Michigan State University tallies a historic 51,316 students enrolled in the institution, one of the university’s largest-ever enrollments for a fall semester.
The impressive enrollment accounts for 40,483 undergraduate students, up from 39,201 last fall; and graduate and professional enrollment tops 10,833, up from 10,822 last fall.
“Strong enrollment reflects students’ and families’ confidence in the value of an MSU degree and in the quality of the college experience provided by our world-class faculty and staff,” said Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D. “With our strong in-state incoming class, our overall enrollment shows that MSU is truly Michigan’s state university.”
Other enrollment highlights include:
- Students represent more than 130 countries, all 50 U.S. states and each of Michigan’s 83 counties.
- MSU’s total enrollment includes more diverse students than any previous year.
- Rates of undergraduate persistence, or undergraduate students continuing their education at MSU, grew from 89.2% last fall to 91.4% this year – an increase of more than 658 students.
“These numbers reflect students’ preference for studying here at MSU, as well as our mindful and engaged recruiting efforts,” said Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko. “Beyond the strength of the large incoming class, they also represent MSU’s success in delivering robust student support and persistence resources. Our enrollment increases are all the more impressive due to the fact that they are occurring in conjunction with an overall reduced time to degree, which otherwise reduces overall enrollment.”
More students are choosing MSU to continue their education and students’ time to degree remains low – further showcasing the institution’s excellence in student support services. For two consecutive years, MSU’s average time to degree remained below four years, standing at 3.96 calendar years.
“These data reinforce what we’ve long known – students who feel a sense of belonging on campus have higher retention rates,” said Senior Vice President for Student Life and Engagement Vennie Gore. “The community engagement, social and well-being opportunities provided at Michigan State and fostered in collaboration across the university help students succeed in and out of the classroom.”
