The W announces broad growth in fall 2025 enrollment
Mississippi University for Women reported its largest enrollment increase in nearly a decade, with an 8% increase bringing total unduplicated student enrollment to 2,371 for fall 2025.
“This year’s growth in enrollment reflects the great work done by our Enrollment Management staff and our faculty,” said W President Nora Miller. “We had increases in both new students and in continuing students, so recruitment and retention strategies are having a positive impact.”
Both the School of Education and the College of Business and Professional Studies experienced significant growth, with increases of 13% and 16%, respectively. The W also reported an 8% increase in unduplicated graduate student enrollment, with graduate nursing programs growing by 26%. The College of Arts and Sciences saw its strongest growth in the Department of Music, up 32%, followed by Art and Design with an 18% increase. The university’s largest college remains the Vandergriff College of Nursing and Health Sciences and experienced growth in all nursing programs.
Additionally, the university recorded its highest full-time equivalent (FTE) increase since 2016 at 6%.
The university continues to lead Mississippi’s public university system with the highest degree completion rate, awarding 33.3 undergraduate degrees per 100 undergraduate FTE enrollment, compared to the state’s Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) system average of 23.9 per 100 FTE.
The 2026 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings placed the University at a tie for No. 15 in Top Public Schools –Regional Universities (South). Additionally, U.S. News placed The W at No. 9 in Best Value Schools – Regional Universities (South) and No. 21 (tied) in Social Mobility – Regional Universities.
Washington Monthly named The W among the “25 Best-in-Class Colleges,” the ranking highlights colleges and universities that “show what’s possible when colleges put students and the public good first.”
Other student characteristics at The W:
- 88% are from Mississippi
- 23% are males
- The average student age is 24