SMSU First-Year Student Enrollment Up 17.5 Percent

Published Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Minnesota State University is excited to welcome 349 new first-year students to campus this fall, an increase of 17.5 percent. It is the largest incoming class since 2016. Overall enrollment also increased slightly with the university serving 2,431 degree-seeking students according to 10-day statistics.

“These numbers are very positive and a tribute to the hard work and commitment of our faculty and staff, led by our Office of Admission,” said SMSU President Kumara Jayasuriya. “A number of new initiatives including our Regional Scholars Program and Mustang Pathways are providing new opportunities for students this fall.”

SMSU is one of the few four-year institutions to show an overall enrollment increase this fall as COVID-19 has impacted enrollments across the state. The first year student cohort is also one of the most diverse in history with 32 percent of the students representing students of color, an increase of 11 percent over last year. An increase in student retention also contributed to the overall growth in enrollment.

In his State of the University address, President Jayasuriya said that it’s a key goal to steadily increase new enrollment while also focusing on efforts to continue increasing the retention rate.