10 September ICC ranks among leaders in state enrollment for 2025 fall semester September 10, 2025 By Thomas, Donna S. General 0 Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in enrollment, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. ICC currently shows a 2 percent increase in headcount and a 3.5 percent increase for full-time enrollment from fall 2024 to fall 2025. Most importantly, figures show a 14 percent increase in enrollment since fall 2021, a four-year consecutive enrollment increase. ICC remains the fifth largest community college out of 15 with more than 5,300 credit students enrolled. The continuing increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include recent additional housing opportunities tailored to student needs, including the addition of 240-capacity Magnolia Hall, exclusively for student leaders, and reopening of both Sheffield and Monroe Halls last fall with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today as well as an enhanced emphasis on activities. Even with the addition of multiple housing options, ICC’s residence hall waiting list reaches into the hundreds. “This very exciting news demonstrates a collaborative effort between all areas of the college to allow for continued enrollment growth,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” “Statistics show that the more students are engaged, the more successful they will be in the classroom,” according to ICC Vice President of Student Services Dr. Brad Boggs. “Having an attractive, comprehensive student activities program plays a major role and is a defining factor why students attend ICC, and subsequently, it is an opportunity to retain students once they enroll.” The renewed emphasis on student activities includes opportunities for both traditional-age students as well as adult learners at all three locations – Fulton, Tupelo and Belden – based on listening to ICC’s students and staff and providing programs/events that are of interest to all. “Student engagement is an opportunity for all who attend to make lifelong friendships and connections as well as to participate in fun activities, especially with the reopening of the Student Activities Center at the Fulton Campus last fall, which provides the BEST opportunities for all students. It is redesigned with covered outdoor space to enable student activities to be held ‘rain or shine.’” In addition, Itawamba Community College has transitioned to a Schools of approach to group like majors into a cohort to enable students to connect better with their selected field of study as well as with those in the same area, such as academic transfer and career education. In comparison to all other higher education options in the state, both public and private, ICC has the second lowest cost of tuition and cost of tuition and fees combined and the lowest in north Mississippi. While the updated enrollment figures include online, academic and career education classes, they do not include workforce totals, which are not measured on a semester basis, Allen said. “Because of the dedication of ICC’s faculty and staff, our Board of Trustees and external funding support, we continue to provide an affordable and quality option, which has been documented in the naming of ICC among the top 150 in the nation by the Aspen Institute repeatedly and the continuation of a significant grant for the third year as part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative to provide scholarships to underserved students, and we’re only one of 78 colleges in the nation to be recipients,” Allen said. “In addition, the work of our recruiters, enrollment services and community relations team and our entire institution has contributed to this increase in enrollment, a true collaborative effort by all members of the ICC family.” Allen also noted that data from the Institutions of Higher Learning shows that ICC produces graduates who when they attend any of the state’s eight universities, they generate the second highest number of bachelor’s degrees by transfer students. They also graduate with a higher GPA than the student who started at the university. “We are always excited to hear that more students have chosen to become members of our ICC family, and an enrollment increase is tremendous news,” said Michael Holloway, director of Recruitment and Orientation. “Students tell me every day that ICC is something special and a place that they quickly call home once they start here. I truly believe that ICC provides the best instruction in academic transfer, career education and health sciences programs, including those that are online. The many resources and opportunities available to students at the Fulton, Tupelo and Belden locations enhance the overall student experience and help ICC students achieve success. From the first time a student arrives at any of our locations or begins one of our fully online programs to the day they complete their degree or certification, we provide wraparound services throughout the entire process. It’s an exciting time to be at ICC, where we ensure that the BEST start here.” Related Articles ICC ranks among state leaders in full-time enrollment increase Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,774 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring 2024-spring 2025 show a 6.7 percent increase, which comes after a multi-year increase in both fall and spring enrollments. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include additional housing opportunities tailored to student needs, including the addition of Magnolia Hall, exclusively for student leaders, and reopening of both Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today as well as an enhanced emphasis on activities.” “This very exciting news demonstrates a collaborative effort between all areas of the college to allow for continued enrollment growth,” Allen said. “What the figures don’t show is that residence halls remain at a more than 95 percent capacity this spring. The increase in the number of students that ... ICC enrollment increases again - continues to rank among state's leaders Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment increase, according to figures released this week by the Mississippi Community College Board. With fall enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from fall 2023-fall 2024 show a 4.1 percent increase, nearly double the state average. In addition, enrollment was up 7 percent the last two semesters, statistics show. The continuing increase over the last two reporting periods can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. They include the addition of significant housing opportunities tailored to student needs with the opening of Magnolia Hall last fall and the reopening of Sheffield and Monroe Halls with spaces designed to accommodate the ICC student of today at the beginning of this semester, and an enhanced emphasis on activities. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start ... ICC among state community college enrollment leaders for spring 2024 Itawamba Community College ranks among the leaders in the state in full-time enrollment for the 2024 spring semester, according to figures recently released by the Mississippi Community College Board. With spring enrollment at 4,476 at the end of the 10-day reporting period, figures from spring ‘23 to spring ‘24 show a 7 percent increase in headcount and a 9.7 percent increase in FTE with a second-place ranking. However, ICC had the largest percentage increase than any other community college in the state when reviewing combined FTE increases for fall ’23 and spring ‘24. The increase can be attributed to multiple factors, according to ICC President Dr. Jay Allen, including the addition of state-of-the-art Magnolia Hall for honors students and student leaders, an enhanced emphasis on activities, expanded free personal orientation sessions and the transition to the schools of approach to enable student connections both to their field of study and their peers. “This is very exciting news,” Allen said. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to ... ICC offers scholarships to area students Itawamba Community College has offered scholarships for 2018 to several area students. They include Amory – Vesmond Dilworth, Leadership; Jaymes Ashton Harris, Special Achievement, Leadership; Katherine Morgan, ACT Special Incentive, Leadership; John-Michael Woods, ACT Achievement Incentive, Leadership; Baldwyn – Daja Hallie Beene, Leadership; Emerald Dilworth, Leadership; Danielle Jones, Leadership; Serenity Young, Leadership; Belden – Emily Chandler, Leadership; Paige Chism, ACT Regular Incentive, Leadership; Ruthie Ross, Leadership; Bellefontaine – Kayla Lynn Pritchett, ACT Achievement Incentive, Special Achievement; Blue Springs – Maggie Meinz, ACT Special Incentive, Leadership; Madison Shelton, Leadership; Bruce – Alexis Moore, Leadership; Coffeeville – Tyjanique T. Reed, ACT Regular Incentive, Leadership; Columbus – Mya Guyness, Leadership; Darby Malone, ACT Regular Incentive, Leadership; Lori Sansing, Academic, Leadership; Corinth – Elizabeth Ingram, ACT Achievement Incentive, Leadership; Crawford – Jonas Oswalt, Academic, Leadership; Fulton – Halie Bennett, Leadership; Jordan Brock, ACT Regular Incentive, Leadership; Kendall Blake Coker, Special Achievement, Leadership; Madeline Johnson, Leadership; Laken Keyes, Leadership; Lauren London, Leadership; Preston Moore, ACT Achievement Incentive; Selena Pierce, ACT Regular Incentive, Leadership; Julian Rether, ACT Achievement Incentive; Macy Strawn, Leadership; Holland Underwood, ... ICC fall semester enrollment increases Itawamba Community College’s fall enrollment has increased even in the unique environment caused by COVID-19. With full-time enrollment beginning at more than 5,000 and an increase in credit hours, ICC also has 705 students who are participating in the dual credit program, which enables high school students to earn college hours. The increase is determined by comparing enrollments for the 2019 and 2020 fall semesters. “This is very exciting news, since the increases are in headcount, full-time equivalencies and credit hours,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “The increase in the number of students that ICC is serving is significant because we have additional opportunities to provide a solid educational foundation and the best start for those in our five-county district and beyond.” Enrollment figures include online, academic and career education classes, but not workforce totals, which are not measured on semester basis, Allen said. Because of COVID-19, ICC has altered its instructional delivery methods, which now include face-to-face only, face-to-face hybrid which has an online component, face-to-face Zoom and online. “We are ... WalletHub ranks ICC first among all state public two-year institutions Itawamba Community College has ranked first among all public state two-year institutions in a WalletHub study that surveyed hundreds of community colleges across the United States. In order to determine the best community colleges in the United States, the financial institution WalletHub selected a sample of 698 schools from the list of member institutions in the American Association of Community Colleges. The schools were evaluated based on cost and financing and both education and career outcomes. “For 70 plus years, providing affordable and accessible education has always been a significant component of Itawamba Community College’s mission,” said ICC President Dr. Jay Allen. “National recognition of the College in this area is an indication that ICC is fulfilling that mission and serving our students who are our top priority. Their success is our success.” According to WalletHub, community colleges are a more attractive option especially this year as many individuals are struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other than affordability, community colleges provide more flexible schedules, smaller classes sizes and rigorous coursework. The average age ... Comments are closed.