Continuing an upward trend, Middle Georgia State University (MGA) this fall posted the second-highest percentage increase in enrollment in the University System of Georgia.
 
MGA's fall 2018 enrollment reached 7,802 students, according to the system's official report released this week. That is a 6.36 percent increase over last fall. Only Georgia Tech, with a 11.4 percent increase, posted a higher gain.
 
“This growth demonstrates that an increasing number of people have come to appreciate both the quality and the value of an education at Middle Georgia State, and are choosing to invest in their future by studying at our University," said MGA President Dr. Christopher Blake. "We are excited to see that a growing number of students are seeking the benefit of a college education, and that the efforts that have gone into shaping our University and its programs to best fit the needs of not only our region’s students, but also the needs of our region’s business and community leaders, are paying dividends for so many in the Middle Georgia region.”
 
In addition to the 6.36 percent overall enrollment gain, MGA saw a 19 percent increase in new student enrollment, including a 25 percent increase in beginning freshmen. The percentage of students in MGA's graduate programs saw an increase of 81.7 percent.
 
The latest numbers show MGA continuing an upward trend that began in summer 2018, when the University posted a 7.4 percent increase in enrollment over the same period last year.
 
“Growth is important for any institution, and at Middle Georgia State, we’ve made a concerted effort to not only grow, but to grow with purpose and direction," said Jennifer Stenander, vice president for Enrollment Management. "We regularly work with employers to ensure that MGA graduates are prepared to meet the needs of our state’s growing workforce, and that our growth is focused on continuing to tailor our offerings to meeting that goal. Such an increase in the number of students taking advantage of our programs to help themselves advance in their careers is something we all celebrate.”
 
MGA was one of 12 out of the 26 University System of Georgia (USG) institutions that saw an enrollment increase this fall. Fall 2018 enrollment in the USG's colleges and universities totaled 328,712 students, an increase of 1.1 percent (or 3,509 more students) over the previous year.
 
This fall’s enrollment continues a five-year trend of modest increases in student enrollment in the USG. This fall also marks the fourth consecutive year that enrollment continued to reach an all-time high in the USG’s total student enrollment.
 
Enrollment numbers were released in the USG’s “Fall 2018 Semester Enrollment Report,” which breaks down enrollment by institution, class, race and ethnicity, in-state, out-of-state, and international students, as well as gender and age.