Senseman Story 1

Diversity is climbing at The University Of Mississippi.

Diversity at Ole Miss is at an all-time high, according to data obtained from the university’s Institutional Research & Assessment department.

The data stems from a study tracing the enrollment by gender and ethnicity for the university from the 2008-2009 school year to present. In the study, it was noted that the ratio of African-American enrollment increased from 14 percent in 2008 to 17 percent for the current 2012-2013 school year. The overall number of black students increased from 2,118 to 3,132, an overall 48 percent increase.

The study also showed that enrollment for other minorities, which includes Asians, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics, was also on the rise. Students comprised of minorities other than African-Americans nearly doubled during the 2008-2012 time period. 

Clifford Holley, a research associate for the university’s Center for Population Studies department, believes that while the numbers for African-American students have increased some, the bigger picture is the increase in diversity as a whole.

“A lot of time people think in terms of what they’re used to. It’s hard for people to realize that the world is changing, and it’s changing pretty rapidly,” he said. “I’d be curious to see how exactly it changed, as our department’s view is kind of skewed since we see more females and minorities than most.”

The data collected also detailed the changes in male and female enrollment between the 2008-2012 school years. Over this period, female enrollment increased 26 percent from 8,169 females enrolled in 2008, to 10,312 in 2012, an overall 26 percent increase. The ratio of females to males also increased from 53 percent to 55 percent during this time.

Institutional Research & Assessment Department

Center for Population Studies