Fall enrollment data at MC reflects increases in academic quality, graduate student numbers

Fueled by the high-quality Christian education Mississippi College provides, the academic quality of incoming undergraduate students is the highest it has been in 10 years, while the number of students enrolled in graduate programs at MC has also increased for the first time in five years.

Michael Wright, dean of enrollment services, said those results represent the “best of both worlds” in higher education recruitment.

“The fall 2025 freshman class at MC has the highest cumulative GPA and the highest ACT scores we’ve recorded in a decade,” said Wright. “That’s exciting because, in general, the more successful your incoming class is, the more likely you are to retain them and the more productive your future graduates will become.”

The average ACT score for incoming students is 26, compared to 25 in Fall 2024. The average cumulative GPA for incoming students is 3.71.

Wright attributed the rise in academic quality to the high-quality, Christian education that is a hallmark of Mississippi College.

Lydia Dean, an incoming freshman social studies education major from Mandeville, Louisiana, values the Christian atmosphere that MC provides. The daughter of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary professors, she selected her undergraduate home after much prayer and a visit to the Clinton campus.

“The smaller campus allows for intentional community and opportunities to grow closer to the Lord,” Dean said. “Through the Baptist Student Union, upperclassmen have poured into my life and have given me outlets to serve others on campus and in our community. MC offers many outlets for building community through tribes, clubs, and campus ministries. The student-to-professor ratio allows for intentional relationships with professors and deep class discussions.

“MC has been one of the biggest blessings in my life, and I am grateful to be here.”

Institutional Research data from Sept. 3, 2025, shows MC’s undergraduate enrollment for fall 2025 is 2,583. MC’s total enrollment is expected to surpass 4,000 by the time all students are counted mid-semester.

MC’s graduate enrollment numbers are also up for the first time in five years. As of Sept. 3, the total number of new graduate students who have enrolled at MC in Fall 2025 is 353. Total graduate student enrollment at MC is 1,257, which includes MC’s two professional degree programs – the Physician Assistant Program and the Doctor of Jurisprudence offered at the MC School of Law.

“The demand for the PA program is incredible,” Wright said, “and the law school is offering an outstanding mixture of quality education and price point that law students are looking for.”

Wright also emphasized program variety and format as positives for MC’s graduate programs.

“We also offer graduate programs that are accommodating to working adults, including a robust portfolio of fully online programs, accelerated programs with shorter class formats, and programs that can be completed in 12 months.

“By offering in-demand graduate programs, a quality graduate educational environment, and accommodating students through a variety of program formats, we are an excellent choice for graduate education,” said Wright.

Adam Wade, a second-year graduate student from Pearl working towards his master’s degree, understands the value of MC’s graduate programs. Executive director of the Baptist Healthplex, Wade said MC’s Organizational Leadership Program aligned perfectly with his desire to strengthen his leadership abilities and what he believes God is leading him to pursue.

“The combination of practical leadership development and organizational insight is helping me grow personally and professionally so I can lead with excellence and serve my team and institution well,” Wade said. “As a husband, father of two, and someone working full-time, the ability to complete coursework on a schedule that fits my life is extremely valuable.

“Balancing family, career and education can be challenging, but this format makes it both possible and sustainable.”

For more information about undergraduate and graduate opportunities at Mississippi College, visit www.mc.edu/admissions/.