Morgan State president defends enrollment gains as analysts flag falling graduation and overdue reports

At a hearing of the Education and Economic Development Subcommittee of Appropriations, Morgan State University President David Wilson responded to a Department of Legislative Services (DLS) analysis outlining gains in enrollment and research funding alongside declines in graduation and retention rates and several outstanding mandated reports.

DLS analyst Kelly Norton told the panel that total undergraduate enrollment at Morgan rose by 727 students from fall 2023 to fall 2024 and that first‑time, full‑time freshman enrollment increased 4.2 percent in fall 2024. Norton’s brief also highlighted research and budget items in Morgan’s fiscal 2025 and 2026 submissions, and recommended restricting some state funds pending outstanding reports and audit confirmations.

Why it matters: The committee must weigh growth and research momentum against student success trends and statutory reporting obligations before approving or releasing certain state dollars.

Morgan’s enrollment and research gains are large but uneven. President David Wilson told the subcommittee Morgan now enrolls about 11,000 students from 46 states and 70 countries, and that Morgan has moved from R3 to R2 Carnegie research classification. “When I arrived at Morgan, we were bringing in roughly about $18 to $20,000,000 a year [in federal grants]. As I sit here today… halfway through the fiscal year, we had $99,000,000,” Wilson said, adding that faculty patents and start‑ups…