Murray State reported a 2.7% increase in enrollment while undergraduate enrollment has decreased nationally by 6.6% from 2019 to 2021, according to insidehighered.com. 

President Bob Jackson said the University’s focus on the recruitment, retention and graduation of students is what sets Murray State apart from other universities.

“Despite enrollment headwinds nationally, I am greatly appreciative of our staff, faculty, students, alumni and all others who are actively involved with supporting this vitally important work of our University as we continue to see enrollment growth,” Jackson said.  

As part of this effort, the University recently announced new regional tuition rates for 15 states to provide more students with lower tuition prices. These states include Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The University also enhanced its academic achievement scholarships to emphasize GPA for freshmen students enrolling in fall 2023.

The University will continue to emphasize GPA on the application and admissions process, offering a test-optional admission for qualifying students. This means incoming freshmen will not have to submit ACT or SAT scores.

The University will continue to implement new programs in addition to the 148 current academic programs, in order to meet the needs of the students and the region. 

 Caring faculty, staff and alumni set the University apart from its competitors, Don Robertson, vice president of Student Affairs, said. 

“We have a very integrated system of all these folks working together, so we meet regularly and plan,” Robertson said. “We have active alumni that help us recruit [students] and faculty and staff who are also involved in recruitment and retention, so it really is a total University effort.”

Enrollment for underrepresented minority students also increased by 5.6% since 2021. Robertson said diversity is needed to ensure students have a rich college experience. 

“All types of diversity just make for a better learning environment: ethnic, age, political,” Roberstson said. “You want to have this community of scholars, and the best way to do that is to have an institution that reflects the makeup of the world.”  

Jackson said it’s important for prospective students to visit campus to see what the University has to offer. 

“It is very important for Murray State to be visible in front of prospective students and their families, whether it is making visits to area schools and events through our Road Scholars program, or hosting students and their families on campus for a tour and visit,” Jackson said. “That personal touch is key, so we can work directly with students and their families to answer their questions regarding financial aid, scholarships, academic programs, the admissions process and share what makes the Murray State experience a special one.”

Director of the Office of Recruitment Shawn Smee said his office works to connect with prospective students. 

“The one-on-one conversations and extensive follow-ups help the students in their college search process,” Smee said.

The Office of Recruitment has increased the number of daily campus tours, including Saturday visits. 

Smee said he is also seeing success in virtual visits, but has plans to bring more opportunities to students. 

This fall, the office will be expanding Scholarship Showcase Nights to an additional 30 locations.

The Scholarship Showcase nights are designed to allow students the opportunity to meet with recruitment and admissions staff to answer questions about scholarships and the application process. 

The faculty interactions and student-led tours are what continue to set the University apart from other institutions, Smee said. 

“We can talk about Murray State all day, but we feel a student needs to be here and experience it first hand in order to truly understand our campus and to realize they can be successful here, like so many of us,” Smee said.  

To schedule a tour of MSU, visit murraystate.edu/recruitment.

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