Winston-Salem State University is celebrating a historic milestone as it announces its highest graduate student enrollment, reaching 590 students for the Fall 2024 semester. This achievement reflects a remarkable 14.3% increase from the previous year’s enrollment of 516 students and signifies a significant turnaround following the reinstatement of its graduate college in December 2022.
Dr. Montrale Boykin, interim dean of the graduate college, attributes this substantial growth to the university’s renewed focus on expanding graduate programs after a decade-long hiatus. “This is the largest enrollment in the history of the institution,” Boykin stated, highlighting the impressive 31.2% increase in new graduate students, with 244 new enrollees compared to an 11.3% rise the previous year.
Historically, WSSU had shifted its attention toward undergraduate liberal arts education in 2010, leading to a decline in graduate programs. However, Boykin emphasized that the absence of a formal graduate school had impeded collaboration and development within the institution. “With the program back in place, we now have a coordinated effort toward increasing enrollment, preparing graduate students for their professional careers, and exploring new graduate programs,” he explained.
The recent surge in graduate enrollment coincides with WSSU’s broader recruitment strategy to attract non-traditional students. It was a key focus for Chancellor Bonita Brown in her recent State of the Campus address. “The goal now is to sustain the program,” Boykin added. “The university is depending on graduate education to continue the enrollment growth.”
Pushing Enrollment Forward
WSSU plans to enhance outreach through graduate fairs, strategic marketing initiatives, and programs to connect current undergraduates to graduate opportunities to maintain this upward trend.
Amidst national trends of plateauing or declining graduate enrollments, WSSU stands out by addressing financial barriers through innovative funding solutions. Notably, the university is one of only four institutions nationwide awarded the HBCU Fellowship Grant, which covers tuition, books, and stipends—for minority and low-income students pursuing graduate degrees in STEM and allied health fields. In 2023, 85 students benefitted from the fellowship.