---
title: "Mississippi State Hits Record Fall Enrollment in Starkville"
url: https://www.herestarkville.com/2026/11/04/mississippi-state-record-fall-enrollment-23721/
date: 2026-11-04T06:19:19-06:00
modified: 2026-11-04T06:19:19-06:00
author: "Marcia P. Avalos"
categories: ["Education"]
site: "HERE Starkville"
attribution: "HERE Starkville"
---

# Mississippi State Hits Record Fall Enrollment in Starkville

> STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State University in Starkville has topped its own enrollment mark, counting 23,721 students this fall, 158 more than a year ago. Mississippi residents make up 14,654 of those students, compared with 14,491 last fall. Students arrive from each of Mississippi's 82 counties and every U.S. state, along with the nation's capital,

*Source: [HERE Starkville](https://www.herestarkville.com/2026/11/04/mississippi-state-record-fall-enrollment-23721/) — November 4, 2026 by Marcia P. Avalos*

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State University in Starkville has topped its own enrollment mark, counting 23,721 students this fall, 158 more than a year ago.

Mississippi residents make up 14,654 of those students, compared with 14,491 last fall. Students arrive from each of Mississippi’s 82 counties and every U.S. state, along with the nation’s capital, Puerto Rico and 89 other countries.

President Mark E. Keenum pointed to a 6% rise in first-time students from Mississippi and noted that enrollment has gone up in 11 of the last 12 years, a streak he said no other university in the state can match.

Other numbers in the fall count: minority students account for 30% of enrollment, the number of veterans on campus rose 13% and enrollment in distance courses climbed 6%.

To make room, the university plans to spend $63.9 million expanding College View housing. Over the next two years, that project would raise capacity there from 656 beds to 1,183.

State figures released Monday show the gain came during a soft year for public universities overall. Mississippi State was one of five public campuses that grew, with its increase working out to 0.7%, while total enrollment across the eight-school system fell by 190 students to 81,771. Rival Ole Miss posted its own record of 28,960, and Mississippi University for Women had the fastest growth rate in the system at 3.6%.

The state numbers reflect head counts taken as of Oct. 30. A student enrolled in more than one program, on campus or online, shows up only once.