This semester, MSU is seeing an abundance of growth.

The overall enrollment this year has increased by 0.33% from last spring, with a majority of the increase coming from undergraduate students.

Part of this comes from the fall cohort, who saw a 5.2% increase in the number of first time, full time students.

So far this spring, MSU has seen a 87.8% retention rate. This is an increase from the Fall 2024 – Spring 2025 academic year, which only saw a 82.4% retention rate.

Part of what helps keep students in college from the fall to the spring semester is understanding their needs. MSU has received a grant from the Gardner Institute that allows the university to be more specific in the way it helps students.

“This grant is focused on retention, and it’s especially focused at the granular level in terms of courses,” President Stacia Haynie said.

To get to the granular level, faculty members are evaluating the courses and making sure they are student centered.

“Are there courses or the structure of it that can present barriers to students? And so how do you have a smoother flow for that? Are there particular areas where you need to think through, ‘what does the student need to be prepared for the next one?’” Haynie said. “And so it’s, it’s beyond making sure students get advised and like, […] really looking and working with faculty to look across all of what we do for students.”

Though the grant is helpful in keeping students enrolled, Haynie cited the staff and faculty as the ones who keep students enrolled.

“Seeing this number move on retention, that’s a function of people identifying a student who, you know, needs support […] whatever that may be, and getting that student those resources,” Haynie said.

Some of these resources include the MSU Counseling Center, financial aid resources and Mustang’s Pantry. However, this semester MSU has created even more resources for students.

Both the Military Education and Student Success Centers are open temporarily in building 16, which formerly housed the Counseling Center.

With both of these new departments open, MSU has had to hire staff on to help run them.

“We’ve hired about 20 new positions to support those things that include the Student Success Coaches,” Haynie said. “So are working one-on-one with students who may need help, whatever it is, navigating through life in your academic space. So some of the work being done there. And then we have some additional positions that we’ll be hiring for that as well.”

Ultimately, MSU is still focused on getting students the access to resources they need to succeed. Though part of it is getting them these resources, Haynie believes that what truly helps is making students feel confident in their abilities.

“Some of it is, I think, believing in the student when the student may not yet believe in themselves,” Haynie said.