The Morgan State enrollment record now stands at 12,119 students, the first time the Baltimore HBCU has topped 12,000 in its 159-year history. Fall 2026 enrollment rose 5% from last year, Morgan State announced. It’s the sixth straight record. It also makes Morgan the nation’s third-largest HBCU, and the school is now working toward a medical school that could be the first of its kind.
The Morgan State Enrollment Record by the Numbers
The totals tell a clear story. Morgan has added more than 1,300 students over the past two years. HBCU Buzz reported 10,739 students for Fall 2024, so the jump since then is substantial. The school also received 30,262 completed applications for this fall.
New first-year enrollment stayed fairly steady at 2,318 students. The growth came from other places. Graduate enrollment hit an all-time high of 2,143, up 7%, including 489 new graduate students. Transfer enrollment rose about 12%. Retention reached 78%, matching a level last seen in 2014. Morgan also conferred nearly 1,900 degrees during 2025-26, the largest total in school history.
“Crossing the 12,000-student threshold is an extraordinary milestone,” President David K. Wilson said, “but what excites me most is what lies beneath that number.”
Where the Growth Is Coming From
Black male enrollment stands out. Morgan enrolled 3,613 Black male students, a 10.3% increase, and they now make up about 30% of the student body. The university formed a Presidential Task Force on the State of Black Male Enrollment in 2025 to address national declines.
Geography is shifting too. Nearly half of new students came from outside Maryland, and Morgan’s recruiting footprint grew from 33 states to 40. This year, though, 52% of new students were Maryland residents. International recruitment also climbed. Morgan welcomed 122 new international students from 31 countries, a 20% increase, and it enrolls 558 students on F-1 visas.
Why do students pick Morgan? In a survey of incoming students, 46% said wanting to attend an HBCU influenced their decision most. Another 13% cited academic programs. Campus visits were the top influence on applying, at 34%. Nursing, nutritional science, health education, business administration, finance, marketing, and psychology were among the most popular majors.
The Medical School Plan
Morgan wants to turn that momentum into something bigger. HBCU Gameday reported the university is working to establish a public, nonprofit medical school. It received a two-year, $1.75 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in 2025 to develop a plan for an M.D. program.
If it succeeds, Morgan says it would be the first public medical school operated by an HBCU. Howard, Meharry, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Charles R. Drew University already run medical schools, but all four are private. Xavier University of Louisiana is also preparing to open one. Morgan’s version would focus partly on physician shortages and access to care in underserved communities.
The effort has had a restart. An earlier plan involving an independently operated medical school on campus didn’t move forward as first envisioned. Under the new model, Morgan itself would run the program. The university has identified a potential location in 2026, and Wilson publicly renewed his argument this month that HBCU medical schools can help address workforce shortages.
Rankings and Research
The recognition is stacking up alongside the numbers. U.S. News & World Report ranked Morgan No. 8 among HBCUs in its 2027 rankings, including No. 3 among public HBCUs. Forbes placed it No. 4 among public HBCUs. Morgan is a Carnegie R2 school, and it’s aiming for R1 status by 2030.
Growth also brings pressure. Gameday noted that Morgan has expanded student housing and invested in new health, research, and academic facilities to keep pace. Those infrastructure questions will grow if enrollment keeps climbing. Morgan is also building out technology. Texas Metro News reported on the university’s new collaboration with Google Public Sector as part of an AI-powered campus push.
On the field, results have varied. Morgan’s homecoming drew thousands of students and alumni earlier this month and a 28-27 Bears comeback win, per The Afro. Last Thursday, though, South Carolina State beat the Bears 51-10, and Morgan fell to 0-2 in MEAC play, according to HBCU Legends.
What to Watch
Retention and graduate enrollment are the numbers to follow. They show whether students are staying and advancing, not just arriving. For Morgan State University and the broader HBCU enrollment picture, the next question is whether the medical school plan gains funding and a timeline. For now, the Morgan State enrollment record shows what a public HBCU can do when students keep choosing it.
