Fall 2026 new undergraduate enrollment rises 15% as First-time, First-year enrollment increases nearly 30%
COLUMBIA, SC,September 9, 2026, Benedict College continues its sustained enrollment growth, welcoming 731 new traditional undergraduate students for Fall 2026, the College’s highest new traditional undergraduate enrollment since Fall 2019 and a 15.3% increase over Fall 2025.
The Fall 2026 results mark Benedict’s third consecutive year of new undergraduate enrollment growth. Since Fall 2023, new traditional undergraduate enrollment has increased significantly, representing a growth of more than 56%.
Growth is particularly strong among first-time, first-year students. Benedict welcomed 602 first-time, first-year students this fall, representing a 29.5% year-over-year increase. The incoming first-year class has an average high school GPA of 3.1, and the College also welcomed 106 new transfer students.
“These results reflect the strength and continued momentum of Benedict College,” said Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis, President and CEO of Benedict College. “As more students choose Benedict, we remain focused on expanding opportunity, delivering academic excellence, and preparing our students to lead and serve. We are proud to welcome another strong class of new Tigers to our community.”
The Fall 2026 class also reflects Benedict College’s broad geographic reach. New Tigers represent 28 states and U.S. jurisdictions and seven countries: The Bahamas, Barbados, Cameroon, Canada, Jamaica, Kenya, and Trinidad and Tobago.
For the second consecutive year, men comprise a majority of Benedict’s incoming traditional undergraduate class, representing 53 % of Fall 2026 new students. The result continues the majority-male enrollment profile established by the Fall 2025 incoming class and remains a notable dimension of Benedict’s enrollment composition.
This growth reflects the disciplined work of our Enrollment Management team, strong collaboration across campus, and President Artis’ vision for an institution centered on access, excellence, and student success,” said Yohannis Job, Vice President for Enrollment Management. “I am proud of what this team has accomplished. Our work, however, does not end with enrollment. Our responsibility is to ensure that every new Tiger has the opportunity to persist, graduate, and succeed”.
The Fall 2026 results build on a sustained upward trajectory. New Traditional undergraduate enrollment has grown from 468 students in Fall 2023 to 731 in Fall 2026. This gain underscores the growing strength and appeal of Benedict’s undergraduate programs.
Benedict College remains focused on translating this enrollment momentum into student achievement, persistence, graduation, and long-term success, while continuing its mission to prepare graduates to be a “power for good in society’.
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Benedict College
Founded in 1870 by a woman, Bathsheba A. Benedict, Benedict College is a private co-educational liberal arts institution offering 29 competitive baccalaureate degree programs and two master’s degree programs. The Midlands HBCU welcomes students from several counties in South Carolina, states across America, and countries around the world. The College also has a diverse faculty deeply engaged in teaching, research, and service.
Benedict College has been highly regarded and ranked exceptionally by several academic and traditional publications for its programs. Benedict College is the recipient of the 2024 UNCF Institutional Excellence Awardgiven by UNCF’s Institute for Capacity Building Program. in Benedict was also named HBCU of the Year by HBCU Digest and voted the number one Gold Winner in The States’ BEST College or University in 2025. The College was also recognized as one of the Best Colleges in South Carolina in Research.com’s 2026 rankings.
Benedict College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate and master’s degrees. Six of the College’s degree programs hold national accreditation: Social Work Program, Environmental Health Science Program, Environmental Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Studio Art, and the Tyrone Adam Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship.