Morgan State's Growing Appeal Fuels Sixth Consecutive Enrollment Record, Surpassing 12,000 Students

Historic Enrollment of 12,119 Driven by Record Graduate Participation, Rising Retention, Increased Black Male Enrollment and Expanding National and International Reach

BALTIMORE — At a time when students have more choices than ever about where and how to pursue a college education, Morgan State University is demonstrating that its distinctive combination of academic opportunity, cultural identity and expanding national reputation is a powerful draw. For the sixth consecutive year, the University has achieved record enrollment, welcoming 12,119 students for Fall 2026, a 5% increase over the previous year and the first time in Morgan’s 159-year history that enrollment has surpassed 12,000.

But the significance of Morgan’s latest milestone extends well beyond its growing student population. With new student enrollment remaining relatively stable, the University’s continued expansion is being fueled by gains in second-year student retention, graduate education, transfer enrollment and participation among historically underrepresented student populations. The latest figures reflect an institution that is not only attracting students from increasingly diverse geographic markets but also making progress in keeping them enrolled and advancing toward their degrees. During the 2025-26 academic year, Morgan conferred nearly 1,900 degrees, the largest graduation total in school history.

Now the nation’s third-largest Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Morgan has added more than 1,300 students over the past two years, further solidifying its position among the country’s leading HBCUs. The University also received 30,262 completed undergraduate and graduate applications for Fall 2026, reflecting substantial interest in a Morgan education.

“Crossing the 12,000-student threshold is an extraordinary milestone, but what excites me most is what lies beneath that number,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “Students are choosing Morgan because of the possibilities they see for themselves — the strength of our academic programs, our expanding research enterprise, our growing national reputation and an environment where their aspirations are taken seriously. Six consecutive years of record enrollment tell us that our institutional transformation and ascendancy are resonating. More importantly, they tell us that the Morgan experience is increasingly becoming a destination of choice.”

Growth Beyond the First-Year Class 

While Morgan welcomed 2,318 new first-year students this fall, some of its most significant gains occurred among students continuing their education or pursuing advanced degrees.

Graduate enrollment reached an all-time high of 2,143 students, a 7% increase over Fall 2025, including 489 new graduate students. Transfer enrollment also increased approximately 12%, while the University’s student retention rate reached 78%, matching a level last achieved in 2014.

These developments are particularly significant as Morgan continues expanding its graduate education and research enterprise in pursuit of Carnegie R1 very high research classification by 2030.

“Enrollment success cannot be measured by the size of an incoming class alone. The more meaningful measure is whether students see sufficient value in their educational experience to remain, progress and ultimately complete their degrees,” said Kara Turner, Ph.D., senior vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Success. “Our latest data show encouraging developments across several important indicators. We are seeing growth among graduate and transfer students, expanding interest from new geographic markets and stronger retention among continuing students. These outcomes reinforce the importance of aligning recruitment with the academic support and student success initiatives that help students thrive.”

Reversing the Narrative on Black Male Enrollment

Among Morgan’s most consequential enrollment developments is the continued increase in Black male participation, an encouraging distinction amid longstanding national concerns about Black male representation in higher education.

Morgan enrolled 3,613 Black male undergraduate and graduate students, a 10.3% increase over the previous year. Black men now represent approximately 30% of the University’s total enrollment.

The increase follows Morgan’s establishment of its Presidential Task Force on the State of Black Male Enrollment in 2025, an initiative focused on confronting declining Black male college participation and expanding educational opportunity.

Overall, 2,064 of Morgan’s 2,318 new first-year students, approximately 89%, identify as Black or African American. According to a 2026 University Digest analysis of U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data, Morgan ranked 13th nationally among colleges and universities enrolling the largest numbers of Black students.

Why Students Are Choosing Morgan

Beyond the enrollment totals, a survey of incoming students offers insight into Morgan’s competitive advantage.

When asked what most influenced their decision to enroll, 46% identified a desire to attend an HBCU, while 13% cited academic programs. Campus visits were the leading influence on students’ decisions to apply (34%), followed by online browsing (26%) and family or personal connections to Morgan (24%).

The findings reinforce the enduring appeal of the HBCU experience while highlighting the importance of academic offerings, campus engagement and institutional visibility in attracting prospective students.

Morgan’s geographic reach is also expanding. Nearly half of all new students came from outside Maryland, growing the University’s recruitment footprint from 33 states to 40 states in one year. Beyond Baltimore and the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, Morgan continues attracting students from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Connecticut, Illinois, and California. However, this year marked the first in recent where the majority of new students, 52%, came from within Maryland’s borders.

International recruitment also strengthened, with 122 new international students from 31 countries, a 20% increase over Fall 2025 and the sixth consecutive year of growth in new international enrollment. Overall, Morgan enrolls 558 international students holding F-1 visas. The University’s increasing international appeal also coincides with recognition from StudyAbroadAide, which ranked Morgan No. 4 among the Best Historically Black Colleges and Universities for International Students in 2026.

Academic Demand and National Recognition Reinforce Momentum

Enrollment gains across several academic units further reflect Morgan’s expanding appeal. The Earl G. Graves School of Business and Management welcomed 524 incoming students, the largest percentage of the newcomers (23%), while the School of Community Health and Policy gained 504 incoming students (22%). The College of Liberal Arts rounds out the schools benefiting from continued growth, welcoming 407 (17.6%) first-time college students.

Popular declared majors included Nursing, Nutritional Science, Health Education, Business Administration, Finance, Marketing and Psychology.

Morgan’s enrollment trajectory also coincides with growing national recognition. In its 2027 rankings, U.S. News & World Report placed Morgan No. 8 nationally among HBCUs, including No. 3 among public HBCUs and No. 1 among Maryland HBCUs. Forbes also ranked Morgan No. 4 among its Top 10 Public HBCUs, reinforcing the University’s increasingly competitive standing.

For Morgan, the latest enrollment record represents more than another numerical milestone. It reflects an expanding institutional reach, sustained interest in the HBCU experience and growing opportunities for students pursuing undergraduate and advanced degrees.

As the University advances its Transformation Morgan 2030 strategic priorities, its continued growth underscores an evolving institutional distinction: Morgan is not simply enrolling more students — it is increasingly positioning itself as a university where more students choose to begin, continue and complete their educational journeys.

About Morgan

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master’s degree, doctorate and certificate programs. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

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Media Contacts:

Larry Jones, Dell Jackson or Cheryl Stewart, for Morgan State University PR
443-885-3022

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