Scholarship opportunities, academic excellence, Christian culture drive enrollment boom at MC

Enrollment continues to climb at Mississippi College, thanks to the University's Christian culture, world-class education and small-campus charm.

A full year after the Leland Speed Scholarship helped propel a record number of undergraduates to enter Mississippi College, enrollment at the Christian University continues to increase.

MC welcomed its second-largest freshman class to the Clinton campus this fall. A total of 4,163 students are enrolled at Mississippi College, including 2,884 undergrads – up from 2,723 last year.

The only limitation to MC’s booming enrollment, according to Jonathan Ambrose, vice president for student experience and dean of students, is space.

“Increased enrollment has brought both space challenges and renewed energy to our residence halls, creating a vibrant living and learning community,” Ambrose said. “A strong demand for on-campus housing allows utilization of the residence hall capacity to its fullest, providing students with a supportive and engaging environment that further enhances their college experience.

“Couple this with the full residential population, and high demand has set the stage for a very exciting fall semester and future for our campus community.”

There’s no question that the Leland Speed Scholarship, which provides full undergraduate tuition for high school seniors and transfer students who are residents of Mississippi and live on the Clinton campus, is a major contributor to the University’s enrollment boom. But there are many other factors that make Mississippi College one of the most desirable institutions of higher learning in the nation.

Students like Sarah Sunday Holmes, a sophomore nursing major from Flowood, value MC’s Christian culture and small-campus charm.

“When walking around campus, the atmosphere of community is all around,” Holmes said. “Whether it’s the bustling people in the Commons studying and having conversations, or the Quad where people are walking to class, you rarely leave your residence hall and not see anyone you know.

“The professors and staff on campus also make an effort to learn your name and ask you how you are, which is very encouraging from day to day.”

As a student from outside Mississippi, Keller Cacioppo isn’t eligible for the Speed Scholarship. But the freshman Christian Studies major from Vestavia Hills, Alabama, was drawn to MC because of its student body.

“The increased enrollment over the last few years has led to diversity, opportunity, and strengthening on the Mississippi College campus,” Cacioppo said. “There are ministry opportunities, ministers and people of all races, backgrounds and interests who will make an impact on this world.

“MC has people that I would like to become like over the next four years because they are committed to becoming like Christ.”

Michael Wright, dean of enrollment management, said other factors contributing to the University’s enrollment growth include a knowledgeable faculty dedicated to student engagement, rigorous academic programs that prepare graduates for success in their chosen professions, and a leadership team that loves the Lord and strives to provide the best Christian higher education experience to students.

“Whatever God is calling you to do with your life, MC is going to help get you there,” Wright said. “Our track record shows that’s what we do best.

“The fact that students will get an excellent education, grow closer to Christ or learn who He is, and have one-to-one interaction with their professors – all at a competitive price for a private school education – makes MC an exceptional choice for undergraduates.”