2.5%
• Mississippi State Univesity was down 1.9%
• Mississippi University for Women was down 5.6%
• Mississippi Valley University was down 9.0%
• The Univesity of Southern Mississippi was down 4.4%

“An investment in higher education will pay dividends throughout a graduate’s life in expanded opportunities, increased earning potential, and improved quality of life,” said Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr., Commissioner of Higher Education. “Our students recognize that investing in themselves through education is a worthwhile endeavor.”