In good season: Once again, student enrollment springs in the fall

For the seventh straight year, students streamed in record numbers to the University of Mississippi Medical Center to pursue their future in health care careers. 

Fall enrollment figures show an overall jump of 1.3% over the 2024-25 academic year, a boon that academic leaders credit to the quality of UMMC’s academic programs and faculty, plus the addition of degree offerings, along with expanding class sizes. 

The mounting demand for UMMC’s health professions degree programs, along with the enrollment increase, “are strong indicators that interest is high from people who want to start a health care career or expand their current knowledge or capabilities and who want to learn or train at UMMC,” said Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs. 

The state's only academic medical center “has a proven history of dedicated and compassionate graduates who go on to successful careers,” Woodward said.  

The total count for the Medical Center’s six campus schools, plus residents and fellows, was 3,183, compared to 3,143 for the previous year. 

“Getting admitted has become increasingly competitive,” said Dr. Scott Rodgers, associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. 

“Students across Mississippi and beyond recognize the value of a UMMC degree, and they also understand that our learning environment, enriched by our beautiful academic buildings and our superb hospitals, is a great place to study and train.”   

The School of Nursing continued to lead the way in raw numbers with 961 students, a 7.6% upswing compared to the previous year’s 893. 

“We have seen surging interest in our nursing programs in Oxford and here in Jackson,” Rodgers said, “and the School of Nursing leaders have done their best to meet the demand by increasing enrollment.” 

More growth is on the way, thanks in part to a new, emerging home for nursing students, said Dr. Tina Martin, dean of the School of Nursing. 

“We continue to see a strong interest in our prelicensure programs in both Oxford and Jackson, which will go a long way to meeting the state’s significant nursing workforce needs – as will the planned opening of our new building in the summer of next year,” Martin said. 

“That expansion will enable us to increase our class size by 25%.” 

Although it is the smallest school, by enrollment, on the Jackson campus, the John D. Bower School of Population Health recorded the largest rate of increase – 32.4% – by adding 12 students over last year, for a total of 49. 

“The John D. Bower School is experiencing a steady growth in new enrollment,” said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, dean of the school. 

“Additional engagements with other schools are broadening the reach of our academic efforts even more. In the coming year, we anticipate additional growth as we update our degree programs and add new opportunities for master’s degrees and a combined MD/PhD.” 

With a 3% climb, the School of Health Related Professions is also attracting more students – 446, up from 433. 

“This momentum reflects the strength of our programs, the dedication of our faculty and staff, and the increasing recognition of how vital allied health professionals are to the future of health care,” said Dr. Jay Garner, dean of SHRP.  

“Each new class brings fresh energy and purpose to our school, and it’s inspiring to see so many students choosing SHRP as the place to begin their journey of service.” 

Expanding its entering class size to 170, the School of Medicine swelled by 1.5% overall, embracing a contingent of 657 students. 

“The School of Medicine continues to work towards its mission of providing capable and competent physicians for the state of Mississippi and, periodically, reevaluates its enrollment numbers to ensure that this mission is achieved,” said Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams, vice dean for medical education.  

Although the School of Dentistry saw a slight, 1.5% drop, to 201 students from 204, the appeal of its programs endures, and a planned class size expansion is in sight. 

“In August, we welcomed 40 Doctor of Dental Medicine students and 19 dental hygiene students on campus,” said Dr. Pia Chatterjee Kirk, interim dean of the School of Dentistry. 

The dental school’s 2029 class represents more than two dozen Mississippi cities and towns –from Ripley in the north to Long Beach on the Gulf Coast, from Starkville in the east to Summit in the southwest; and 15 Mississippi educational institutions, along with one each in Alabama and Massachusetts, Kirk said.  

With an opening planned for 2027, the 42,500 square-foot School of Dentistry clinical services addition will expand the class size for dentists and dental hygienists. 

Comparable in size with the dental school is the School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, which enrolled 199 students this fall.  

“While our overall enrollment is slightly lower than in previous years, we are pleased to welcome one of our largest incoming classes of PhD students – more than half of whom are Mississippians,” said Dr. Sydney Murphy, dean of the school. 

“This growth reflects increased enrollment across multiple disciplines as well as the continued expansion of our MD-PhD program.”   

Although the school’s overall enrollment fell, from 248, “the decline is largely due to the reimplementation of graduate admissions testing requirements for the Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program, which had been suspended in 2022,” Murphy said.   

“Despite this adjustment, we are encouraged by the strong academic metrics and overall program performance demonstrated by this year’s incoming students.” 

Looking ahead, she said, “we anticipate further increases in doctoral student enrollment, driven by growth in the Doctor of Audiology program and the launch of the new PhD in Cancer Biology and Therapeutics program, scheduled to begin next academic year.” 

For the programs of the Medical Center schools as a whole, there is an “incredible demand,” Rodgers said. “These are very good times for UMMC.”