Despite the worldwide pandemic that has taken its toll on college enrollments, nationwide, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has announced its fifth consecutive year of record enrollments.
This fall there are 12,754 students enrolled at the university, continuing a growth trend that began in 2013, when it became the largest HBCU in the nation. It has held that status now for seven consecutive years.
The COVID-19 pandemic did cause a slight drop in first-year enrollments. More than 160 students who had planned to enroll this fall deferred their start until the spring 2021 term. But this was offset by new enrollments in master’s degree programs that were up by 22 percent. this pushed overall post-baccalaureate and master’s enrollment up by nearly 10 percent to a total of 1,184 and graduate enrollment overall to 1,623. Student persistence was up by about 7 percent at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
“Growth this year required a laser-focused level of intentionality around our strategic goals combined with an awareness of our environment and the specific areas of growth we could responsibly support,” said Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. “We are very pleased with the contours of our enrollment as we begin the year.”
