Minnesota State Moorhead Continues Growth in New Student Count and Total Enrollment
Expanding on its multi-year trend of campus growth, Minnesota State Moorhead opened the 2026-27 academic year with continued momentum in overall headcount, new student enrollment, and record student retention. Early figures show that Moorhead is the fastest-growing university within the Minnesota State system.
First-day numbers show Moorhead’s total headcount increased by 6 percent, with an 8 percent increase in new undergraduate students enrolling.
The university’s student population grew to 4,622, and 1,876 new Dragons joined Minnesota State Moorhead this fall across undergraduate and graduate programs.
Positioned as a leading choice for the region’s most aspirational scholars, Minnesota State Moorhead continues to build momentum by expanding academic experiences that draw top talent to the university.
In its inaugural semester, Moorhead’s Honors College launches with 300 students, including 200 incoming Dragons representing some of the best and brightest across the region. Moorhead also welcomes its first class of Fargo and West Fargo Scholars, an initiative announced earlier this year that provides an additional $6,000 scholarship to top graduates of Fargo and West Fargo’s public high schools.
“Our enrollment growth is a clear indicator of the strong momentum we are building at Minnesota State Moorhead,” said Dr. Jason Trainer, Vice President of Enrollment Management & Strategic Initiatives. “We are welcoming an exceptionally talented and ambitious class of new Dragons, and the fact that approximately 25 percent of our freshmen have enrolled in the Honors College speaks to the caliber of students choosing Moorhead. Being on track as the fastest-growing university in the Minnesota State system makes this an especially exciting time for our campus community.”
Alongside new student growth, Moorhead expects to set a record for student retention, with first-day figures showing 80% of last fall’s entering class returning to continue their degrees for their second fall semester. This unprecedented return, which exceeds university’s retention goals four years early, reflects the impact of several new campus-wide student success and engagement initiatives.
“To see such a remarkable gain in retention is a testament to the incredible focus of our staff and faculty on ensuring our students were deeply engaged in and outside the classroom, were supported in navigating their college experience, and were connected to MSUM and each other,” said Dr. Erika Beseler Thompson, Interim Executive Director of Student Success.