Eliza NoeEnrollment at the University of Mississippi is down for the fourth year in a row, according to data from the state Institutions of Higher Learning.
A year ago, there were 22,273 students at UM, but fall 2020 numbers have the population down to 21,676 students, a 2.7% decrease. There has been a steady decline in enrollment since its peak in 2016.
“At the University of Mississippi, we are committed to attracting the best students regardless of the challenging environment across higher education to recruit and retain students,” Chancellor Glenn Boyce said in a statement. “We remain dedicated to offering renowned academic programs, powerful student experiences and a dynamic campus life to shape purposeful and strategic learners into creative and critical thinkers who will build their personal legacies and be the leaders of tomorrow.”
Almost all higher learning institutions in the states saw decreases in enrollment this year, excluding Mississippi State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. Delta State University faced the largest disparity with a 20% drop in students.
UM’s retention rate, which represents the percentage of first-year students who choose to continue their education at the university, also fell from last year from 86.6% to 85.7%.
5,276 students, or 24.3% of the student population, are underrepresented minorities at the university, a decrease of 119 students from last school year. African American enrollment this year totals 2,806 students, or 12.9%, overall, while last year, African American enrollment was 12.5%.
The number of in-state students, however, has increased. This year’s numbers show that 59.7% of students are in-state, compared to 58.3% in 2019.
