EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — More than 51,000 Michigan State University students are in class this fall, and almost 40,400 are undergraduate students, according to preliminary data.
That’s the largest undergraduate enrollment on university record.
On top of that, it’s the most diverse student body in university history. Students are coming from each of the 50 states, each of Michigan’s 83 counties and 130 countries of the world.
MSU has increased the number of undergraduate students each year since the 2020 pandemic, even as enrollment at some other universities has declined.
According to the university, diversity of the student body is also higher than any previous year with 27% of students “of diverse backgrounds.”
Enrollment of Asian students reached 9%, enrollment of Hispanic/Latinx students reached 7%, and enrollment of students of two or more races has increased to 4%, university officials said.
As for the attainability of an MSU degree, MSU plans to provide a record $390 million in federal, state, institutional and private alternative financial aid to more than 40,000 students by the end of the fall semester, including about 7,100 Pell-eligible students.
That’s an increase of $8 million in financial aid since last fall, when about 41,000 students received aid.
“With diversity comes discovery and opportunity to eliminate barriers and obstacles for students, academically and socially. I look forward to a successful journey of learning for our students, faculty, staff, and alumni this year,” said Board of Trustees Chair Rema Vassar, Ph.D.
The preliminary fall enrollment data is based on the number of students enrolled on Aug. 28, which was the first day of class. Final enrollment numbers will be available on Sept. 21.
