Ole Miss tells trustees it has record applications, enrollment gains and $1.4 billion in construction underway

Chancellor Dr. Boyce briefed the Board of Trustees on the University of Mississippi’s recent growth and campus initiatives, telling trustees the university received 46,500 freshman applications this cycle and has posted three consecutive years of enrollment growth. He highlighted a 31% increase in minority enrollment since 2020 and said first‑year retention and multi‑year graduation metrics have improved substantially.

"We had 46,500 applications for this year's freshman class," Boyce told trustees, and he said the university’s first‑year retention stands at 86.6%, with a six‑year graduation rate above 70% and a four‑year graduation rate that has improved about 24% since 2019. Boyce also noted the system’s service and outreach work — student‑run fundraisers raising millions and thousands of service hours — and emphasized new academic programming in languages, manufacturing, and an investment‑banking leadership program that the university expects to launch this fall with an initial cohort of 20 students.

Boyce described a portfolio of research centers formed since 2019 — including centers focused on misinformation, practical ethics, insurance transformation, tactical performance and collegiate gambling — and listed investments in campus modernization and student housing. He said the system has roughly $1.4 billion in active construction projects with more than 2,000 beds planned across phased dormitory projects.

The chancellor framed his remarks as an overview of institutional performance and thanked trustees for their support in enabling fundraising, capital projects and program growth.